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Injection, Vol. 1
(Injection #1)
by
A few years ago, a public/private partnership between the British Government and a multinational company saw five clever people placed in university-owned offices and allowed to do whatever they liked. It was called the Cultural Cross-Contamination Unit, and the idea was that it would hothouse new thinking and new patents. Five actual geniuses, all probably crazy, very ecc
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Paperback, 120 pages
Published
October 20th 2015
by Image Comics
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Start your review of Injection, Vol. 1

Dammit. I love this premise so much.
Can you please do more of it, Warren? Please? Pretty please?
Can you please do more of it, Warren? Please? Pretty please?

Warren Ellis has created another obtuse head scratcher. I’m hoping this is part of a trilogy (Supreme: Blue Rose, Trees, Vol. 1: In Shadow, this volume) of weirdness for Image Comics, just to get it out of his system, but house money says I’m probably wrong and there'll be more. Here’s a quiz for those of you who need practice taking your LSAT.
With this and any of the aforementioned books, readers can expect:
a) Non-linear story telling
b) Quirky characters
c) Above average artwork
d) A slow buildin ...more
With this and any of the aforementioned books, readers can expect:
a) Non-linear story telling
b) Quirky characters
c) Above average artwork
d) A slow buildin ...more

3.5 stars
Five people, each at the top of their field, come together at the request of some agency or another in order to...do something.
The gist is that they discover the future will be a bit stagnant discovery-wise, and decide to inject something into the consciousness of reality to keep that from happening.

This plan backfires spectacularly.
And now whatever this thing is they've set off is fucking with reality.

Honestly, this was a bit too rough and patchy for me to completely enjoy it, but ...more
Five people, each at the top of their field, come together at the request of some agency or another in order to...do something.
The gist is that they discover the future will be a bit stagnant discovery-wise, and decide to inject something into the consciousness of reality to keep that from happening.

This plan backfires spectacularly.
And now whatever this thing is they've set off is fucking with reality.

Honestly, this was a bit too rough and patchy for me to completely enjoy it, but ...more

Feb 05, 2016
Jan Philipzig
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
image,
mental-disorder,
horror,
sci-fi,
apocalyptic,
espionage,
mystery,
crime,
globalization,
trippy
Wow – I did not see this one coming. Just when I thought Ellis had finally become a parody of himself, he launches this strangely fascinating amalgam of folklore and future tech that feels as sharp and complex and authentic as any Ellis comic I’ve read. The design, precision and timing of Shalvey's congenial artwork help, as do the British setting, characters, and overall tone: I get the impression that Ellis and Shalvey are in complete control here, nothing feels stagy or phony. The sci-fi angl
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Okay, so, it's not Transmetropolitan, Vol. 1: Back on the Street. But, very few things are.
Ellis has been a little hit-or-miss for me over the past few years, but he's always at his best when he's mixing futurist/tech stuff with some element of human drama, and though the latter isn't as present here as it could be, this is a solidly intriguing start to a story. And gross, of course. And weird.
So, you know, Ellisian. He Ellised it. And I verbed him. Right here in public.
3.5 Stars ...more
Ellis has been a little hit-or-miss for me over the past few years, but he's always at his best when he's mixing futurist/tech stuff with some element of human drama, and though the latter isn't as present here as it could be, this is a solidly intriguing start to a story. And gross, of course. And weird.
So, you know, Ellisian. He Ellised it. And I verbed him. Right here in public.
3.5 Stars ...more

So I liked the Injection Thingie Premise (ITP™).
And I liked the lovely gore.

And the yummy green stuff.

And that's about it.
Because I don’t like it when authors try so bloody shrimping hard to be so bloody shrimping clever you can feel them patting their little selves on the exoskeleton from thousands miles away. Like they're finding it somewhat orgasmic to confuse their readers to complete death and utter oblivion and stuff. I find it a teensy little bit condescending. And slightly exasperating, ...more

The team behind last year’s excellent Moon Knight, Volume 1: From the Dead, Warren Ellis, Declan Shalvey, and Jordie Bellaire reunite for Injection. It’s about five strange people hired by some organisation to do something. Magic abounds. Odd plant monsters. Things that glow and Other Worlds. Mythical ancient England. It’s kind of X-Files-y.
I read the first issue of Injection when it came out and straight afterwards realised I didn’t know what the hell was going on and that I also kind of disli ...more
I read the first issue of Injection when it came out and straight afterwards realised I didn’t know what the hell was going on and that I also kind of disli ...more

Synopsis: five geniuses make a terrible mistake in trying to make the world more interesting. Oops!
Rather frustrating to see Warren Ellis twist and bend his already challenging and ambiguous narrative into a Pretzel Jack (thank you, Channel Zero) when there was really no need. Trying a bit too hard there, and all that that obfuscation accomplished - other than unnecessarily jumbling the story - was to highlight his own special weakness as a writer (i.e. inanely crass and immature dialogue from a ...more
Rather frustrating to see Warren Ellis twist and bend his already challenging and ambiguous narrative into a Pretzel Jack (thank you, Channel Zero) when there was really no need. Trying a bit too hard there, and all that that obfuscation accomplished - other than unnecessarily jumbling the story - was to highlight his own special weakness as a writer (i.e. inanely crass and immature dialogue from a ...more

