Comics
Tom Hardy Confirms ‘Venom’ is Based On “Lethal Protector” Minseries
Sony Pictures is already deep into production on Venom, their R-rated Spider-Man spinoff that focuses on the popular anti-villain that first appeared onscreen in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3. With an October 5, 2018, release date locked in, the studio used this past weekend’s Sao Paulo’s Comic Con Experience as a launching point for their marketing campaign.
While star Tom Hardy, who plays Eddie Brock in the Ruben Fleischer-directed film, was unable to attend, the studio did share a recorded message in which he promised fans he’d do the character justice, explained Comicbook. He further added that the movie would be inspired by 1993’s “Lethal Protector” six-issue miniseries written by David Michelinie and drawn by Mark Bagley, Ron Lim, and Sam Delarosa.
“Venom: Lethal Protector” begins with Venom and Spider-Man agreeing to a truce and Venom moving to San Francisco. Once in San Francisco, Venom is attacked by the son of one of his past victims and his hunted down by the Life Foundation, who want to study the Venom symbiote and use it for their own purposes. This results in the creation of five new symbiote spawn: Scream, Phage, Riot, Lasher, and Agony.
While this offers some clarity, it’s also caused a bit of confusion. Will we actually see the five symbiotes in Venom or will the Life Foundation be the new origin story behind Carnage (rumored to be played by Riz Ahmed)? It’s possible they’re using the “Lethal Protector” story structure to both aid in Venom being the protagonist and also explaining how Cletus Kasady becomes Carnage. It’s very possible they’ll write-out the five symbiotes… or maybe they’ll use it to set up a sequel?
This isn’t even the biggest news out of the Comic Con. This past weekend Sony revealed the film’s logo that harkened back to Todd McFarlane‘s original art from 1988.
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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