Comics
10 Comics To Feast On: July 17 2012
With San Diego Comic-Con behind us, there’s a lot to look forward to in the coming year for comic book fans. You may want to consider buying your tickets for next year’s Con, they sell out quicker than Lebron James. In the meantime, this hot week in July ushers in the second issue of Mars Attacks, a brand new storyline in Hellblazer, plus the highly anticipated Creepy Presents: Richard Corben collected edition.
With the ever-increasing number of books coming out between the tie-ins, the crossovers, and the new series, we’ve all got to limit our reading list somehow. We present you with our ten most anticipated books of the week. So feast your eyes on these! Whether you’ve been into comics since you were a young’un, or you’re new to the game, we’re here to help you decide which books to pick up. If I’ve missed something you’re stoked about or if you’ve got any questions, list it in the comments.
Alabaster: Wolves #4 (of 5)
WRITTEN BY: Caitlin R. Kiernan
ART BY: Steve Lieber
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse
PRICE: $3.50
The Low Down: “Award-winning author Caitlin R. Kiernan brings one of her most enduring and popular creations to comics! In a scant few days, Maisie has gone from werewolf to ghost, and from Dancy’s would-be murderer to her erstwhile ally. Now, finally, Dancy’s enigmatic guide tells her story-and Dancy gets her first real glimpse into the evil infesting the town.”
The Feast: Kiernan’s bizarre werewolf tale heats up this week as the final issue approaches. Dancy is left in a strange position after having been saved by the same girl who just tried to kill her. Kiernan is spinning an incredibly novel werewolf story that should not be missed. We only hope there’s more of the morose albino after this miniseries comes to an end.
Dark Horse Presents #14
WRITTEN BY: John Arcudi and various
ART BY: Francesco Francavilla and various
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse
PRICE: $7.99
The Low Down: “The best-selling anthology just upped the ante! This 104-page flipbook boasts a special Nexus back cover alongside new installments of Aliens, Ghost, and Mister X, and the debut of Michael Avon Oeming’s The Wild Rover!”
The Feast: After winning the Eisner Award for Best Anthology this past weekend at Comic-Con, it should be obvious that this is an exceptional book. Every month, the anthology is filled with incredible stories from some of the best names in the business.
Road Rage Hard Cover
WRITTEN BY: Chris Ryall
ART BY: Nelson Daniel and Rafa Garres
PUBLISHER: IDW
PRICE: $24.99
The Low Down: “Acclaimed novelist/Eisner-winning graphic novelist Joe Hill collaborated with his father, Stephen King, in Throttle, for the first time on a tale that paid tribute to Richard Matheson’s classic tale, Duel. Now, IDW is proud to present comic-book tellings of both stories in Road Rage. Adapted by Chris Ryall with art by Nelson Daniel and Rafa Garres.”
The Feast: Adapted from the first collaboration between the father and son dream team of Stephen King and Joe Hill, “Road Rage” delivers graphic retelling of their story, “Throttle”. In addition it includes the adaptation of “Duel”, which inspired the King duo to write their horror story about the open road. This is a must for King/Hill fans.
Creepy Presents: Richard Corben Hard Cover
WRITTEN BY: Richard Corben and various
ART BY: Richard Corben
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse
PRICE: $29.99
The Low Down: “Over 300 pages of timeless terror from a master storyteller! Horror comics visionary and coloring pioneer Richard Corben has been a voice of creativity and change for over four decades. For the first time ever, Corben’s legendary Creepy and Eerie short stories and cover illustrations are being collected into one deluxe hardcover! With an informative foreword by artist and comic book colorist José Villarrubia—who also provides color restoration—this volume features Richard Corben’s original stories, Edgar Allan Poe adaptations, and collaborations with cast of comic-book writers.”
The Feast: Richard Corben is one of the most renowned horror illustrators of all time, acclaimed for his work on “Heavy Metal”, “Creepy”, and “Eerie”. Without Corben, horror comics would not be where they are today, and for the first time Dark Horse is collecting 300 page volume filled with his most terrifying stories from the “Eerie” and “Creepy” anthologies. This is a must have for any horror fan, young and old alike.
