Comics
Zomblog – Double Take Evolves The Zombie
Today was the first Double Take creator call. Everyone involved in building a universe sat down together to talk about the larger worldview. Where we are going and how we’re going to get there.
As much as previous posts have been about having a plan, this one’s centered on the wild frenzy that happens when you come down with an infectious disease. Not unlike zombiism, we all came down with the fever of creating a compelling new universe.
It’s hard to articulate the details of the call without spoiling everything we have planned for you. So forgive me while I play cryptic. Today was the day where we found out how the zombie plague ends, or rather how we plan to keep going after the initial night of the living dead.
I’m happy to report that a new dawn follows the night. We’re building a universe, unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. This is something we’re calling “World War 2T.”
Let me assure you this is nothing like World War Z in fact, there is really nothing quite like it. It’s not something that’s been done before, and trust me when I say you’re going to love it. The Double Take Universe is unfolding in some interesting new directions that allow zombies to evolve and grow into something completely original to our universe.
Did you know that the human body contains over 90 trillion microorganisms? And whatever is making zombies is causing those microorganisms to evolve in startling new ways. It may start with zombies… but it ends with… well I can’t tell you quite yet.
“It used to be thought that the events that changed the world were things like big bombs, maniac politicians, huge earthquakes, or vast population movements, but it has now been realized that this is a very old-fashioned view held by people totally out of touch with modern thought. The things that really change the world, according to Chaos theory, are the tiny things. A butterfly flaps its wings in the Amazonian jungle, and subsequently a storm ravages half of Europe.” – Neil Gaiman – Good Omens
But let’s talk about some of the science behind that. This is direct from the source, so tread lightly with these awesome secrets.
Undead can be shot, stabbed, injured, and continue functioning as long as their brains are intact. An Undead starts with a mind like that of a terrible two-year old. Over time their bodies, even [redacted], heal, and they grow [redacted.] They are also able [redacted.] Even disembodied zombie body parts can [redacted.]
They don’t smell bad. They move at a normal human pace and only have the amount of strength that is appropriate for them based on their level of decay.
That all seems pretty normal right? Well there are about 4 paragraphs of what I’m not telling you that is pretty abnormal. As much as The Walking Dead survivors are already infected – our humans are too, just in their own unique ways.
It’s important to think long term when you’re building a universe and Double Take is making sure that we all have a story in this new universe. The zombies are only the beginning but as things continue to gestate, new types of creatures emerge. So perhaps it’s best to leave you with the immortal words of Dr. Ian Malcolm:
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This Zomblog will run every Monday and Friday until I run out of things to say about zombies.
Until then check out Double Take’s blog – Double Take Universe to keep up to date on the incredible comics that will be coming your way in September. And their Kickstarter Just got FUNDED.
AND – We’ve got the full issue preview of Z-Men #1 – HERE.
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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