Comics
Review: ‘Bedlam’ #3
A completely unique take on the world of crime and serial killers is quickly becoming a more meaningful and deep story than issue #1 represented. Bedlam comes from the creative mind of Nick Spencer who is weaving an intense tale of mayhem and murder with the aid of an incredible artist in Riley Rossomo. The combination of both the story and art makes it one hell of an interesting read and I’m not surprised at all.
WRITTEN BY: Nick Spencer
ART BY: Riley Rossmo
PUBLISHER: Image
PRICE: 3.50
RELEASE DATE: January 23rd, 2013
Former serial killer Madder Red has been rehabilitated and under his new guise of Fillmore Press has decided to aid the police of Bedlam in locating the culprit of a recent rash of killings. His methods are somewhat unique due to the nature of his past but this past also gives him the edge; as a former serial killer he sees patterns that others do not. The book explores Press’s insightful ability for the reader while leaving little doubt that police think it is all bullshit and plan on pegging the murders on the innocent Press.
Nick Spencer has taken us on a roller coaster ride through the first 3 issues of “Bedlam”. The story began with an insane historic tale of Madder red, centred on Fillmore and the new killer and now has really hit its stride and become a new entity entirely. I did not read issue #1 expecting the story to come to this point with the use of Fillmore as a protagonist searching for a serial killer. The books pace isn’t very intense and there is a lot of dialogue as Fillmore investigates the nature of the murders while trying to have the law enforcement understand that he is truly helping. This aside the story still flows very well and never has any lulls that can be so common in script dominant books.
The plot of this story is a unique but the best way to describe it is by saying, “look at the art”; the art is a mirror of the story itself. Riley Rossmo does an incredible job of giving the visuals a sketchy, unpolished look while still having a realistic air to it. This approach to the art style gives the book that extra oomf that it needs to set itself above the pack. The parts I love most are when Madder Red is taking part in the story and the imagery is black and white with wonderful red colour spotting.
I’m finding this book a fascinating read and become more ingrained into the story as each issue comes to a close. This one is no different; the ending sets up perfectly for the next issue and a new obstacle for Mr. Fillmore Press.
4/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – GreenBastard
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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