Hellblazer #239
WRITTEN BY: Peter Milligan
ART BY: Guiseppe Camuncoli and StefanoLandini
PUBLISHER: Vertigo
PRICE: $2.99
The Low Down: “NEW STORYLINE! John Constantine had no intention of tracking down his long-lost nephew, despite the promise John made to his dead mum. But jealous outbursts, strange visions and a ritual murder may force him into it after all. Dark magic, tainted blood and the occasional dead sheep – it’s all in part one of ‘The Curse of the Constantines.’”
The Feast: Vertigo’s longest running title kicks into high gear this week offering a perfect place to jump on board for new readers. The cynical, blonde, British chain-smoker is perfect for fans of “Justice League Dark” and “Preacher”. It’s well worth checking out.
Mars Attacks #2
WRITTEN BY: John Layman
ART BY: John McCrae
PUBLISHER: IDW
PRICE: $3.99
The Low Down: “The invasion has begun! The first stories of an all-new MARS ATTACKS universe are here, bringing outrageous action and dark humor to the comics page. Eisner-winning writer John Layman (Chew) is joined by Eisner-winning artist John McCrea (Hitman) to sound the alarm. Beware! The Martians are here!”
The Feast: John Layman and John McCrae are taking a page from the old school book, delivering an awesome throwback Martian story. The first issue showed all the signs of a dynamic and entertaining ongoing series, and we hope for more of this in issue #2.
No Place Like Home #5
WRITTEN BY: Angelo Tirotto
ART BY: Richard Jordan
PUBLISHER: Image
PRICE: $2.99
The Low Down: “’HOME AGAIN,’ Conclusion Something evil is brewing under the farm, everyone is dead or dying and Dee is stuck in the middle of it all. With family secrets out in the open it’s up to Dee to stop the winged monster from killing again, but is it already too late?”
The Feast: It’s been a while since the last installment of “No Place Like Home”, and we finally get the conclusion to the first chapter of Tirotto grim retelling of “The Wizard of Oz”. While Oz stories are a dime a dozen, “No Place Like Home” manages to keep things fresh. Damn those flying monkeys!
Saga #5
WRITTEN BY: Brian K. Vaughan
ART BY: Fiona Staples
PUBLISHER: Image
PRICE: $2.99
The Low Down: “The smash hit ongoing series from Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples continues, as Prince Robot IV’s hunt for Hazel and her parents takes a deadly turn.”
The Feast: Just read it.
Fatima: The Blood Spinners #2 (of 4)
WRITTEN BY: Gilbert Hernandez
ART BY: Gilbert Hernandez
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse
PRICE: $3.99
The Low Down: “Love and Rockets’ Gilbert Hernandez continues his scary and sexy romp through the zombie-infested future! With the irresistible drug ‘spin’ turning more and more people into shambling brain-eaters, the beautiful Fatima finds herself one of the last agents standing against them. But with conspiracy theories running rampant, it’s impossible to tell if she’s on the right side or if her own organization is responsible for unleashing the plague!”
The Feast: “Fatima: The Blood Spinners” is one of the more peculiar zombie stories out there, with unconventional artwork and a storyline that’s part Philip K. Dick, part “Walking Dead”, part “Sweet Tooth”. It’s nice to see a major publisher take a chance with an off-the-beaten-path title like “Fatima”.
Batwoman #11
WRITTEN BY: J.H. Williams III
ART BY: Trevor McCarthy
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse
PRICE: $2.99
The Low Down: “The conclusion of “TO DROWN THE WORLD”! BATWOMAN, CHASE, and the D.E.O. battle Gotham City’s URBAN LEGENDS in hope of finding the missing children.”
The Feast: The current “Batwoman” arc has been extremely experimental, both in terms of narrative form and graphic storytelling. Issue #11 concludes “To Drown The World”, and you can expect some shockers from Williams III – maybe not as shocking as the “Sandman” announcement. “Batwoman” is a necessary member to the Bat Family, offering something entirely different from all the other books.
Any thoughts? Books you’re excited about? Sound off in the comments or let me know on twitter!
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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