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Ex Sanguine #1-5
Ex Sanguine
One's a natural born killer—a remorseless hunter gleefully prowling the night for victims to quench an unnatural blood lust. The other's a vampire. His centuries of existence have left him world weary and detached, until one day his thirst is reinvigorated when the deadly and intricate work of the Sanguine Killer catches his eyes. Collects the five-issue miniseries.
For fans of Dexter, Fatale, and Hack/Slash!
"Seeley delivers the goods."—IGN
For fans of Dexter, Fatale, and Hack/Slash!
"Seeley delivers the goods."—IGN
110 pages, Paperback
First published September 3, 2013
About the author
Tim Seeley
1,691 books620 followersTim Seeley is a comic book artist and writer known for his work on books such as G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, The Dark Elf Trilogy, Batman Eternal and Grayson. He is also the co-creator of the Image Comics titles Hack/Slash[1] and Revival, as well as the Dark Horse titles, ExSanguine and Sundowners. He lives in Chicago.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 18, 2017
2.5, but I've rounded up for the artwork and that one moment that made me laugh. This was just a quick read to get me back into the swing of things as I've been trying to move house and it absolutely killed any and all motivation to read.
The story itself was quite dark at times, so that was satisfying. Sometimes you're advertised a sinister tale, but the content doesn't quite deliver - Ex Sanguine does. There were moments that made me frown in disgust, backstories that made me cringe with repulsion. Just what I needed to start waking up from this book slump.
A big downside of this graphic novel is that it's jumpy as hell. It's constantly switching from past to present with little to no warning, and it's shoddy work. I love a flashback, but none of them felt like a continuation of the story. It was all so disconnected. There were some interesting characters and hints of intricate backstories, but overall I just feel like the graphic novel relied too heavily on these teasing flashbacks to show that their characters could be interesting, rather than just creating characters that could maintain your intrigue with or without a backstory. They felt like those people who go on a gap year or constantly boast about travelling, but that's all they ever talk about because they're so beige. Nowhere near enough substance for me to consider buying the next volume at full price, so I'll have to wait for it to pop up in a sale or used bookstore. Shame really, because the ending provided a very interesting scenario.
Recommended for those who like a dark slow burner.
The story itself was quite dark at times, so that was satisfying. Sometimes you're advertised a sinister tale, but the content doesn't quite deliver - Ex Sanguine does. There were moments that made me frown in disgust, backstories that made me cringe with repulsion. Just what I needed to start waking up from this book slump.
A big downside of this graphic novel is that it's jumpy as hell. It's constantly switching from past to present with little to no warning, and it's shoddy work. I love a flashback, but none of them felt like a continuation of the story. It was all so disconnected. There were some interesting characters and hints of intricate backstories, but overall I just feel like the graphic novel relied too heavily on these teasing flashbacks to show that their characters could be interesting, rather than just creating characters that could maintain your intrigue with or without a backstory. They felt like those people who go on a gap year or constantly boast about travelling, but that's all they ever talk about because they're so beige. Nowhere near enough substance for me to consider buying the next volume at full price, so I'll have to wait for it to pop up in a sale or used bookstore. Shame really, because the ending provided a very interesting scenario.
Recommended for those who like a dark slow burner.
February 16, 2019
Ex Sanguine has a great concept: a vampire and serial killer fall "in love" or at least have a relationship. The delivery on said concept was ok-for some reason the female character reminded me a lot of TV's Felicity Smoak from Arrow. I found the serial killer less believable than the vampire, if that tells you anything. When you strip out the blood and the cheesecake from this story there is not much left, and what is left is less than memorable.
October 23, 2013
Reads like a movie proposal, but still an interesting idea.
January 9, 2025
Interesting idea that was executed poorly.
The idea of a vampire with memory loss is sort of interesting, but they never really gave it any impact on the plot.
In fact, Saul had little impact on the plot at all. He was just sort of…there.
Ashley was the real main character of this comic and she was just a dime-a-dozen femme fatale character who was clearly written by a dude who’s never met a woman in real life.
Oh, what’s that? She’s having sex with someone she just met again? Great.
The overall plot was convoluted. The characters were impossible to sympathize with or care about and the world was never really explained.
1 star because I can’t give it less.
The idea of a vampire with memory loss is sort of interesting, but they never really gave it any impact on the plot.
In fact, Saul had little impact on the plot at all. He was just sort of…there.
Ashley was the real main character of this comic and she was just a dime-a-dozen femme fatale character who was clearly written by a dude who’s never met a woman in real life.
Oh, what’s that? She’s having sex with someone she just met again? Great.
The overall plot was convoluted. The characters were impossible to sympathize with or care about and the world was never really explained.
1 star because I can’t give it less.
February 10, 2021
Solid artwork but the story at times didn’t work for me. It was an interesting concept, A serial killer and a vampire fall in love and team up in a quasi Dexter like murder spree. But there were a lot of aspects of the story (the pen, the father, the rats) that either didn’t work, were a distraction, or were just silly. Overall it’s a dark story and a quick read. Not perfect but the story as a whole in interesting even if the execution is at times flawed.
June 21, 2017
Dark but well conceived.
September 25, 2021
I want more volumes. A serial killer and a vampire two star cross lovers doom if Ashley accepts his offer of immortality. It is a macabre ballet with striking colorful art that draws you in.
February 8, 2024
En klassisk tonårsskräckis. Ganska grund historia men rolig idé och ett märkligt slut. Fint tecknat.
