Comics
BD Pick Of The Week: ‘American Vampire’ PLUS Promotional Trailer And 3 Page Preview!
Some weeks it takes a full 7 days to decide just which title to choose for this column, but this was not one of them. Since it was announced that Stephen King would again be teaming with writing partner Scott Snyder to bring readers his vision of the first American vampire the title has been the subject of talk among everyone in the industry. In a way that only the legendary horror scribe can, King singlehandedly grabbed the attention of readers across the world with the promise of delivering his next truly epic original title, and his first story written specifically for the medium. And now that the title is just days away from being unleashed on the world we have the first 3 full pages of the issue, and the teaser trailer that was released tonight by King himself. Read on for all the juicy details and why you should care. (As if we needed to tell you.)
WRITTEN BY: SCOTT SNYDER and STEPHEN KING
ILLUSTRATIONS AND VARIANT COVER BY: RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE 1:25 Variant
COVERS BY: JIM LEE
“Witness the birth of a brand new species of vampire in this new ongoing series that begins with five extra-sized issues featuring back-to-back stories by exciting new writer Scott Snyder and the master of horror himself, Stephen King! When notorious outlaw Skinner Sweet is attacked by an old enemy (who happens to be a member of the undead), the first American vampire is born… a vampire powered by the sun, stronger, fiercer, and meaner than anything that came before. Plus… Pearl Jones is a struggling young actress in 1920s Los Angeles. But when her big break brings her face-to-face with an ancient evil, her Hollywood dream quickly turns into a brutal, shocking nightmare.”
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE
Stephen King has always delivered in the form of a guiding force behind the adaptations of his novels to comics in stories such as “THE DARK TOWER”, “THE STAND”, and the recently released “N.”, but with “AMERICAN VAMPIRE” he is trying his hand at something a little bit different by creating a completely original story for comic readers.
For followers of King’s work, it is widely known that the horror icon can effortlessly weave a story about anything, even if it were murderous earthworms, and make it absolutely riveting. But when it comes to beasts such as vampires you can rest assured that there won’t be any sparkling. In fact what readers can expect as a refreshingly traditional bloodsucking experience. King and Snyder promise readers a very violent, and often times graphic depiction of the first red blooded American vampire set against the backdrop of the wild west.
The stories first 5 issues will be completely written by King himself, following the bank robbing, blood-thirsty (now quite literally) murderer Skinner Sweet who is bitten by an old rival and hence becomes America’s first vamp. After King’s arc concludes the duty of writing will be carried on the shoulders of Scott Snyder (“VOODOO HEART”) who has been eyed as one of horror’s hottest new names since his debut in 2006. Snyder has had his own success in the comic book world having written for Marvel’s “HUMAN-TORCH” and is also attached to the upcoming “IRON-MAN: NOIR” mini due to be released this April. This arc will follow Skinner in a separate story-line set in the 1920s.
Throw in pencils by none other than Rafael Albuquerque (“BLUE BEETLE”, “THOR”, “ROBIN”, “BATMAN”, “SUPERMAN”) and what you have is a recipe for what will undoubtedly prove to be one of the genres’ most sought after titles in the months to come. There is no way around it: “AMERICAN VAMPIRE” is a title readers will have to read for themselves lest they be left out of the unending conversations of their peers until the series comes to an end. Quite possibly THE title of 2010, “AMERICAN VAMPIRE” is easily your pick of the week.
Still haven’t had your thirsts quenched? You can head on over to The Daily Beast now to read the exclusive interview with King about the title, and below you can view the official teaser trailer courtesy of Dread Central.
“AMERICAN VAMPIRE” Issue #1 Drops This Wednesday From Vertigo Comics! (MSRP-#3.99)
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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