Comics
Review: ‘Change’ #1
The inaugural issue of Change by writer Ales Kot and artist Morgan Jeske is a bit of an overly ambitious mess – a mess with moments of genius tempered by moments of head-scratching vapidity. The book’s shortcomings are made more frustrating by the potential of Jeske’s kinetic art and Kot’s premise – an unlikely group of misfits find themselves uniquely situated to save or damn us all. When the issue’s pros and cons are added up, the potential is squandered.
WRITTEN BY: ALES KOT
ART BY: MORGAN JESKE
PUBLISHER: IMAGE COMICS
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: DECEMBER 12, 2012
There’s something to be said for a comic book that opens with Holy Ghost lyrics (“Do It Again”) and an excerpt from a Sylvia Plath poem (“The Rival”). It almost prepares you for the sort of self-indulgent hipster romanticism that follows. Almost. But there’s nothing that can possibly prepare you for the book’s opening line: “Her face was beautiful, like drone video footage from Afghanistan.” Face, meet palm. Even if Kot’s intention was to set one’s teeth on edge with that type of mind-bogglingly asinine statement, it’s a risky gamble to take. I suspect that Kot was aiming for “Edgy” (a territory that’s growing a wee bit overcrowded these days) but he ultimately lands somewhat southwest of his mark, in the land of Trying-Too-Hard.
The issue opens with an excerpt from a hackneyed, uninspired screenplay by a hackneyed, uninspired wannabe writer, which is the only circumstance that renders Kot’s opening forgivable. What follows is a convoluted recounting of a relatively simple narrative. Change is on the horizon and there are great and terrible things in store for a car thief (also a wannabe writer) and a rapper (also a wannabe film producer). Along the way, these unlikely heroes encounter killer monks, an apocalyptic prophecy, and their own existential ennui. Though Kot’s ambition is commendable, he’s trying a bit too hard to be deep and meaningful.
Morgan Jeske’s art occasionally falls prey to much the same affliction, as the characters vacillate between heavily stylized figures and melting wax statues. Jeske does play fast and loose with his layouts and it works to his advantage as the dynamics that are missing from single panels are compensated for in the creative use of page space. The issue’s final act is particularly glorious explosion of chaos and color and the noticeable absence of Kot’s heavy-handed voiceover means that there’s nothing to detract from the visual splendor of Jeske’s art and Sloane Leong’s colors.
“Change” #1 has all the makings of a comic set to redefine a familiar formula but the end result feels sloppy and contrived. That being said, the creative team’s willingness to take risks does offer a glimmer of hope that subsequent issues will see the kinks ironed out.
2.5/5 – Skulls
Reviewed by MelissaGrey
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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