Comics
10 Comics To Feast On: September 5 2012
It’s DC “0” month, and they’ll be taking up a lot of shelf space in local comic shops. It’s a perfect place to jump into the books for those of you slackers. This week also ushers in the first issue of Alan Moore’s Fashion Beast, The almost-last-issue of The Boys, the next installment in the organ harvesting miniseries Harvest, and a bunch more.
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.
Fashion Beast #1
WRITTEN BY: Alan Moore and , Antony Johnston
ART BY: Facundo Percio
PUBLISHER: Avatar
PRICE: $3.99
The Low Down: “Alan Moore’s unearthed screenplay comes to life as an incredible comic book series almost three decades later! The mid-80’s were a stunning period of brilliance for Alan Moore, seeing him create true masterpieces including Miracleman, Watchmen – and Fashion Beast! Working with Malcolm McLaren (Sex Pistols), Alan Moore turned his attention to a classic re-telling of a fable through his unyielding and imaginative vision. The two developed a story that redefined Beauty and the Beast in a dystopian future city dominated by a fashion house, which Moore then fully-scripted into a huge screenplay. Never previously published, this epic work is now adapted for comics by long-time Moore collaborator, Antony Johnston (Courtyard) preserving every scrap of Moore’s original dialogue. All ten issues have been lovingly illustrated by Facundo Percio (Anna Mercury) and finally a true historical and visionary masterpiece is finally released to the World! Available with a Regular or Wraparound Cover by series artist Facundo Percio or Haute Couture Incentive (by Percio) or the very rare Tarot (by Paul Duffield) Incentive cover.”
The Feast: Back in the 80s Alan Moore wrote a screenplay titled “Fashion Beast”. The story has been buried…until now. Avatar is adapting Moore’s work in comic form with the help of long time Moore collaborator, Antony Johnston. Moore’s more contemporary work has ventured into the stranger side of fiction, but this is a tale from the same era he was writing things like “Watchmen”, “V for Vendetta”, and “Swamp Thing”. You have the chance to read an original Alan Moore story from the 80s, don’t blow it.
Harvest #2 (of 5)
WRITTEN BY: AJ Lieberman
ART BY: Colin Lormier
PUBLISHER: Image
PRICE: $3.50
The Low Down: “As Dr. Benjamin Dane continues his plunge down the rabbit hole that is the black market for human organs, he signs a deal with a devil named Craven which Dane signs in blood with an alcohol level of about 22. His only help? The kid on the cover. Harvest: Medical Grade Revenge.”
The Feast: Colin Lormier’s art is just ridiculously fresh in “Harvest”. It’s been a while since an artist blew me away this much. It’s a good thing Lieberman’s story is just as good. The book follows a Dr. Dane who has recently become a black market surgeon and in between bouts of drunkenness, hysteria and madness, he steals organs. “Harvest” is a book all horror fans should be reading.
The Stand Omnibus
WRITTEN BY: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
ART BY: Mike Perkins
PUBLISHER: Marvel
PRICE: $150
The Low Down: “The Stand is a classic tale of good vs. evil, loss weighed against redemption and despair pitted against hope. It is an apocalyptic vision of man’s battle to save life against a worldwide plague of death. When the viral strain dubbed ‘Captain Trips’ works its way across the face of the country, the painfully few survivors are launched into a nightmare that’s only just begun – but for the Dark Man, Randall Flagg, it’s a dream come true. Based on the masterpiece of apocalyptic horror by celebrated author Stephen King, this lavish adaptation is packed with extras in a two-volume slipcased set!
The Feast: Even if you’re not a big fan of Stephen King’s, The Stand, the creative team at Marvel has done an incredible job adapting the story in their own way. The artwork is great, and the story does a great job of following the characters. For the first time you can get the classic good vs. evil tale in one massive volume.
Animal Man #0
WRITTEN BY: Jeff Lemire
ART BY: Steve Pugh
PUBLISHER: DC Comics
PRICE: $2.99
The Low Down: “- What is the secret history of Animal Man?
– Learn how Buddy got his powers!
– Plus: A terrible secret is revealed as ‘Rotworld’ draws closer!”
The Feast: Lemire brings us back to Buddy’s past to give us his new origin story. It will be interesting to see how these #0 issues fit into the timeline and whether they’re worthy additions to the universe, or just fluff in the way of “Rotworld”.
