Comics
Review: ‘Saga’ #7
After a short hiatus, one of Images’ best books of the year, Saga, returns this week with a fresh mouth-watering arc. Brian K. Vaughan weaves one hell of story, mixing the fantasy genre seamlessly with science fiction to make something that puts all other books out there to shame. “Saga” #7 continues with the mature themes which is also refreshing. Though this issue lacks any crazy violence, Vaughan’s utilizes the issue to offer up some deep social context for his fantastical world.
WRITTEN BY: Brian K. Vaughan
ART BY: Fiona Staples
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
RELEASE DATE: November 14th, 2012
PRICE: $2.99
This issue begins with a flash back showing the influences of Marko’s life on Wreath and why his union with Alana is so appalling to the general public. At this point, we come back to where issue #6 left off, with the sudden appearance of Marko’s mother and father. The issue familiarizes us with Marko’s parents as well as the developing situation around Izabel’s banishment. The slow pace shows Vaughan’s poise as a storyteller who can develop a complex and solid plot. The happy couple is split up for the time being during the issue, Marko with his mother and Alana with his father. There’s a disgusting ogre thrown in there for good measure that makes you wonder where Fiona Staples’ mind is at.
The appearance of Hazel’s grandparents adds a new dimension to the story, the protagonists being continuously hunted but evading their captors comes to a crushing end. It is unknown at the
moment what this new development means, but BKV surely has loads of insane plot points up his sleeve. Vaughan has taken two genres and amazingly created a new one of its own.
While Vaughan’s ability to weave a storyline is unquestionable, my favorite part of his writing is the snappy dialogue. It can go from being light and funny to dark and ugly in only a few panels, reflecting on Vaughan’s ability to build tension.
The genre meshing elements also come across in Fiona Staple’s art work. She does a stunning job mixing the styles of realism and absurdism to create a truly unique world. The characters each have their own unique racial aspects that are clearly reflective of the fantasy, but their appearances, movement, and expression hold a very realistic look. All her work does is add to BKV’s already amazing story. It’s a match made in heaven.
“Saga” is by far one of the most original and fantastic books in the comic realm. It’s almost unfair to compare it to other work as it fits in its own niche. The art is reflective of the themes within the story and the dialogue adds another reason to why this story is so mesmerizing. I’m glad its finally back!
4.5/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – GreenBasterd
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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