Comics
Review: The Strange Case of Mr. Hyde TPB
Inspector Adye has recently slammed the book shut on his first of (hopefully) many “strange cases,” marking the release of this TPB. All four issues of The Strange Case of Mr. Hyde come together in a stellar collection from Dark Horse. I wasn’t able to fully invest in the series until its completion, so the trade gave me the perfect opportunity to see the entire story laid out at once. Read on for the skinny…
TheSandMan’s review
Cole Haddon interview
In the beginning, Strange Case centers predominately on Dr. Henry Jekyll, a brilliant scientist with what initially looks to be a bright future, and rich family life. All those plans turn to ruin when Jekyll injects himself with his own serum and creates his diabolical alter ego, Mr. Hyde. Those who have read the classic novel will be familiar with this part of the story, but boy does it stray from there on out.
Fast-forward five years, and Inspector Adye is introduced. Adye is also very bright, and shows a promising future with his detective work. He is assigned to none other than the Jack the Ripper case, and Jekyll’s serum may be contributing to the murders. Adye soon finds himself teaming up with Jekyll in order to finally close the Ripper case and establish a sense of peace in Whitechapel.
Cole Haddon’s debut is eerily logical; I almost forgot that the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is actually a work of fiction. Even the letters that Saucy Jack had written to the police were integrated into the story perfectly. But not only is it logical, but also creative. The scenes where Adye is caught off-guard by Jekyll’s bluntness stand out especially well. Adye is a well-trained, productive member of society. But that’s just it – he’s trained. Jekyll calling him out helps the Inspector to break away from his scholarly mind, and in turn, to go with his instincts.
M. S. Corley’s artwork reflects some realism, as well. The characters’ expressions in the beginning are very hoity-toity, with furrowed brows and general looks of suspicion, to reflect the “poised and proper” lifestyle of England in the late 1800’s. As the excitement builds, facial expressions become more diverse, and the states of the characters’ hair and clothing become more casual to demonstrate the mounting stress. The color work also works parallel to the art, starting off bright and vibrant at first, and then progressively becoming more muted and darker. Even during one of the party scenes, the shadows seem more predominate, which adds suspense… like something might be lurking beneath them.
Dark Horse has brought us yet another exciting title. Strange Case is a gripping, cinemeatic, story that immediately clutches you in its mighty fists. Jekyll is an eccentric, dark character, yet is simultaneously very accessible. You can’t help but love him. And Inspector Adye is knowledgeable, but still very mysterious, and I look forward to learning more about him. The ending was very open ended, so I can’t wait to see what additional adventures Haddon has in store.
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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