Comics
Review: ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9’ #14 & #15
Dark Horse Comics’ Billy the Vampire Slayer is a two-part standalone arc for season 9, brought to you by fan-favourite BuffyVerse writers, Jane Espenson (Once Upon a Time) and Drew Z. Greenberg (Warehouse 13). Full of world-building, political advocacy, and a spin on the series’ original mythology, issues #14 and #15 introduce readers to a rabid spread of zompires infesting a small Californian town; and to the first gay male “Slayer” who takes it upon himself to get rid of them.
WRITTEN BY: Jane Espenson, Drew Z. Greenberg
ART BY: Karl Moline
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: November 14th
Obviously, Joss Whedon’s universe has come a long way since 1997, but fans need not worry about the reimagining of the true Slayer calling. Billy Lane is a self-proclaimed male vampire “slayer”, whom Jane Espenson labels as a gay vigilante, à la Batman. His destiny isn’t written in the stars, nor does he possess any superpowers. Like Xander, fighting the good fight is a choice he makes because it’s the right thing to do, not because it’s in his blood. So, with help from his crush Devon, who appoints himself as his “Watcher”, Billy begins his training. Whether the two are ready to take on the rapidly growing zombie/vampire population sans Buffy’s help, you’ll have to read it to find out.
Karl Moline’s artwork showcases the rapid spread of these creatures in the most simplistic, yet essentially effective way. The zompire world-building involved in both art and writing dramatically paints a town that’s overrun with these hybrids who are multiplying at an alarming rate. Moline’s work with pencils adopts a slightly caricaturesque style of art that is visually different than what Season 9 is used to, but seems natural in the context of the arc. Andy Owens does a memorable job inking the pages, particularly regarding his shading techniques to make the zompires look as sinister as they do. His work compliments Michelle Madsen’s colours really well, as she utilizes darker tones to set an ominous mood for the environment Billy is living in. Their wonderfully gory presentation of a zompire ripping off the back of a man’s head gets bonus points from me.
If anyone is skeptical about the addition of Billy Lane, just know that Espenson and Greenberg don’t play into the stereotypes most gay characters are modeled after. Nor are they pandering to the target market, or trying to follow the recent trend of high profile gay characters being announced in popular comics. Sure, there is an unsurprising, but culturally relevant, reference to Dan Savage’s “It Gets Better” Campaign, but it’s neither cheap nor contrived. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the “NO H8” sweater Billy rocks in the same panel.
Overall, it’s a very honest and authentic story that examines traditional gender roles prescribed by heterosexual society, and hopefully seeing them as something more fluid. Part One, written by Espenson, will surprise you and have you rooting for Billy to win, as there’s an obvious metaphor behind the zompires and the homophobic bullies he has to deal with; a sad truth in today’s society incorporated by both writers. Part Two, penned by Greenberg, showcases Billy’s determination and his efforts to earn his “Slayer” title whilst dealing with all of life’s problems. Not only is this a coming of age story, but it’s a love story as well. One that is almost reminiscent of Buffy and Angel circa season one; the trench coat and gelled hair that Devon sports only adds to the visual.
Disregarding some continuity errors surrounding zompires and their apparent ability to enter houses without being invited in, this was a nice break from regular Season 9 programming. Though why they decided to put these two issues in the middle of the series when it should have been a “Tales of the Slayers” one-shot or an Annual is beyond me. Whether Billy will fare well as an ongoing character is still debateable, but for what this standalone is worth, it’s an admirable start.
3.5/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – ShadowJayd
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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