January 22, 2015
2.5 stars
Ah, the joys of reviewing something you read in about an hour about two weeks ago and that didn't make that much of an impact. I'm sorry, but I have to once again resort to the lazy/forgetful reviewer's trick of using the Goodreads summary:
One's a natural-born killer - a remorseless hunter gleefully prowling the night for victims to quench an unnatural blood lust. The other's a vampire. His centuries of existence have left him world weary and detached, until one day his thirst i reinvigorated when the deadly and intricate work of the Sanguine Killer catches his eyes.
Saul Adams is a vampire, whose long life means he doesn't remember anything he doesn't write down everything in a notebook he carries with him. He can turn into mist (which is convenient for getting into locked places) and he appears to actually be able to change his facial features if necessary. I really liked the detail about his memories fading.
The big twist (which is revealed right there in the blurb) of this comic is that Saul is of course not the serial killer that the FBI are hunting. Someone is murdering people and leaving cryptic messages in code painted in the victims' blood at the crime scenes. The young female agent, whose past contains dark horrors, is convinced that there is a supernatural connection to the murders, and after they knock on Saul's door the first time, she is determined to prove his guilt.
Saul wants to track down the real killer, to see who appears to be setting him up, and ends up temporarily teaming up with the killer. Some might say there is a romantic subplot here, but I don't think there was much romance involved in a crazy serial murderer and centuries old vampire hooking up.
There were some interesting ideas about vampires and some fun plot twists (the reveal about the female agent's past was especially good), but the fact that I'm struggling to remember much about this comic less than two weeks after I read it means that even if this wasn't what appears to be a self-contained mini-series, I would be unlikely to track down any more of it. Not bad by any means, but really nothing remarkable either.
Ah, the joys of reviewing something you read in about an hour about two weeks ago and that didn't make that much of an impact. I'm sorry, but I have to once again resort to the lazy/forgetful reviewer's trick of using the Goodreads summary:
One's a natural-born killer - a remorseless hunter gleefully prowling the night for victims to quench an unnatural blood lust. The other's a vampire. His centuries of existence have left him world weary and detached, until one day his thirst i reinvigorated when the deadly and intricate work of the Sanguine Killer catches his eyes.
Saul Adams is a vampire, whose long life means he doesn't remember anything he doesn't write down everything in a notebook he carries with him. He can turn into mist (which is convenient for getting into locked places) and he appears to actually be able to change his facial features if necessary. I really liked the detail about his memories fading.
The big twist (which is revealed right there in the blurb) of this comic is that Saul is of course not the serial killer that the FBI are hunting. Someone is murdering people and leaving cryptic messages in code painted in the victims' blood at the crime scenes. The young female agent, whose past contains dark horrors, is convinced that there is a supernatural connection to the murders, and after they knock on Saul's door the first time, she is determined to prove his guilt.
Saul wants to track down the real killer, to see who appears to be setting him up, and ends up temporarily teaming up with the killer. Some might say there is a romantic subplot here, but I don't think there was much romance involved in a crazy serial murderer and centuries old vampire hooking up.
There were some interesting ideas about vampires and some fun plot twists (the reveal about the female agent's past was especially good), but the fact that I'm struggling to remember much about this comic less than two weeks after I read it means that even if this wasn't what appears to be a self-contained mini-series, I would be unlikely to track down any more of it. Not bad by any means, but really nothing remarkable either.
March 8, 2014
Tim Seeley - artist
A very enjoyable story about a vampire who becomes entangled in the search for a mysterious serial killer.
Saul Adams is a vampire living in the city of Augusta. The years of unlife have taken a toll on Saul, and he struggles to hold on to the threads of his long life and maintain a connection with the world around him. One day the police come to Saul to question him in connection with a series of murders in Augusta. Saul is not the murderer but he fears the attention a high-profile serial killer will bring to his home, so he embarks on his own quest to stop the so-called "Sanguine Killer." This leads him on an surprising journey where he forms a connection with a strange young lady and unearths secrets that may shake the quiet vampire community to it's foundations.
Tim Seeley is a terrific writer and artist, well known for his work on "Revival" and "Hack/Slash." "Ex Sanguine" is another hit, and leaves me hoping for a continuing series.
4/5 Recommended.
A very enjoyable story about a vampire who becomes entangled in the search for a mysterious serial killer.
Saul Adams is a vampire living in the city of Augusta. The years of unlife have taken a toll on Saul, and he struggles to hold on to the threads of his long life and maintain a connection with the world around him. One day the police come to Saul to question him in connection with a series of murders in Augusta. Saul is not the murderer but he fears the attention a high-profile serial killer will bring to his home, so he embarks on his own quest to stop the so-called "Sanguine Killer." This leads him on an surprising journey where he forms a connection with a strange young lady and unearths secrets that may shake the quiet vampire community to it's foundations.
Tim Seeley is a terrific writer and artist, well known for his work on "Revival" and "Hack/Slash." "Ex Sanguine" is another hit, and leaves me hoping for a continuing series.
4/5 Recommended.
July 21, 2013
A great concept -- a lady serial killer who teams up/romances a vampire -- with some intriguing elements I only wished were more developed: what exactly is the book/language Ashley knows that the rats are so keen to get? Was Ashley's own father a vampire? The twisty revelation at the end was satisfying, but I wish had been drawn out a bit more, and I would have liked to have seen more of Saul/Richard's backstory. Still, a fun outing with some great art and a sharp story.
November 3, 2014
Oh my glob. :3 So tender and bloody. I can't even speak about it. I loved this. It is a crime against humanity that this book has so little reviews! I have mixed feelings about this being a miniseries. I want it to continue and I love that I can savor it again and again in a short amount of time. Eeek!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews