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Transfusion
In a future overrun by out-of-control machines and monsters, a handful of human survivors try to fight their way back to a normal life. But what is normal in a world where both monsters and machines need human blood? And which are the real bad guys? Find out in this horrific new story by 30 Days of Night co-creator Steve Niles and menton3, the demented artist behind Monocyte!
104 pages, Paperback
First published April 30, 2013
About the author
Steve Niles
909 books443 followersSTEVE NILES is one of the writers responsible for bringing horror comics back to prominence, and was recently named by Fangoria magazine as one of it's "13 rising talents who promise to keep us terrified for the next 25 years."
Niles is currently working for the four top American comic publishers - Marvel, DC, Image and Dark Horse. He got his start in the industry when he formed his own publishing company called Arcane Comix, where he published, edited and adapted several comics and anthologies for Eclipse Comics. His adaptations include works by Clive Barker, Richard Matheson and Harlan Ellison.
Steve resides in Los Angeles in his bachelor pad with one cat. While there's no crawlspace, there is a questionable closet in one corner and no one is quite sure what is hidden in there...but we have an idea.
--from the author's website
Niles is currently working for the four top American comic publishers - Marvel, DC, Image and Dark Horse. He got his start in the industry when he formed his own publishing company called Arcane Comix, where he published, edited and adapted several comics and anthologies for Eclipse Comics. His adaptations include works by Clive Barker, Richard Matheson and Harlan Ellison.
Steve resides in Los Angeles in his bachelor pad with one cat. While there's no crawlspace, there is a questionable closet in one corner and no one is quite sure what is hidden in there...but we have an idea.
--from the author's website
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 10, 2016
This new series by Steve Niles (he of 30 Days of Night fame) has got my attention. It's the future, and the robots have risen up and destroyed the Earth. But don't think Terminator, think War of the Worlds (the remake with Tom Cruise). While of man-made and not alien origin, the robots are huge towering machines that lumber across the land like metal warships, either solo or in groups, hunting humans for their blood. The machines require blood for fuel; their continued existence depends on procuring it, but such insatiable appetite has wiped the planet clean of all life forms unlucky enough to have blood pumping in their veins -- big or small, animal or human.
Humans are on the cusp of extinction. What gives this story its twist is that they are not the only ones -- vampires are also facing annihilation. Without humans (or even animals) to feed on, they too are starving and dying off. Thus evolves an unlikely and tenuous alliance -- vampire and human -- against the unstoppable machines. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
I love the premise here. It's got me. I love the artwork even more. While not created equal in every panel, the majority of it is gorgeous, capturing a grey, dead, post-apocalyptic landscape punctuated by explosions of ruby as the last of the world's blood is shed and consumed by metal monsters.
November 12, 2021
Very, very silly.
March 30, 2013
This book had so much promise. The artwork was amazing and the subtitle of "Vampires vs. Robots" was genius but it really didn't go anywhere. In the last act, an important battle scene is rendered by a completely different artist in a style that makes it difficult to understand exactly what is going on.
March 20, 2013
Ok, whose bright idea was it to make robots that run on HUMAN BLOOD??? Yuck!
It's a post-apocalyptic world where actual undead vampires have to compete for blood with massive bloodthirsty (literally) robots in a land so barren and desolate that an ear of corn is worth killing for. Big problem - both the vamps and the robots have hunted humans nearly to extinction and now the robots and vamps are turning to their own just to get enough to eat, but there may be hope yet- a tiny group of humans have somehow survived. They and the last few vamps must form an uneasy alliance to bring down the robot hordes.
The art here is excellent - very dark and beautifully creepy - however is it really necessary for all the MEN in the story to be not only fully clothed but also wearing gas masks while all the females (especially the vampire females) are pretty much totally naked? Clearly a man wrote this. @_@. Also, the robots bear an extremely striking similarity in their design to some of the angels in Neon Genesis Evangelion. Just sayin.