Dial H #0
WRITTEN BY: China Mieville
ART BY: Riccardo Burchielli
PUBLISHER: DC Comics
PRICE: $2.99
The Low Down: “- One of the first users of the H Dial learns a horrible secret that spells certain doom for the future!”
The Feast: At Fan Expo last week Dan DiDio said the one book he thinks deserves more readers is “Dial H”. China Mieville has done an incredible job with the series so far, offering a book that aligns itself more with Vertigo titles. If you haven’t been reading this, perhaps the #0 issue will grab your attention.
The Phantom Stranger #0
WRITTEN BY: Dan DiDio
ART BY: Brent Anderson and Scott Hanna
PUBLISHER: DC Comics
PRICE: $2.99
The Low Down: “- Learn what happened to The Phantom Stranger after the FREE COMIC BOOK DAY story, and how he is responsible for the creation of The Spectre!
– And what else has he done that may have sealed the fate of the entire DC Universe?
– Major players in The New 52 will be introduced in these pages!”
The Feast: As one may expect from a character called Phantom Stranger, he’s been a mysterious figure in the New 52 thus far. From the looks of it, this new series will also offer some real insight into this Pandora character we’ve all be wondering about. The Dark lineup at DC is on fire, and I can’t wait to see what DiDio does with the “Stranger”.
Swamp Thing #0
WRITTEN BY: Scott Snyder
ART BY: Kano
PUBLISHER: DC Comics
PRICE: $2.99
The Low Down: “- The mysteries of Alec Holland and Anton Arcane revealed!
– Throughout history, Arcane has slaughtered the champions of the Red and the Green, and only Alec has escaped death – but for how much longer?”
The Feast: Snyder’s “Swamp Thing” is phenomenal in every way. With the #0 issue we get Snyder’s take on Alec Holland’s life before he became Swamp Thing. We’re hoping he won’t screw too much with the origins, but knowing Snyder, he probably will deliver something completely new.
Aquaman Vol 1: The Trench HC
WRITTEN BY: Geoff Johns
ART BY: Ivan Reis
PUBLISHER: DC Comics
PRICE: $22.99
The Low Down: “The first collection of the new AQUAMAN series! The superstar creators from BLACKEST NIGHT and BRIGHTEST DAY reunite to take AQUAMAN to amazing new depths! AQUAMAN has renounced the throne of Atlantis – but now, from a forgotten corner of the ocean emerges THE TRENCH! Collecting AQUAMAN #1-6!”
The Feast: Deemed by some as “the coolest superhero ever to talk to fish”. Before the New 52 Aquaman was a joke. However, Geoff Johns turned the character around, making him one of the badest mothers in the DCU. This collection is an absolute must read if you like big action stories with a cinematic vibe.
The Boys #70
WRITTEN BY: Garth Ennis
ART BY: Russell Braun
PUBLISHER: Dynamite
PRICE: $3.99
The Low Down: “On his own and out of options, Hughie resorts to extreme measures to keep himself in the game. Meanwhile, as vengeful forces close in from all around, Bradley considers a drastic step of her own- but will Stillwell allow her to get away with it? Butcher asks the big questions and Hughie finds out one last secret of his own, as The Bloody Doors Off races towards its fateful conclusion. 2 issues till the end!!!”
The Feast: It’s a shame Ennis’ “The Boys” is coming to a close so soon. Ennis has delivered an incredible series so far and we can only imagine he’s going out with a bang. The potential for a film adaptation is still in the works, so this may not be the last we see of Hughie.
Sweet Tooth #37
WRITTEN BY: Jeff Lemire
ART BY: Jeff Lemire
PUBLISHER: Vertigo
PRICE: $2.99
The Low Down: “The final war is coming. As Gus comes face-to-face with his bizarre and unsettling origins in Alaska, Abbot makes his move, and Bobby’s life hangs in the balance. Meanwhile Singh’s prophecies start to ring eerily true.”
The Feast: “Sweet Tooth” is a post-apocalyptic book like no other. There are human/animal hybribs, a shotgun shooting, washed-up hockey player, secrets from Alasaka, and plenty more. The series comes to an end at issue #40 and it’s shaping up to be one of Lemire’s best works.
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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.