Comics
Review: ‘Devil’ #1 Is A Safe Choice, But Flawed
In Dark Horse and Madhouse Publishing’s team effort “DEVIL” a virus is raging across the planet turning humans into blood-sucking super-humans called devils. Most of the infected die within days, sometimes even months after becoming sick. Others, the new strain, do not die but become stronger with time. Enter Investigating Officer Takimoto aka “Punisher”. A man who isn’t afraid to go Dirty Harry on The Cullen’s or any other vamps that get in his way. Read on for the full review.
Ever since Dark Horse announced its plans to release “DEVIL” I’ve been a little excited for the project, if only for the fact that the makers of “TRIGUN” were involved with the production. The story itself is a bit recycled, and going in I didn’t expect greatness, but I hoped that Mike Richardson’s story would at the very least leave me pleasantly surprised. What I found was mixed bag.
Right off the bat you’ll notice that this artwork is not your usual style. Being from Madhouse one could have only expected a heavy Japanese style, but what we are given looks to be straight up stills from an actual Anime that were converted to make a comic book. This isn’t terrible seeing as the art itself resembles that of a “COWBOY BEBOP” or “GUNGRAVE”, and the colors do a lot to compliment the style. In no way is the art a detouring factor for the story, but it is also something you will have to get past if you are not conditioned to the style of an overseas production. (Which if you aren’t by now then I would doubt you picked this one up, and if you did it’s probably not going to change your mind)
The story line is better than I had expected from the Daybreakersesque plot. Takimoto is your usual hardboiled detective that always has a cigarette in the corner of his mouth and a penchant for pissing off his peers. Takimoto believes firmly that the infected are no longer human and deserve the fate that he delivers them citing them as monsters. Of course he is shadowed Detective Migiwa, a woman who holds that the infected are “devil possessed” and therefore cannot help their conditions. That is until a run in with an “S Class” Devil threatens to kill them both.
As I said the story is solid if not overdone, and there is plenty of action and violence to keep you entertained. The real problem though is the dialogue. “DEVIL” issue one suffers from a mean case of ‘lost in translation’ that is at times downright confusing. It is obvious that there is some interesting stuff going on here, but when it is not being explained to us in broken English, it is merely eluded to. I can cut the story a lot of slack for the latter, being the first issue in the 4 part mini, even if it obviously puts plot and character development on the back-burner throughout the entire issue. It does leave one wondering why the publishers chose to go with a short 24 pages instead of the standard 32 in order to pack in more depth.
When all is done and read, “DEVIL” #1 is a decent enough read that readers should be able to find some enjoyment in. There are some plot-points that are touched on that make for some interesting story down the road, and the art style is sleek as hell. If you can get past the at times unbearable dialogue then “DEVIL” #1 from Dark Horse and Madhouse is a safe choice for those looking for something new in the vampire genre.
3 Out Of 5 Skulls
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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