Comics
Review: ‘Revival’ #4
Revival #4 is the latest entry in Tim Seeley’s fresh, intellectually intriguing take on zombies. This issue sees a number of developments in rural Wisconsin, where the series is set, as Dana Cypress begins to believe all “revivers” are inherently violent, her sister Em – a reviver – comes face to face with something that seems to have some tie to her, and a famous reporter gets a couple of, shall we say, shitty surprises. The issue can be somewhat confusing at times, as it jumps around a lot, but is mostly solid. Ultimately though, what makes this issue most appealing is the anticipation of what will happen in the next one.
WRITTEN BY: Tim Seeley
ART BY: Mike Norton
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE DATE: October 24th, 2012
For those unfamiliar with “Revival”, it takes place in rural Wisconsin in a small area where, on one day, 20-something people came back from the dead. All possess exceptional strength and regenerative abilities, but are not mindless flesh-eaters. However, at least two of them have shown a predilection for violence. Dana Cypress is the head of the police unit in charge of dealing with crimes committed by these revivers, and she’s got her hands full at the moment. She’s currently dealing with the aftermath of a reviver-suicide at a funeral home, and considering whether or not her revived sister Em is as capable and willing to engage in deadly behavior.
Meanwhile, intrepid reporter May Tao is working on a story about a ghost and an old lady and… well, it’s kind of uncertain at the moment. That’s one of the problems with the plot currently – there are a lot of characters, events, and motivations to keep track of, and at certain points, the storytelling becomes a bit cluttered on a monthly basis. You need to re-read portions of the text to understand who or what certain characters are referring to, and you can get lost in exactly what’s going on. That isn’t to say Tim Seeley’s story is bad, because it’s actually pretty good, but the execution varies from time to time.
Mike Norton’s art is a little more consistent, however. While nothing is exceptional here, he does a good job of telling the story, and his character work is definitely his strongpoint. His art does a great job of conveying the emotions – obvious and subtle – of the characters, and he can handle gore when it comes down to it. That said, I’m still not a huge fan of his ghost, but then again, maybe that’s just me.
All said, this is a solid entry in an interesting series. While the narrative can be somewhat obtuse at times, it’s still full of intrigue, suspense and strong characters. This series has potential, and is definitely one to keep an eye on.
3/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – GeorgeShunick
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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