Comics
Review: ‘Hoax Hunters’ #3
Having spent countless hours watching TV shows about haunted houses and real ghost stories, Image Comics’ Hoax Hunters is something I immediately identify with. Having a TV show to cover up real monsters that exist is a simple yet brilliant idea that still holds weight after 3 issues. Issue #2 brought in a pretty big plot twist, taking the casual story into a next level tale of voodoo with a side of massive monsters to top it all off. Issue #3 of “Hoax Hunters” keeps the pedal to the metal from start to finish showing the creative prowess of Michael Moreci and Steve Seeley.
WRITTEN BY: Michael Moreci and Steve Seeley
ART BY: Axel Medellin
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
REALEASE: September 12th, 2012
Jack and his team bring life to the saying, “up shit creek without a paddle”; caught between flaming brainwashed humans and a monstrosity of epic proportions, the situation really can’t get any worse. This is right where the book picks up and the situation is resolved within the first few pages by some quick thinking on Ken Cadaver and Regan Tate’s part. Despite the early resolution, the book doesn’t slow down from this point.
After Axel Medellin is allowed to showcase his gore art, the team takes the fight to the voodoo practitioners to get a bigger scoop on the motivation behind evil Clive. The plot thickens as the group pieces together the mystery behind the mass animal deaths in the area, and the appearance of this massive monster. Issue #3 develops the character relationships even further as we have come to expect with this book. The combination of character development with well structured plot advancement is exemplified with a flash back to Jack’s childhood. Connections are made from Jack’s father’s disappearance and the appearance of the monster leading to what will no doubt be another big issue next month.
Medellin’s artwork at first appearance seems quite simply, lending itself to a more classic comic style. That said, when if you give the art a thorough look, little details emerge that give this book its unique style. This subtlety adds an extra element to “Hoax Hunters” that really suits its theme of what lies hidden beneath the surface. Medellin’s got a knack for flaming skulls and monsters of all shapes and sizes. The addition of colour is paramount to “Hoax Hunters” and Axel Medellin does an excellent job all round. The gore is a little blotchy in places, and would benefit from a little smoothing out.
The second and third issues of “Hoax Hunters” have rounded out the book. As the story plods along and the team gets closer to solving the case, there’s no doubt the level of danger will increase as well. A solid read for anyone who wants jump into a new book that’s only going to get better.
3.5/5 Skulls
Reviewed by -GreenBasterd
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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