Comics
GRAPHIC CONTENT PICK OF THE WEEK: Lonmonster – ‘Batman: Gates of Gotham’ #5
Did you really think I would have picked anything other than Gates of Gotham this week? Snyder and Higgins have been working to shape this series from the very first issue, and almost every page feels like it’ll hold some relevance in the end. The secret of ‘The Architect’ is out, the Bat-family knows who he is and his devious plans, now all that’s left to do is bash his face in and turn him over to Gordon. The ghost of Gotham’s past has reared its ugly head, and despite the corrupt history, Batman is trying control something that he knows is way larger than himself. The creative team has done wonders to bring fans a memorable Batman story leading into the new reboot, and now that Gotham City’s dark history is in the open, the future of Batman is looking brighter than ever. Read on for the skinny…
WRITTEN BY: Scott Snyder and Kyle Higgins
ILLUSTRATIONS BY: Trevor McCarthy
PUBLISHER: DC Comics
”It’s Batman vs. The Architect! The downfall of a major Gotham family! The betrayal of Damian Wayne! It’s all here in this final issue, plus the untold fate of Gotham City’s first Super Villain! Be here as GATES OF GOTHAM sets the stage for a bold new direction in the Bat books!”
Both Snyder and Higgins are everyday names to comic fans, and with their respective new series set for release as part of the ‘New 52’, Gates of Gotham has worked to give these guys even more hype (like they needed it). Many readers probably have their eyes set on Snyder’s Swamp Thing (best since Moore?) and Batman titles, or Higgins’ Deathstroke and Nightwing (though I still have no idea why he’s not Batman…). Based on this series I have high hopes for their new books, but before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s finish this extraordinary Bat story.
The story so far is quite complex as it spans across decades of Gotham’s seedy past, bringing in a whole slew of characters, both new and old. I can’t remember ever reading a Batman story where I actually grasped the cityscape and history of Gotham. Snyder and Higgins have really done their research for the series, and they know exactly the direction they want things to move. The only thing this series suffers from is not being long enough. Now that it’s all coming to an end, I expect Snyder’s new ongoing Batman and Higgins’ Nightwing to tie in many themes seen in this mini-series.
After Snyder’s widely praised conclusion the Detective Comics, we know that he has a love and understanding for Batman. You get the feeling that these two guys aren’t just writing for the sake of writing, but really doing it from a fans perspective. While it may be a grandiose statement to say that this is one of the best Batman stories in years, it really is. Obviously I have a strong bias towards Snyder and Batman books, but maybe it’s just a preference for good comics in general.
If there is one thing this mini-series has done particularly well, it’s tie together all of the major families in Gotham, offering a glance at how the city got to be so immoral. The series plunges into the dark and murky waters of the city, and reveals that crime and corruption are literally set in its very foundations. Before Gates even started, Higgins and Snyder went on record saying that they want Gotham to feel like an entity, something with a personality of its own, and they have accomplished this goal with great success.
On top of the history lessons, another aspect of the series that separates it from other Bat books is the interactions between the members of the Bat team. With so many characters flying around, you’d think somebody would be left out (especially since neither of the writers have touched Red Robin before). Damian and Tim have some obvious contempt for one another, but there’s also a sense that Damian looks up to Tim as a former Robin. I imagine if this series were a few issues longer we’d get much more character development, but, again, hopefully this is foreshadowing some September events. But, seriously, where is Bruce? He did come back, right?
Gates of Gotham is a well-crafted tale that is way deeper your standard hero book. With such time and care put into Gates, it provides a promising glimpse into the future of DC Comics (I’m pretty much drooling right now). Partiality aside, it’s irrefutable that these two guys know how to write an original Batman story, and I can’t wait to see what they’ve got cooking for the fall.
’Gates of Gotham’ Issue #5 Drops August 24th From DC 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.
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