Comics
GRAPHIC CONTENT PICK OF THE WEEK: Lonmonster – Witch Doctor’ #3
It seems that many major publishers are trying to dip their creative pens in the murky ink of horror comics. Competition is fierce, to say the least, and writers must constantly come up with new ideas to prove themselves within the tightly knit community. For some reason, Image has always stood out as one of the best horror comic publishers. They know what fans want, not just blood and guts but a brain and a heart too. Image’s Skybound imprint, founded by Robert Kirkman, (The Walking Dead), horror comic icon, brings us “Witch Doctor”, a mini-series showcasing a grotesque and disturbing world where diseases are synonymous with monsters. If you’ve missed the first two issues, have no fear; the mini-series is set in stand-alone episodes, meaning you can still pick up this creepy book (good thing for you since the first issue sold out!). Witch Doctor is an insane comics that would have devout Christians spewing up the Eucharist, and amen for that. Read on for the skinny…
EDIT: “Witch Doctor” issue #3 actually hits stores September 14th, but screw it, it’s still my pick of the week!
WRITTEN BY: Brandon Seifert
ILLUSTRATIONS BY: Luka Ketner
“It’s Dr. Morrow’s biggest case yet: ‘The Patient From The Black Lagoon!’ What’s the secret of the Deep Ones? How do they fit in with the Relapse, the Extinction Event that’s coming for humankind? And why are Morrow and his medical staff at each other’s throats? ‘Basically, I’m jealous. Bastards!’ — Ben Templesmith”
Now before I chew off my own leg, so to speak, I’m not saying there aren’t great horror comics out there, in fact there are loads of fantastic horror books. All I’m saying is that in an industry that is moving more and more toward the dark side of the medium, it’s becoming a cumbersome task to create new and innovative stories. Luckily, we have psychotic minds like Seifert to keep things fresh, gruesome, and intelligent all at the same time.
The story follows Doctor Vincent Morrow through various incidents as he travels around Oregon seeking out people who have been smitten by some heinous disease. The world is ill, quite literally, in this comic and Doctor Morrow is not your average doctor (no shit). Rather than scrubbing up for a steady eight-hour surgery, Morrow prefers to use the dark arts and a magical sword, which he refers to as his “scalpel”. Combining realistic medical explanations and witchcraft, Morrow is quite the eccentric character. It makes you wonder if the reason he was booted from the medical community was his unorthodox medical style or his cracked persona. Seifert’s characterization of Morrow is absolutely splendid, and you really get a sense of his lunacy and lonesomeness even though it’s only two-issues deep.
The first two installments Doctor Morrow and team dealt with children (nasty little buggers). One demon-possessed, the other was a creepy bug baby who spoke like an old man. I can’t imagine what’s in store next for the tongue-in-cheek crew, but I’m hoping it will branch outside the realm of children to see how Morrow can handle himself out side of pediatrics.
The artwork doesn’t really need to be spoken of for a long time. Simply, Ketner’s art is nothing short of wonderful, dark, and horrific. It’s a perfect fit with the writing style, helping to capture Dr. Morrow’s character. This is a dynamite team.
This story is, at the same time, a throwback to classic horror cinema and a glimpse into the future of horror comics. If this book doesn’t get extended to an ongoing series, I hope Skybound will at least offer Seifert some sort of deal. Witch Doctor is an incredibly mature debut comic (which makes sense given that he studied under Bendis) and it’s hard to imagine how it could get any better. This is a world world filled with putrid disease and Seifert and Ketner bask in it fervently.
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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