Comics
Review: ‘R.I.P.D.: City of the Damned’ #4
The fourth installment of Jeremy Barlow and Tony Parker’s R.I.P.D.: City of the Damned sees the anachronistic old west adventure come to an end for R.I.P.D. officers Roy Pulsipher and his Puritan partner Crispin Mather. This prequel to the upcoming feature film, starring Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges, successfully accomplishes what it sets out to do, which is acquaint new readers with the fundamental and cardinal properties that characterize Peter Lenkov’s world; and to pump up consumers for Dark Horse Entertainment’s motion picture release of R.I.P.D. hitting theatres this summer.
WRITTEN BY: Jeremy Barlow
ART BY: Tony Parker
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE: March 13th
Picking up right where issue #3 left off, the final installment wastes no time when it comes to delving straight into the story’s action, as our two protagonists fight their way into the heart of Black Pool, in order to bring down the city. Saving Creation and destroying David Sterling’s nefarious plan is the main objective, but as the City of the Damned’s secrets begin to unravel, so does Pulsipher and Mather’s partnership. What’s revealed in this issue creates a massive rift that ultimately threatens their mission, and produces an outcome that still resonates a hundred years down the line.
Jeremy Barlow and Tony Parker work exceptionally well together to tell this story, which is very much an origin tale that delves into the history of Pulsipher’s employment with the R.I.P.D. So, this prequel is a fantastic starting point for those who are interested in the film, but have no prior knowledge of the series. Barlow stays true to the story by honoring Lenkov’s original vision, characters, and established world. Parker brings that world to life with his effortless pencil work. The latter excels the most where scenes call for movement, action, and expressive facial expressions.
The way the issue ties back to the opening scenes of the first installment gives full contentment to the consumers in regards to the gratification readers will feel as they finish the series, but leaves a big question unanswered in the end. Whether or not it’s going to be elaborated on in the upcoming film, it’s hard to say and you’ll have to wait until summer to find out.
4.5/5 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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