It's a post-apocalyptic world where actual undead vampires have to compete for blood with massive bloodthirsty (literally) robots in a land so barren and desolate that an ear of corn is worth killing for. Big problem - both the vamps and the robots have hunted humans nearly to extinction and now the robots and vamps are turning to their own just to get enough to eat, but there may be hope yet- a tiny group of humans have somehow survived. They and the last few vamps must form an uneasy alliance to bring down the robot hordes.
The art here is excellent - very dark and beautifully creepy - however is it really necessary for all the MEN in the story to be not only fully clothed but also wearing gas masks while all the females (especially the vampire females) are pretty much totally naked? Clearly a man wrote this. @_@. Also, the robots bear an extremely striking similarity in their design to some of the angels in Neon Genesis Evangelion. Just sayin.
April 8, 2022
I wanted to like this more than I did. The book was a great combination of stark artwork and lean storytelling, which effectively conveyed a grim apocalyptic future in which humans were the prey of two different — yet not so different — types of predators. The problem was that the plot itself was too lean. For all of the pages of inky pictures, the story itself can be summarized in a couple of sentences. So much more could have been done with this than Steve Niles did, it felt by the end as though it was a project squandered.
June 1, 2023
Sigh
I was hoping for an actual story though the art is annoying an feels like someone was in a hurry to sketch I decided to purchase this comic; its a waste of a purchase! Regretfully it has an interesting concept that goes nowhere an is anticlimactic. No I don't recommend this comic. I would ask for a refund but don't want to seem like someone that reads an constantly ask for a refund so I'll bite the bullet on this purchase.
I was hoping for an actual story though the art is annoying an feels like someone was in a hurry to sketch I decided to purchase this comic; its a waste of a purchase! Regretfully it has an interesting concept that goes nowhere an is anticlimactic. No I don't recommend this comic. I would ask for a refund but don't want to seem like someone that reads an constantly ask for a refund so I'll bite the bullet on this purchase.
July 25, 2018
2.5 stars
April 29, 2019
I am intrigued.
April 29, 2013
I picked this one up through NetGalley. It looked interesting and who can resist Vampires Vs. Robots, right?
I was a bit disappointed. I mean it wasn't bad...but it wasn't great. The story itself was short, really short, only 66 pages. It was decent enough, the story got it's point across. The only part I had issue with the writing itself is when the truth about the machines is revealed. I think it could have gone into a bit more detail there. But over all the story wasn't bad. My main issues were with the artwork and lettering.
First let me discuss the lettering. I was reading it on Adobe Digital Editions, so maybe that is part of it. But there were whole pages that I could barely read because the lettering was blurry. The problem I had was that this wasn't the case with the whole book, just certain pages the lettering was different and it made it incredibly hard to read. I know I've had this issue before with other graphic novels in Adobe, but it just bothers me that when they put the material out there they don't check that it can be read on electronic devices.
Then there was the artwork. The whole book was basically in black and white, except for the blood, that was red...really red. I liked most of it, the fogginess and the lack of color really set the mood for the story. However there were some scenes and panels, especially farther into the book that just felt incomplete. Just lines on the paper or overly blurry. No details at all.
As I said before the book wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. I wouldn't necessarily suggest not to read it, it just wasn't my favorite cup of tea.
I was a bit disappointed. I mean it wasn't bad...but it wasn't great. The story itself was short, really short, only 66 pages. It was decent enough, the story got it's point across. The only part I had issue with the writing itself is when the truth about the machines is revealed. I think it could have gone into a bit more detail there. But over all the story wasn't bad. My main issues were with the artwork and lettering.
First let me discuss the lettering. I was reading it on Adobe Digital Editions, so maybe that is part of it. But there were whole pages that I could barely read because the lettering was blurry. The problem I had was that this wasn't the case with the whole book, just certain pages the lettering was different and it made it incredibly hard to read. I know I've had this issue before with other graphic novels in Adobe, but it just bothers me that when they put the material out there they don't check that it can be read on electronic devices.
Then there was the artwork. The whole book was basically in black and white, except for the blood, that was red...really red. I liked most of it, the fogginess and the lack of color really set the mood for the story. However there were some scenes and panels, especially farther into the book that just felt incomplete. Just lines on the paper or overly blurry. No details at all.