The series starts off very confusingly. There's a lot of terminology referenced with no explanation of what they are referring to. By the end of the graphic novel those things are explained so stick with it. The basic premise of the book is that The Injection is bringing myths and legends from protohistory to life. The book contains all of Warren Ellis's snark and sense of foreboding. Declan Shalvey's art has really evolved into top-echelon stuff.
...more


"The wind from tomorrow is scouring her away."
Pretty damn surreal. A slow start, but I can tell Ellis has some crazy shit in store. The dialog is great, the characters weird and real, and the plot dynamic.
The story follows a group of diverse people, a computer expert, esotericist, assassin, and paranormal investigator. The main character is Maria Kilbride, the investigator. A nonbiological sentience loaded into the internet begins to bend physics and manifest English folklore and mythical creat ...more

A group of highly intelligent and messed up people, in an effort to avoid catastrophic predicted entropy, kick start the future by releasing "The Injection." Some reality twisting and general shenanigans ensue.
I was underwhelmed, honestly. The story was confusing and obscured. BUT, it's Ellis, so feel free to assume the fault lies with the reader this time. I still think he's a genius and will read on with the series, assuming bigger and better is on the way. ...more
I was underwhelmed, honestly. The story was confusing and obscured. BUT, it's Ellis, so feel free to assume the fault lies with the reader this time. I still think he's a genius and will read on with the series, assuming bigger and better is on the way. ...more

Based on the mixed reviews I read on this site (and other comic book review sites - shh! don't tell) I didn't know what to expect, whether to get the book or not, etc. But hey, it's Warren Ellis. It's worth at least a shot, a read-through of this inaugural volume, and then we'll see - right?
So after five issues, it (the book/story) doesn't make 100% sense - so far, anyway. We're getting drip-fed information in a fractured time-line and not everything is explained and neatly presented. I'm okay ...more
So after five issues, it (the book/story) doesn't make 100% sense - so far, anyway. We're getting drip-fed information in a fractured time-line and not everything is explained and neatly presented. I'm okay ...more

Also available on the WondrousBooks blog.
You know that "Don't judge a book by its cover" expression. You can totally judge this book by its creepy, interesting, strange cover. Because it puts the main theme of the entire volume into a very good perspective.
I wish I could tell you what exactly Injection is about, but... I just can't. Vaguely put, it tells the story of a group of geniuses in their respective fields, who were gathered by a corporation to try to influence the future, or rather m ...more
You know that "Don't judge a book by its cover" expression. You can totally judge this book by its creepy, interesting, strange cover. Because it puts the main theme of the entire volume into a very good perspective.
I wish I could tell you what exactly Injection is about, but... I just can't. Vaguely put, it tells the story of a group of geniuses in their respective fields, who were gathered by a corporation to try to influence the future, or rather m ...more

Bullet Review:
A wizard, a genius, a spy, a computer hacker, and a rich dude all get in a room and decide the future is gonna be a bit boring, why not spice it up a bit? There couldn't be ANY HARM in doing that - not like a bajillion scifi movies and TV shows and books and novellas foretelling woes of the future.
This is one of those mostly incomprehensible graphic novels that makes itself barely better than the likes of Supreme: Blue Rose because at least the last two issues explain something in ...more
A wizard, a genius, a spy, a computer hacker, and a rich dude all get in a room and decide the future is gonna be a bit boring, why not spice it up a bit? There couldn't be ANY HARM in doing that - not like a bajillion scifi movies and TV shows and books and novellas foretelling woes of the future.
This is one of those mostly incomprehensible graphic novels that makes itself barely better than the likes of Supreme: Blue Rose because at least the last two issues explain something in ...more

There are times when finding a title you were not expecting can be really rewarding, especially when you know its not one of the highlights or headliners.
This is a perfect example, a lesser advertised project by one of the heavy weights of graphic novels and someone who I have followed for some time.
But not only that the whole concept behind Injection is a fascinating one and one I think which is quite unique so yes you guessed it no spoilers - however I will say the style of the story telling ...more
This is a perfect example, a lesser advertised project by one of the heavy weights of graphic novels and someone who I have followed for some time.
But not only that the whole concept behind Injection is a fascinating one and one I think which is quite unique so yes you guessed it no spoilers - however I will say the style of the story telling ...more

This was recommended to me by Hannah (snow white reader) and I really enjoyed it! This was such an interesting and unique story and I can't wait to read the other volumes!
...more

A mind bending scifi that youd expect from Ellis. The artwork from Declan was superb, both in detail and colour. Ellis throws you into something so confusing that it was extremely hard to figure out what was going on. It begins to make sense as you read, but he doesn't explain much on the way. Alot of this novel is for your own interpretation. I think the confusion really made it difficult to really love.
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Nov 2016 - This looks similar to Planetary so I'm going to give this a shot.
Edit - 2nd read dec 2019 - it’s better reading it twice. There is a lot to take in, as with most of Ellis’ work it has lots of depth.
I would rate this as his best work and definitely something that has gone under most people’s radars.
You should check this out. ...more
Edit - 2nd read dec 2019 - it’s better reading it twice. There is a lot to take in, as with most of Ellis’ work it has lots of depth.
I would rate this as his best work and definitely something that has gone under most people’s radars.
You should check this out. ...more

