Comics
Review: ‘To Hell You Ride’ #2
An ambitious revenge/western horror hybrid, To Hell You Ride #2 continues to be a visually sweeping tale. This is a comic you will not be able to put down. After playing such memorable roles in film and TV, readers will discover that actor Lance Henriksen certainly has a knack for comics writing.
WRITTEN: Lance Henriksen and Joseph Maddrey
ART BY: Tom Mandrake
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: January 9th, 2013
After a sacred burial ground is disturbed, a deadly curse is set into motion onto a small town. The corrupt townspeople and the winter tourists are going to feel the wrath of the angry spirits if things aren’t set right. Vengeance must be served as their skin begins to burn and the flesh is melted off their bones. Feeling betrayed by his heritage and his community, Two Dogs ends up in jail after a long and bitter drinking spree. When he is finally sober, Two Dogs must make the most important decision of his life. He must decide whether or not to save an entire town that has fallen into sin.
What’s really impressive is how Henriksen and Joseph Maddrey deliver many well-written scenes without dialogue. The thought captions, especially from Two Dogs, serve as an eloquent flow of stream of consciousness. The writing reveals a lot about character motivations and back-story. Because he has been betrayed by everyone around him, Two Dogs is indifferent, angry, and rebellious – all at the same time. He doesn’t want anything to do with this corrupt Colorado town, but there is one particular person he truly holds dear.
While the narrative jumps back and forth in time, the flashbacks connect because of a major theme; what happens in the past has a horrible consequence in the future. The personal connection between Two Dogs and Jim Shipps reveals a long history of tragedy and abandonment issues. Because he couldn’t save his best friend, Shipps is doing everything he can to save Two Dogs from himself.
The artwork by Tom Mandrake is unbelievably brilliant. Because Henriksen is known for his movie roles, there is a major focus on portraying emotion in a theatrical manner. In the opening pages, Mandrake wants the readers to see a performance captured in the stances and facial reactions. There is such detail in the poses, especially in the way Shipps stands next to Two Dogs. The emotional burden is highlighted in the close-ups when Two Dogs attends a funeral. In the flashback, Two Dogs is just a child in mourning, but none of the townspeople want to console him because of their deep racism.
When the story heads into the direction of the supernatural, the panels are highlighted by a muggy fog. When the angry spirits arrive, they look like gusts of wind in the air. The pages are covered in white as a snowstorm hits the town, bringing in the unsuspecting tourists. The scene to watch is when one of the tourists ends up melting, right in front of a screaming crowd.
Readers will be mesmerized by the Colorado setting and the Native American culture in “To Hell You Ride” #2. This is an impressive display of Henriksen’s storytelling abilities. I am really excited about the “To Hell You Ride” series. I hope the writing and artwork continue to be like this in the upcoming issues.
4.5/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – Jorge Solis
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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