Comics
Review: Image Comics’ Haunt #4
As a young lad growing up back in the glory days when reading comic books and horror movies made me an outcast to everyone outside of my family and my only 2 friends outside of that circle, I was caught up in McFarlane-Mania just like the rest. His work in “SPAWN” caused a taboo fascination in my adolescent mind for the satanic, grotesque, and often sultry images he depicted. I read the comics, I played the awful video games which by my own admission remain a guilty pleasure, and I watched the animated series on HBO whenever they decided to play it, staying up far beyond my bedtime. My loyalties knew no bounds. Of course, then I grew up and discovered true masters of their art such as Bendis, Moore, Gaiman, and later Robert Kirkman. So imagine my excitement when “HAUNT” hit shelves for the first time. 
“Haunt” bridges a definitive gap that in my mind was in dire need of filling. For all his accomplishments, for me the point of greatest weakness for Todd McFarlane is his writing. He has always stood to me as one of the coolest and most twisted minds of his generation, but as a story teller he always seemed to lack that extra push. Where he has always been strongest, in my opinion, is his work as an artist. As an illustrator McFarlane possesses one of the most unique and interesting styles out there. The trick is putting an equally talented writer behind him to fill in the bubbles. Enter scribe Robert Kirkman (“WALKING DEAD”, “MURDERER”) whose accomplishments as comic book writer continue to grow exponentially by the month to month issue he releases in any one of the various series he pens. And “Haunt” is one of those titles that is quickly putting him at the top of everyone’s pull and hold list. Together the two are near perfect together. But if ever there was a hiccup in the short life of the series it was this month.
In issue 4 of the chronicles of Haunt, our hero finds himself in a familiar situation: toe to toe with Cobra. This issue doesn’t particularly offer anything new or dynamic in regards to the series. Haunt continues down the road that has been set before him, saves woman in distress, fights baddy, ect ect. The main issue with this month’s installment is it’s a stopgap. All the pieces are in place, all the fireworks are primed and ready to go off, but at the end of the wick is a dull hiss. In fact, even the rematch between Cobra and Haunt is anticlimactic, ending with nothing more than one combatant running away with a swiss-cheesed face.
The money shot at the end of the issue is quite good, and definitely gets the reader ready to read the next issue that will act as the final curtain for the flagship arc of the series, but the problem is that that is the only truly good exchange in the whole issue. Besides that we are simply fumbling towards the conclusion, finding answers to questions we had already gotten answers to the issue before, and for all intents and purposes waiting.
The good news is that all the usual suspects that make this title so good are back. The crisp and cool art by Ottley, the stylistic cover from McFarlane, the interesting dialogue from Kirkman, they are all present. It’s too bad they didn’t have anything to do this issue. Oh well, there’s always next month.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Skulls
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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