As I said before the book wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. I wouldn't necessarily suggest not to read it, it just wasn't my favorite cup of tea.
January 21, 2015
actually.....you can built in machines a device that made them able to digest organic material just like we organic beings do.
this process or item is called bio-converter/tor.
a power plants that function much like a
human's system. They generate energy using food and atmospheric
oxygen. and have a "mouth" into which water and food
(anything biological) must be placed. A robol with a jaw may
eat like a human. chewing food: otherwise. food must be liquefied
(or be baby food. etc.) and poured in.
there is also The vampire's bio-converter/tor version or option. witch requires 1 gallon of blood per day. (An average human body has 1.25 gallons blood.)
credits to: GURPS Robots by David L. Pulver.
also back on 1993, a B-movie of machine-apocalypse feeling like sort of this one was made about a race of androids robots that revolt against humans and started to capture and hunting them down in order to harvest their blood and also using their straw like claws just like the robots on this comic book:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqVuRc...
then there is another blood sucking sentient machine that was possessed by the devil or something and also started feeding on humans, the Vampire Motorcycle LOL!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM9M2h...
this process or item is called bio-converter/tor.
a power plants that function much like a
human's system. They generate energy using food and atmospheric
oxygen. and have a "mouth" into which water and food
(anything biological) must be placed. A robol with a jaw may
eat like a human. chewing food: otherwise. food must be liquefied
(or be baby food. etc.) and poured in.
there is also The vampire's bio-converter/tor version or option. witch requires 1 gallon of blood per day. (An average human body has 1.25 gallons blood.)
credits to: GURPS Robots by David L. Pulver.
also back on 1993, a B-movie of machine-apocalypse feeling like sort of this one was made about a race of androids robots that revolt against humans and started to capture and hunting them down in order to harvest their blood and also using their straw like claws just like the robots on this comic book:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqVuRc...
then there is another blood sucking sentient machine that was possessed by the devil or something and also started feeding on humans, the Vampire Motorcycle LOL!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM9M2h...
December 31, 2012
Very rarely do I come across a vampire story that is completely new to me, one that is truly innovative and unlike anything I have read before.I recently came across such a story in the IDW 3-issue comic Transfusion.
Artwork 5 out of 5
Love! I am not a fan of cookie cutter comic book art, I love when artists add their own flair and style to a comic. It makes it so much more visually appealing. menton3’s art in this comic is phenomenal. I loved how wickedly dark and grungy it was. The style was perfect for the story and each page he created added to the story in ways words couldn’t. I was impressed.
Story 5 out of 5
So twisted, yet so wonderful. A world taken over by robots isn’t really a new storyline. But a world taken over by robots that run on blood most certainty is. Vampire robots – that is a new one for me. Place them in a post-apocalyptic setting with only a few remaining humans and you’ve got a combination I can’t resist. I am a happy happy lady.
Artwork 5 out of 5
Love! I am not a fan of cookie cutter comic book art, I love when artists add their own flair and style to a comic. It makes it so much more visually appealing. menton3’s art in this comic is phenomenal. I loved how wickedly dark and grungy it was. The style was perfect for the story and each page he created added to the story in ways words couldn’t. I was impressed.
Story 5 out of 5
So twisted, yet so wonderful. A world taken over by robots isn’t really a new storyline. But a world taken over by robots that run on blood most certainty is. Vampire robots – that is a new one for me. Place them in a post-apocalyptic setting with only a few remaining humans and you’ve got a combination I can’t resist. I am a happy happy lady.
Read
March 10, 2013I love coming across new stuff, whether that be an idea, an art style, or even a recipe for a cake. So when I see a new idea implemented in a book, I just about stop everything to read it. So it was for this comic.
I mean, vampire robots? What more could you ask for? Well, a cleaner file for one. I've said it before: PDF galleys irk me endlessly. They're cumbersome, hard to read, and above all are more prone to corruption. About half of this book was completely unreadable, with the text in the images utterly blurred. I'm going to leave the rating out on this one, but I will say this:
The art is brilliant. It works with the story line (well, as much of it as I got anyway), as it's harsh, dark, and dirty. In a word, perfect. I may get the book when it's published in physical form just to see if what I got of the story is worth following any further.
I mean, vampire robots? What more could you ask for? Well, a cleaner file for one. I've said it before: PDF galleys irk me endlessly. They're cumbersome, hard to read, and above all are more prone to corruption. About half of this book was completely unreadable, with the text in the images utterly blurred. I'm going to leave the rating out on this one, but I will say this:
The art is brilliant. It works with the story line (well, as much of it as I got anyway), as it's harsh, dark, and dirty. In a word, perfect. I may get the book when it's published in physical form just to see if what I got of the story is worth following any further.
October 31, 2015
Oh, God, this book is so beautiful. The art is one of the best I see in comics. The story, the same with the art, is very minimalistic and so poetic. As everything Steve Niles it is a very dark ambience book, creepy drawings, and lot of blood.
So, what is this book about ?
Just, think, what will happen in a post-cyberpunk world where robots dominate the world and kill humans for their blood ? What will happen with the vampires ? How will they feed ? And, what will happen when only 2 humans remains in this world ? What will happen with them ? How will them survive ? Is there, still, a future for the human race ?
Steve Niles is becoming one of my vaforite artists in the comic world.
The only flaw with this book, is, it's too short.
5/5
So, what is this book about ?
Just, think, what will happen in a post-cyberpunk world where robots dominate the world and kill humans for their blood ? What will happen with the vampires ? How will they feed ? And, what will happen when only 2 humans remains in this world ? What will happen with them ? How will them survive ? Is there, still, a future for the human race ?
Steve Niles is becoming one of my vaforite artists in the comic world.
The only flaw with this book, is, it's too short.
5/5
March 28, 2013
Transfusion is a new twist to the vampire story. I love new twists. Machines hunt humans for their blood along with vampires, but the vampires aren't safe either. It's a competition between vampires and machines for blood. Humans are hunted to almost extinction, when the last two help the vampire Willem after his brood is harvested by the machines. They form a tenuous alliance with another brood of vampires to take out the machines.
The writing Steve Niles was dark and surreal with macabre art from Menton3 reminiscent of Gene Colan. My only regret was that the story was too short. I want more.
The writing Steve Niles was dark and surreal with macabre art from Menton3 reminiscent of Gene Colan. My only regret was that the story was too short. I want more.
October 26, 2013
Warning, do not buy this unless you get it on sale. I paid half price and in my opinion that was still twice what it was worth. It's not that the story was bad. It was actually rather interesting even though I had some problems deciphering who was who due to the artwork. What pissed me off was the fact that I got to the middle of the book, expecting the next chapter in the story, and instead was faced with "Sketch Book and Art Gallery'. Presumptively, the story was finished. The one redeeming factor in the last half was the author's 'notes' on what he wanted for the first chapter (words and pictures as he envisioned them)
So... three stars at best.
So... three stars at best.
Read
May 17, 2013Difficult to rate on content, because I found large portions of the book completely unreadable. This was due to a combination of technical errors - the middle portion of the book was all blurred - and poor choices in lettering and font size.
August 21, 2013
The art is incredible for 90% of the book. Really interesting and dark stuff. The story wasn't substantial enough.
December 14, 2013
Amazing art, and confusing story line.
February 16, 2014
a great little graphic novel set in the future where robots run on human blood. written by Steve Niles the art in the book is incredible and reminds me of Ben Templesmith's work on 30 Days of Night
July 17, 2014
Art direction was amazing. The Concept was spot on Robots Vs. Vampires. What's not to like. Wanted more story in this graphic novel.
April 11, 2015
The art is awesome and the story although simple, works great. It would make a great movie.
April 8, 2017
This book is absolutely gorgeous. I was blown away by the artist's rendition of a barren wasteland covered in ash. The depictions of the robots and vampires both herald back to expected tropes, yet done with a unique spin that makes the art horrific and beautiful. The story, while engaging, did get a little lost at times during major confrontations. I would definitely read the next in the series, if I came across it at some point.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews