Comics
GRAPHIC CONTENT: PICK OF THE WEEK – ‘Sweet Tooth’ Issue #21
It may be my bias toward pretty much anything Vertigo puts out combined with my love for a fellow Canadian, Jeff Lemire, but I am obsessed with Sweet Tooth. For those who have not been following this gem of a book, quite simply, you should be. This series is consistently beautiful month after month, and I can hardly wait to see what little antler boy is getting up to. Read on for the skinny…
Writen by: Jeff Lemire
Art by: Jeff Lemire
Publisher: Vertigo
“Gus reluctantly joins Jepperd on a hunt for the missing girls, but the tension between the two continues to grow. Meanwhile, Singh and Johnny come face to face with a deadly new threat, and Lucy and the girls meet Walter Fish, an enigmatic survivor who may have more to offer than meets the eye. Don’t miss snowmobile gangs, yetis and more as the new story arc “Endangered Species” kicks off with a bang!”
The story is set in a rural post-apocalyptic America, though the cause of the day of reckoning is relatively unknown. What is important is that, resulting from the apocalypse there are some human/animal hybrids who have high prices on their heads. It mainly follows a young boy, Gus, who has antlers, was brought up in the on a remote farm, and loves chocolate (hence the name, Sweet Tooth). Some more hybrids are found along the way and a hard-ass human, Jepperd, is trying to keep them safe. What makes this book stand out however is the absolute creative control that Lemire gets across.
It seems that when one person both writes and pencils a comic, it turns out pretty damn well (though there are many exceptions). Lemire knows what’s in his mind, and knows how to put it on the page. Some of the panels throughout the series are so magnificent it can be hard not to put the book down in a moment of “man, this guy really get’s it”. The drawing is sketchy and lovely at the same time, and the writing is minimal yet potent. Lemire definitely knows how to communicate through his art.
This issue is the second chapter of the newest arc, “Endangered Species”. Gus and Jepperd are wandering in the snow-covered forest in search of their friends, who have found a new friend of their own. Based on the way the last issue ended, with a giant bear chasing Gus, something tells me this is going to be the most intense arc yet.
I plugged this in the weekly previews, but again, if you have not read Lemire before, I strongly suggest you pick up Essex County. This graphic novel was a finalist for CBC’s Best Canadian Read, and it is an incredible story about living in rural Canada. Jeff Lemire is one of the best storytellers in the business, and both Sweet Tooth and Essex County are proof of his incredible ability to draw us in to a world with truly lovable characters.
“SWEET TOOTH” Issue #21 Drops Wednesday, May 4th From Vertigo Comics! (MSRP – $2.99)
Comics
‘You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive’ – IDW Dark’s Next Horror Comic Will Make You Question Reality
Five friends. Four houses. One perfect life. Bloody Disgusting is excited to exclusively announce You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive, a brand new horror comic from IDW Dark.
From Eisner-Nominated writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, and rising horror artist Heather Vaughan, You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive is described as a “paranoia-laced, socially-conscious, horror mystery that will leave you questioning reality, and reveal that this crafted world is more of a nightmare than the idealistic dream they were expecting.”
Phoebe Joplin has never questioned the world her parents built: a secluded community where she and her friends were raised to be smarter, stronger, and better than anyone else. No distractions. No dangers. No secrets. Until the night of their graduation.
When one of them dies under impossible circumstances, Phee starts to pull at the edges of her perfect life—and what she finds is something far more terrifying than she ever imagined.
Because this place isn’t a sanctuary. It’s a cage. And no one who discovers the truth ever leaves it alive.
Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing (Batman – One Bad Day: Clayface, Star Trek: The Last Starship) co-write the upcoming IDW Dark horror comic, featuring art by Heather Vaughan.
Jackson Lanzing said in a statement to Bloody Disgusting, “You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive is in many ways a spiritual successor to our last creator-owned horror, The Principles of Necromancy – a dive into the promise and consequence of playing god with the blood of innocents. But the Hivemind book this reminds me of most is Clayface: One Bad Day. This is a deeply human story with intensely raw emotions – five best friends and their five mysterious parents, tearing one another apart for the promise of some impossible glory that’s waiting just beyond their darkest actions. We’re thrilled to be bringing this story to life with our long-time partner in crime, editor Heather Antos, at IDW Dark – and we’re particularly excited to give our Clayface fans a new, brutal and emotional horror made just for them.”
Adds Collin Kelly, “We’re deconstructing a feeling that seems universal these days; our elders have a death grip on their power, without any intention of giving it up to the generations that come next. YNLTPA is about growing up with the limitless potential of the future… and realizing how much it’s a lie we’ve been fed to keep us under the yoke of the past. Bringing this brutal experience to life is our artist and co-creator, Heather Vaughan, who brings an incredible amount of humanity to our cast. But it’s in our youthful leads that Heather’s art really shines – you are going to fall in love with these young people, even as they go through the worst experience of their lives. What we’ve all crafted together is going to be tragic, painful, but above all else, sincere – with a future so uncertain, there’s only one thing we can trust: you’ll never leave this place alive.”
“Some horror stories are about monsters in the dark. YNLTPA is about realizing the monsters raised you,” previews Senior Group Editor Heather Antos. “Working with Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly on this series has been a dream in the darkest possible way. They’ve built a story that’s layered, brutal, and deeply emotional, and every issue gives artist Heather Vaughan opportunities to push the art into places that feel both haunting and deeply personal. Some horror comics will keep you up at night…this is one that will stick with you for years to come.”
The first issue of You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive goes on sale October 14, 2026! Make sure to pre-order at your local comic shop by September to guarantee a copy.
Exclusively check out the various covers for Issue #1 down below.
IDW Publishing’s horror imprint IDW DARK features comics like A Quiet Place: Storm Warning, Smile: For the Camera, The Exorcism at 1600 Penn, Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees, The Twilight Zone, Event Horizon: Dark Descent & Event Horizon: Inferno, and more.
You must be logged in to post a comment.