Comics
Review: ‘Star Wars’ # 3
Brian Wood continues his epic retelling of the post New Hope Star Wars Universe. Proving that these old characters can still tread new ground, and be completely engrossing in fantastic new ways. Wood’s new vision of Star Wars is a sight to behold, and an absolute pleasure to read.
WRITTEN BY: Brian Wood
ART BY: Carlos D’Anda
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: March 13th, 2013
For the unacquainted, Brian Wood has just begun a new “Star Wars” series at Dark Horse that picks up after that pivotal moment at the end of A New Hope. The Rebel Alliance has gained a momentary victory, Luke still has two hands, Leia may potentially still be into her brother, and Han is still a slimeball.
Which is all very good news. The characters we all know and love are fundamentally different here. Wood characterizes Luke perfectly; he’s not some Jedi in training, but rather a hot head kid who believes himself to be the best of the best. It totally works.
Leia leads a secret squadron of X wing pilots into the deep reaches of space, looking for a new home for the rebel alliance (can somebody say Battlestar Galactica!). Leia is still mourning the loss of her planet, and consistently butts heads with Luke. This dynamic makes up the bulk of this issue, and the stakes are constantly raised because you are never entirely sure why Luke is pissing her off so much. Is she in love with him? Or is she truly concerned with his cocky attitude? Only Brian Wood knows.
Which again is the major draw of this series. Everything is as you remember it from Empire or Jedi but subtly different. I found myself asking so many questions, and pondering so many “what ifs” as I turned the pages. Most notably Wood seems to be pushing Vader into a useless drone. A drone who has outlived his utility for the Emperor.
The new villain introduced by Wood could potentially be a Red Herring to take us off of Vader’s trail for a couple of issues, but it doesn’t seem like it. I imagine we’re heading into completely uncharted territory here, and that prospect is amazing.
The story bounces between the Rebel Fleet, Han & Chewie, and The Imperial Fleet. Carlos D’Anda’s art holds up beautifully throughout, although his style doesn’t quite resemble the actors who made the roles famous so many years ago, but echoes the old Marvel comics from days gone by. It takes some getting used to, but it helps the story stand on its own merits, rather than the shoulders of the films.
As a whole, a solid issue that left me wanting more. If you’re a die-hard Star Wars fan, but are worried about the future of the series, then do yourself a favor and pick up Wood’s “Star Wars”. It’s a wonderful alternate take on Star Wars lore, which will keep you guessing with every page.
3.5/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – Jimbus_Christ
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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.