Comics
BD Pick Of The Week: ‘Day of The Dead: Desertion’
We have done a lot of coverage regarding Arrow Publishing’s upcoming “DAY OF THE DEAD: DESERTION” one shot that will be released exclusively alongside the “DAY OF THE DEAD 25th ANNIVERSARY” DVD that will be dropping tomorrow. You can read our interview with scribe Stefan Hutchinson (“HALLOWEEN: FIRST DEATH OF LAURIE STRODE”) here and you can also read our very positive review of the book here if you haven’t done so already. So with that said this week’s “BD PICK OF THE WEEK” shouldn’t come as any surprise. So as we sit on the eve of one of the best Blu-Ray releases in classic horror this year you can get yourself amped up with the first 6 pages of the book, and as always, why you should care.
WRITTEN BY: Stefan Hutchinson, Barry Keating
ILLUSTRATED BY: Jeff Zornow
“This March, Arrow Video celebrates the 25th Anniversary of writer-director George A. Romero’s 1985 horror masterpiece, Day Of The Dead, with a special two-disc Blu-ray release that features a host of world exclusive extras, including a restored presentation of the film, a new hi-def soundtrack (the original ‘uncensored dialogue’ version, completely restored), four alternate sleeves, a double-sided poster, a 24-page collector’s booklet ‘For Every Dawn There Is A Day’, plus a very special collector’s comic – ‘Day Of The Dead: Desertion’ – featuring a brand new ‘Bub’ storyline. Also after years of Dawn of the Dead getting all the great documentaries Day finally gets the retrospective it deserves with the all-new Joe of the Dead and Travelogue of the Dead.”
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE
There isn’t a whole lot we can say that hasn’t already been said. Anyone worth their weight as a horror fan should be well acquainted with George A Romero’s 1985 masterpiece “DAY OF THE DEAD” that marked the third installment in his now legendary “DEAD” series. And with that being said it should also go without saying that fans across the globe know of the domesticated, and oddly gentle flesh-eater named, Bub. But what most do not know if where Bub came from, his origins, his tragic story. That is until tomorrow when horror comic heavy-weight Stefan Hutchinson and partner Barry Keating deliver their beautifully illustrated (By none other than ‘Fright Rags’ artist Jeff Zornow) origin story “DAY OF THE DEAD: DESERTION”.
I have already said all that can be said about the comic book in my exclusive advance review of the book. Hutchinson and Keating have easily delivered one of the most respectful, disturbing, and downright best film spin-offs in comic HISTORY. These are not words that I use to describe very many stories, and very rarely will I find myself praising a book in this vain so highly, but with “DESERTION” there just isn’t any other way to go about it. Story wise “DESERTION” is a kick in the gut, an emotional juggernaut that is unrelentingly depressing and disgusting. It is a story that WILL stay with you days after it has been finished, and like any great piece of horror literature it will haunt you.
It is important to note that this book is only available with the “DAY OF THE DEAD 25th ANNIVERSARY” 2 Disc Blu-Ray that goes on sale tomorrow. The release marks the first time the classic has gotten the 2-disc treatment, and with it it brings some fantastic bonus features. In fact both discs are jam packed with enough bonus content to fully warrant the $30 price tag. And all of this is on top of the beautiful transfer from standard DVD to Blu-Ray that proves single handedly why the format is the way of the future.
With all that being said, “DAY OF THE DEAD” is one of the absolute must own DVD releases of the year, and the fantastic “DESERTION” is just icing on the cake. A must own for fans of Romero’s classic film or horror in general, this is a release that is not to be missed.
“DAY OF THE DEAD: DISSERTION” Hits Stores On March 29th!
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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