Your classic Warren Ellis. Not much is explained, or even shown, in this first volume, but you can trust the guy to go somewhere incredible with this story. But all the signature elements are here: there's a team of smart people doing weird stuff; science fiction mashed with folklore and fantasy; blood and gore; great sense of humour; awesome, likeable but flawed characters. It actually feels like a mashup of Planetary and Moon Knight, another two stellar series by Warren.
Speaking of Moon Knight ...more
Speaking of Moon Knight ...more

A really intriguing and interesting point of view on A.I. and the discussion between human and non-human agency that unfortunately got worked in very confusing and uninspiring ways with awkward dialogues and, at times, decent art. I'll be reading the second volume hoping for a breakthrough, but expecting none.
...more

This is Ellis in a pseudo-Global Frequency mode, this time with Fantasy elements alongside the sci-fi. This volume is just the set-up, so I don’t really know what to think of it, yet. I’m intrigued, at least.
...more

This was interesting. I enjoyed it, but I happen to be interesting in many of the topics/tropes included; I can see how the intentional kinda-confusingness would cross the line into too-confusing if you weren't familiar with the concepts or folklore.
...more

Well. That was certainly interesting.
I wasn't sure, with the mixed bag reviews from others, but I think I enjoyed this on the level of required thought.
The art was solid, the writing was weird but not goofy or gobbledegook like Morrison, Hickman or others in their freedom.
Pretty much 5 super experts are put together by the UK gov't to be like the Illuminati Brain Avengers.
There's a Sherlock, a Bond, a super hacker, a Constantine, and a scientist.
They decide that the future is going to be boring ...more
I wasn't sure, with the mixed bag reviews from others, but I think I enjoyed this on the level of required thought.
The art was solid, the writing was weird but not goofy or gobbledegook like Morrison, Hickman or others in their freedom.
Pretty much 5 super experts are put together by the UK gov't to be like the Illuminati Brain Avengers.
There's a Sherlock, a Bond, a super hacker, a Constantine, and a scientist.
They decide that the future is going to be boring ...more

When it comes to Warren Ellis, he is a man who likes to challenge the reader and one would be foolish to not accept the challenge. A lot of Ellis’ work is like going through a mind-trip and it rises or fall on whether you’re going to enjoy it or not. In the case of his Image comic Injection, in which he is reunited with artist Declan Shalvey and colourist Jordie Bellaire following Marvel’s Moon Knight: From the Dead, it took me two readings to grasp what this story is, and I’m still not entirely
...more

Right up my alley. Mystery, Sci-fi, and some fantasy... I couldn't ask for much more. Very similar to other image series like "Nowhere men" and "they're not like us". The story follows a highly specialized team of 5 that is tasked with discussing the future. They all have their strengths but the plot looks like revolves around Maria the scientist and Robin the folklore magician (just don't call him a wizard). The injection is a bit of a mystery that I won't spoil but it is revealed in layers fro
...more

Jan 21, 2020
Janine Roos
added it
DNF at about halfway the third issue. Cool idea, not at all how I had imagined it to be executed

This new volume from Warren Ellis appears to be either to be loved or loathed. No matter what side is getting in your ear more, you may want to give the first volume of "Injection" a read. As in "Trees", Ellis seems rather preoccupied with magick and other dimensions and those two areas that are explored, for my money, the most innovative and interesting collection to pick up is "Injection". The writing is not Warren's slickest, as the exposition tends to be packed into small word balloons when
...more

Warren Ellis can pretty much never do anything wrong in comics. Some of his stuff is less impressive than others but I don't think I've ever read anything by him that has totally disappointed me. Injection is one of his best works yet, and I have high hopes for the series as it continues.
To summarise the plot, a group of five scientists are tasked with working out how innovation will progress over the next few decades. When they discover that it will basically flatline, they decide to create the ...more
To summarise the plot, a group of five scientists are tasked with working out how innovation will progress over the next few decades. When they discover that it will basically flatline, they decide to create the ...more

I don't know that I enjoyed this as much the 2nd time through, or if I just thought I enjoyed it more the first time. To no one's surprise: this little Warren Ellis tale is dense with science-y nonsense, mystical nonsense and spy nonsense. As the reader it's your job to hang on for dear life for any of the various nonsense-es to coalesce into some sort of discernible story line. It's never linear and it's wildly fragmented. Daunting is putting it mildly.
It's also an enormous concept that's real ...more
It's also an enormous concept that's real ...more
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Warren Ellis is the award-winning writer of graphic novels like TRANSMETROPOLITAN, FELL, MINISTRY OF SPACE and PLANETARY, and the author of the NYT-bestselling GUN MACHINE and the “underground classic” novel CROOKED LITTLE VEIN, as well as the digital short-story single DEAD PIG COLLECTOR. His newest book is the novella NORMAL, from FSG Originals, listed as one of Amazon’s Best 100 Books Of 2016.
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