I really liked the art and the characters (lesbian vampire couple!!! I can only like it). The story in general felt flat though and I’m not sure how I feel about Nazis being used as a generic plot. In a few words, it was a quick reading but nothing particularly innovative.

Chicago, 1941. A blood bank is held up in a robbery, but no cash is taken—only blood. It's the latest in a string of similar robberies and as the United States prepares to enter World War II, FBI Agent Felix Franklin is certain it's part of a wider plot to weaken the United States by depriving it of its blood supply. But the truth is much more sinister.

The four robbers are vampires: immortal, physically powerful, and after decades of honing their skills, practically untraceable. But time goes on and the vampires—who call themselves The Vain—stay the same in a world that is rapidly changing around them. As security measures evolve, stealing blood is harder every day. And with every decade that passes, Agent Franklin gets closer to finding them. Capturing them. Ending them.

The Vain is a story about wild, eternal youth, reckless rebellion, endless love, and how in the end...maybe it is better to burn out than fade away. - Goodreads

When I think of a vampire story, I think of history, high intensity and a whole lot of blood. This graphic novel didn't deliver on those parts. It was much more political and the ending was extremely lack luster. It had that feeling of the good guys won at the end but I was left with a big Why?

The story did not feel complete. It felt like snippets to a larger story., which was disappointing.

Short review, I know but graphic wise the art was done really well but the story needed work.

Vampire killing Nazi’s? Yes. Working in the shadows of the government? Yes. Those things make for a great story telling basis. Nitty gritty situations is what makes for favorable entertainment and the question is: do the story tellers and art magicians succeed in building a solid foundation for the story and get all the little proverbial kinks right?

art style inside The Vain – while not my most favored art style, I am mostly acceptant of it. These artists use texture overlays quite a bit and it turned out well.
For the most part, the answer is Yes. This is presented like a comic should be with consistency in style and form of story with fun and graphic representation of violence and blood, following four vampires through USA history. This story starts off with a bank robbery to get blood stored away in a safety deposit box and is light and fun, not getting too serious about anything, then dives deeper into the government using any resources available for the country, including the four vampires.

I’m not an expert on Vampires or Nazis of things, but that doesn’t matter because I still very much enjoyed with this book had to offer which is a behind the scenes look at American history in the 1940s and into future decades, finally ending in present day, with plenty of impalements for the mortals and blood drinking for the immortals to advance the agenda . . . drugs . . . and vomit.

Variables change with time and so must your strategy. The Vain covers these with different places in different times like the U.S.S.R. and Cuba in regards to illegal activity and spying and USA’s stronghold on it’s national security in relation to organized crimes of Vampires. The Vain weighs in at ★★★★☆ four out of five stars for great fun.

Guys and gals, until next time – may you find all the happiness that your life can fit in it’s happy spot – S.D. McKinley.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for making this available..

Wow, wow, wow! I absolutely loved this!

A group of four vampires known as 'The Vain', have been causing havoc for a few decades. An FBI agent stumbles on one of their cases and becomes admit on finding and catching them. It shows you the story from all POV from the detective, his family, the vain and the FBI director.

The artwork was fantastic, it was gory but didn't feel too over the top, I liked how their lifestyle and looks changed as the year changed and that they didn't look the same in the 70's as they did in the 40's. Seeing the FBI detectives side of things from how he follows them from case to case, to discovering who they really are, people including his own wife thinking he's mentally unstable and end up spending the rest of his life trying to find The Vain was really interesting to read. I loved that he finally got his closure after all these years, I like that it didn't just end the story with that he never caught them because that would've been boring.

Getting to experience the story from different sides of The Vain was great, I liked that it didn't just follow one member and that the others had their time. Having an LGBT+ vampire couple was perfect, who says even creatures of the night can't be gay?

I really enjoyed this, I wished it was longer and it would make an amazing show! I would definitely recommend this graphic novel!

