Comics
Review: ‘Black Beetle’ #0
Best known for his art on Scott Snyder’s “Detective Comics” last year, Francisco Francavilla latest work comes on the newly released Black Beetle #0. Francavilla also takes up writing duties on this issue, and although he handles the story admirably, it still pales in comparison to his art. This is an atmospheric, well-drawn book with an interesting premise, but so far there’s does not offer much in the way of story or characters.
WRITTEN BY: Francisco Francavilla
ART BY: Francisco Francavilla
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
Price: $2.99
Release Date: December 19th, 2012
There’s a lot to like about this comic, and the easiest place to start is the visuals. They’re not realistic or intensely detailed, but they communicate the atmosphere of the scenes perfectly. There’s something about Francavilla’s simplistic approach to detail that evokes a sense of nostalgia, which is useful for a pulp story set as World War II rages across the Atlantic Ocean. His liberal use of shadows and tinted lighting also contributes to the sense of claustrophobia we feel as we see the Beetle and his companion evade their Nazi pursuers (yes, of course they’re Nazis, because why the fuck not?) through the hallways and showrooms of a museum.
But despite the attention to detail in his artwork, there isn’t a terrible amount of detail to his story. A bunch of Nazi special forces come to a museum to steal a lizard amulet said to contain vast power, and the Beetle tries to stop them. That’s cool and all, but when the majority of the dialogue in your story concerns the tablet in question and not the characters themselves, it’s not very compelling. Moreover, for an issue titled a “mystery novelette”, there isn’t a terrible amount of mystery here. The end presents some questions – Why does the Beetle want the lizard? Who is the man in the black cape? – but none are answered. This issue doesn’t establish any meaningful “mystery” until the end.
This is a fun book to read. It’s got a strong aesthetic narrative to it. This isn’t a deep comic, or a well-fleshed out one, but it’s a solid piece of entertainment. And, obviously, a well-drawn one. So if you’re looking for a comic with excellent art, good action sequences, and Nazis, this is worth a look.
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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.