Author: Steve Niles
Artist: Menton3
Contains Spoilers
The blurb: 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!
The Review: In an apocalyptic world a group of human survivors are led towards a rare source of food, a field of corn. We are in a world where there has been a war with machines, a robot uprising… but the machines use flesh and blood for fuel and lubricant, decimating humanity and the animal kingdom. The field is a trap… the survivor leading them there is a vampire. The undead are as desperate for blood as the machines and his clan will harvest the small band of humans. Unfortunately for them a robot finds them first…
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This is the opening premise of this tpb one shot, which is very short – no more than a short story really. As such it does little in the way of characterisation relying on atmosphere, which it has in spades, generated by the gorgeous artwork. I loved the premise but ultimately felt it could have been much expanded – though perhaps if it was it may have lost something.
For me, beyond robot vampires, the main reason to have this is the art. This therefore makes the artistic decision to have a battle, which represents the climax of the story, rendered in uncoloured sketches against a yellow, almost sepia background and looking more like the start of the artistic process and utterly out of sink with the rest of the volume, a weird and unsatisfying decision. I’m sure there was a reason, but for the life of me I don’t get it – the pages looked less unfinished and more barely started, before the volume's end revelation reverts back to gorgeous artistry. 6 out of 10.
In Paperback @ Amazon US
In Paperback @ Amazon UK
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