Unfortunately I DNF'd this graphic novel around the 25% mark. I love the art style, the colours are bold and vivid and the art really fits the tone of the story. It's vivid and suits the wild vampire romp. I liked the way that the vampires were portrayed in the parts that I read, and they made for distinctive characters. Unfortunately the plot itself just didn't quite hold my interest and I found myself tuning out over and over until I eventually put this one down. It just didn't work for me personally and I wanted more bright and gory horror, but I think anyone who likes a more procedural type story might enjoy this better than me.

My experience reading this was very interesting to say the least. I don’t typically read many graphic novels, but I do have to say the illustrations were beautiful! There were a lot of depictions of gore in the illustrations but I thought it added a fun campy element to the story. The story itself was a bit too rushed in my opinion. I feel like a lot happened in a very quick succession and we kept jumping from timeline to timeline. I also wish the relationships between the characters were a bit more developed. Overall, though, it was still an enjoyable read!

overall I thought this was a cute entertaining story.
with all the time jumps I wasn't able to feel a connection to the characters and felt like there wasn't any real character growth. if this had been longer and split into multiple volumes I think it could have been better.
but was still fun and had a good time reading it.

The Vain follows a group of vampires throughout the 20th and 21st century as they try to live their life with stolen blood as the changing technology makes that harder and harder to do. The graphic novel focuses on different historical events, especially World War II where our group of vampires follow a secret mission.

I have to say I loved Lost and Fanny, the sapphic couple, and their dynamic. North and Marquis were also interesting, although Marquis almost felt like a side character, especially if you compare him to the detective. The story was well worked-out without getting confusing, a balance few graphic novels get right. I wish the pacing would have been handled a bit more clearly, but overall I'm very satisfied. There were quite a few pop culture references stylishly incorporated into the story. I liked the art style and it was just the right level of gorey for a vampire story.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a stylish vampire graphic novel through the ages, with a healthy balance of character and action paired with a beautiful sapphic couple.

I'd like to thank Oni Press for providing this copy via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

I was immediately drawn to this book thanks to its beautiful cover, and the synopsis intrigued me further. It's not everyday I stumble upon what seems to be a vampire heist graphic novel. Though I do have to say that that could be misleading. The Vain is about a close group of vampires trying to survive from the 1940s to today, going through troubles to find blood to drink while trying to hide from the authorities that are getting closer as technology gets better and better.

I loved all the characters, especially Lost and Fanny, the sapphic couple of the group. They had a great dynamic with each other and the ending solidified their place in my heart. North and Marquis were interesting as well, but felt more like side characters even though they were part of the main group. The detective had an interesting character arc, but I felt that it was a bit rushed, and the last timeskip ignored all the issues he was facing before.

The art style is beautiful, though very gorey at times, more than one might expect from a vampire novel. I really enjoyed the characters' outfits through the centuries and found that attention to detail added more personality to the characters as well, they each had a certain style. The art is probably what motivated me to finish this book though, the drawings are beautiful but the story seems to be lacking a common linking thread besides the main group and their thirst for blood. I could definitely see this concept with The Vain being a series instead, with more of a focus on each decade and maybe mentioning how they met. All the relationships are already set when you start the book, and do not evolve throughout. I would have loved to see them becoming friends, or how Lost and Fanny got together.

I enjoyed it, but felt like the story felt a bit disjointed at times, felt like I was reading bits from a bigger story.

Vampires VS Nazis.

The timeline of the story was hard to follow at times, and I didn't like the art style. The story was a bit boring. Actually, I'm not even so sure what the story was, to be honest.

This graphic novel follows a group of vampires known as the Vain, as well as a detective hell-bent on catching them. It spans through a couple of decades from World War II up to the present (?) and there are many events in history featured that the Vain were involved in. This premise was what really caught my attention (and the sapphic vampires!!!) and I ended up really having fun with this graphic novel. It's a very short read, which sadly makes it seem a little rushed. I wish it was a little bit longer and explored more parts of the story. Also I felt that sometimes the change of POVs felt a little abrupt and I got a little confused. The standout characters for me were Lost and Fanny. I loved their relationship and the ending for them was very bittersweet. Lost was such a fun character and her first scenes were memorable. I wanted to know more about the Marquis, but he sometimes felt like a background character even if he was part of the Vain. I also enjoyed the detective's storyline and wanted a bit more from it. What this graphic novel really accomplished was capturing the vampire and old time-y detective vibes. The art style was really great too. Would definitely recommend especially to the vampire stans!!

Elevator Pitch: The Vain follows the life of an FBI agent and the group of vampires whose existence he's trying to prove.

Review: Well firstly, there's a lesbian vampire couple so that's always a plus. The art is gorgeous and there are some fantastic (i.e. gruesome) depictions of body horror. The plot though is not all that interesting. Bank robbing vampires who kill Nazi's sounds great but the narrative device with Agent Franklin keeps taking away from the story you really want to be reading. I did think the ending was impactful and there were some truly enjoyable moments but overall the story is not all that strong.

A group of four vampires - Lost, Orphan, North, and Marquis - rob blood banks to feed themselves. In the 1940's, they approach the FBI and ask to be sent to Germany to kill Nazis. This is where Agent Felix Franklin encounters them. They kill a German scientist in front of him and say that no one will ever believe him. They are right. Franklin dedicates his life to finding and killing the vampires called the Vain. His investigation costs him his job, his marriage, his children, and his sanity. Will he ever catch them? He gets his chance when a young FBI agent discovers his files after a group of bikers is slain in a bar. Meanwhile, the Vain have struggled to survive and are becoming desperate.

DNF at 63%

I didn’t enjoy the art style or the dialogue that was written!
It was also extremely hard to read because the speech/text bubbles were very small!

A modern graphic novel about a group of “vampires” no-one wants to call out for who they are and what they need.
Initially we meet them as they come to the attention of the FBI in the bizarre robberies of banks. Not stealing cash or even raiding stores of alcohol but taking blood stocks.
Matters become confused during the 2nd world war and afterwards they face countless setbacks amid mass communication and the rise of digital technologies.
Nothing can heal their thirst for blood and despite innovative schemes they struggle to hide their true identities.
However, one man has maintained his own personal investigation and despite a history of denial by his peers, labelled insane for daring to name his quarry and sidelined, he is presented with one last chance to set the record right.
This is a clever up to date tale, well suited to a comic book presentation. Not as gory as you might have suspected but brilliantly subtle and under written with a red tint to the illustrations and a mix of narration and communication bubbles. Clearly presented, the characters are well defined and the story deep but easy to follow.
I particularly liked the development of the vampire group who struggle to come to terms with their own needs and a changing world. Survival requires a degree of secrecy but their bloodlust leaves clues a diligent investigation can follow. A tale of adaptation and evolution. A moral justification of amoral actions is part of that struggle to co-exist with those whose blood you need to survive.
Interesting and compelling read which steers clear of cliched echos and tries to tell us more about difference, ignorance and fear or things we don’t understand.
Could “vampires” live within a human domain? Or does any knowledge of their existence lead to their persecution and extinction. Not a parable or fable but written with thought and provocation to look beyond historical messages.
This is born out in the aftermath of World War II where political reality overcame justice and the rule of law. Clearly detailed in this story. Much to admire and reflect upon. Don’t miss the graphic covers and character drawings at the end of the story. The theme is maintained in the contributors bios and information conveyed in a drop of blood. Brilliant.

[2 Stars]

-- Thank you NetGalley and Oni Press for an eARC in an exchange for an honest review --

The concept of vampires who fight Nazi's and hold blood bank heists is really intriguing. And the art was quite beautiful and pleasant. However, I didn't find myself really pulled into the story. I also didn't really care for any of the characters or what happened to them.

Do you ever wish you could read about Bonnie and Clyde except as a bunch of gay vampires? Well this is the book for you then! The characters and their separate journeys overall seem a bit compressed, but the ending is what really nailed it for me! It bumped this from a 3-star to a 4-star!

The idea was fun and overall the story was fine. Plotting was a little all over the place but enjoyable enough

I liked the art. However, the plot was kind of all over the place. I did enjoy the characters and I love them.

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. The caption intrigued me, rogue vampires, including a lesbian couple roaming the world in the 1940s stealing blood abs wreaking havoc along the way. The story kept me interested and I enjoyed the art work of it.