Comics
REVIEW: Image Comic’s – ‘Drums’ Issue #1
There is something inherently scary about tribal religions. Anyone will agree that voodoo, black magic, or the guy ripping your heart out of your chest in The Temple of Doom is frightening, but to me, even the common African religions or the ones practiced by the Mayans and other ancient civilizations raises the hair on my arm. Not to offend anyone who might practice some of these religions, but something about them is just a little creepy which is a significant reason for why Drums, a new series by El Torres, debuts with an effectively frightening first issue. Read on for the skinny…
Weird voodoo-esque religions are not often seen in the horror comic genre, and I think it’s about time we were due for one. Perhaps writers are afraid, because of the close connection to zombies, to step into such topics for fear of drowning the market with yet another zombie comic or something very similar. Or maybe they’re worried about the stigma of messing with another’s religious beliefs, especially when the religion is the culprit of a horror premise. Whatever the reason, it’s refreshing to see the topic used again to scare the pants off of readers.
Martin Irons, a superficial detective, has been assigned a case of what looks like a mass suicide. His instinct to only believe in what hard evidence can tell him starts to be shaken when he has a startling experience with one of the dead victims. What makes the book an interesting read is not so much the details of the mystery, since little is explained in the first issue, but the manner in which the story is told. Much of the action takes place as discussion between Irons and other detectives involved with the case interspersed with a few brief moments of disturbing images. Laying low with the creepy, tribal stuff makes it all the more frightening when it comes around. Torres also makes clever use of wordplay, mostly concerning associations with the book’s title which is mysterious and original in and of itself. It will be interesting to see where Torres takes the meaning of the title in future issues and how it relates to the supernatural entity behind the murders.
The art, by Abe Hernando and Kwaichang Kraneo, is fitting for the type of book Drums is but is nonetheless not the main attraction here. The colors are nice—serious shades of browns and blues that darken as the horror intensifies—but there are a few panels and facial drawings that seem somewhat amateurish. It’s not something that destroys the book, but it’s also not something that you would necessarily want to frame on your wall. I would like to note that taste in comic book art usually differs from person to person, and judging the quality of art in any book in incredibly difficult, so the best that I can say is that some of the pages, but not all, did not draw me into the book quite as much as I would have liked.
The art, as I said, is not the meat of this book, though. The story holds enough on its own to pull the reader through each page. The pacing and placement of each scene make the read enjoyable and satisfying.
Pick this book up if you like your scares induced by mystery and suspense…and, of course, tribal religions involving headless chickens.
“DRUMS” Issue #1 Is Available NOW From Image Comics! (MSRP – $2.99)
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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