Comics
A Handy Glossary To Help You Read Vertigo’s “Bodies”
‘Bodies’ is one of Vertigo Comics newest mind benders. It is two issues in (second issue released today so pick that shit up when you make your comic run) and it’s blowing my simple little mind. Vertigo is known for publishing comics that push boundaries on both intellectual and existential levels. ‘Bodies’ is no exception to this. In fact, it’s probably one of their riskier titles. And so far, it’s paying off.
WRITTEN BY: Si Spencer
ART BY: 1890 Dean Ormston, 1940 Phil Winslade, 2050 Tula Lotay, 2014 Meghan Hetrick
PUBLISHER: Vertigo Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: August 27, 2014 (Issue #2)
An Editorial by Bree Odgen
Writer Si Spencer teams up with four different artists, each one taking on a different timeline in London, England: 1890, 1940, 2014, and 2050. Each timeline deals with a mysterious death in which the victim is (even more mysteriously) found dead in the exact same manner in each timeline. At the moment, we know little about the victim, death, cause, or link between all these timelines. But the fascination of watching how each cop, inspector, constable, detective, etc., deals with the findings is overwhelmingly awesome. And the anticipation of discovering how this will play out feels like Christmas Eve.
Si Spencer and the artists, along with the different styles of lettering, have created something insanely unique and you’d be a bleeder* not to pick it up and read it immediately.
*See below
Yesterday, during an interesting (and very public) twitter conversation with Si, he said, “Having read some of the reviews, I wonder whether I should’ve published a dictionary with “Bodies.” So this is for you, Si.
“Bodies” #1 and #2 Terminology:
Turned grass – This is what we would typically refer to as a police informant or a snitch. If you don’t know what that is, go watch an episode of The Shield.
Swanning – To roam around the workplace (in some cases, this could be an aimless roaming).
Mollies, Quinces, Madgecovers – There are quite a few different definitions for these three words. For example, a mollie can be a sex bomb female. But it’s pretty clear that in the case of ‘Bodies,’ they are being used as Victorian slang for gay men.
Scarper – RUN! GTFO! (It means ‘to flee’ but when you are caught getting head by the Inspector, it means GTFO).
Pederast – This is going to get real, real fast: pederast refers to pedophilia, specifically between a man and a boy. Of which there is a heartbreaking opening in ‘Bodies’ #2 that deals with this in Victorian London.
Mick – slang for Irishman (and by slang, I mean an ethnic slur, so don’t use it in day to day life, Americans).
Abattoir – this is typically a slaughterhouse. So in ‘Bodies’ #2 when the Inspector says the “alleyway should be like an abattoir” (but it’s not)… he means the murder clearly didn’t take place there, ya dig?
Not a spit – to not look like. This phrase happens during that heartbreaking scene I referred to. “I’m fourteen years, sir, unless you like ‘em younger.” To which the narrator thinks, “Ten years old and not a spit over.”
Quim – this also has a few meanings. None of them really appropriate for me to be writing about. Luckily in this instance it is used to refer to a lady’s ummm… basically when the Inspector says, “Bring on the quim,” he is saying, “Bring on the pussy!” And not in a loving, committed relationship type way.
Doxy – prostitute. Simple as that. (You totally want to read this comic now, don’t you? Good, because you should).
Bleeder – this is by far my favorite term to explain. Technically it refers to a bleeding vagina (every male across the globe just vomited in his mouth). But in this instance, to call a man a ‘bleeder’ is essentially a more offensive insult than just calling him a ‘pussy’ …because well… it’s bleeding. I think you can figure out the rest.
Bog-trotter – yet another insulting epithet for an Irishman.
Scrote – this should be pretty obvious, folks. When Detective Barber calls Lee Cozens a ‘scrote’ he is most definitely calling him a useless and insignificant male.
John Bull – this was news to me and I was pretty excited to learn this term. John Bull is the Uncle Sam type personification of the United Kingdom. Fun fact, right? Google it. He looks a lot like Uncle Sam but much jollier. And with a snappy British flag vest.
Sod’s law – Americans would call this Murphy’s Law.
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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