Comics
Review: ‘Blackacre’ #3
One of the strongest elements in Blackacre thus far has been its political subtext. Invariably, the series would come to a point where its story would have to take precedence for a certain period of time, and temporarily set aside this distinguishing feature. That time has, at least, begun in issue 3… and it barely hurts the series at all. With the themes and settings prepared in the first two issues, this latest issue of “Blackacre” simply continues the excellent story and character development while managing to introduce new elements of intrigue for the future.
WRITTEN BY: Duffy Boudreau
ART BY: Wendell Cavalcanti
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: February 6th, 2013
It was a testament to Duffy Boudreau’s writing that he was able to incorporate the degree of political commentary that he did while establishing the world and the characters of the story, as well as the plot itself. It’s a separate testament to the fact that those characters, that world and this story are so good that once the series’ philosophical impetus was removed, it was prepared to stand on its own.
Hull, having survived the blast that was intended to kill him and Greene – his former comrade and the man he is searching for – is rescued from the religious zealots who patrol the lands beyond Blackacre by Bird and his team. Bird is another of Sinclair’s men, and Hull is considerably weary of this fact. Even though he was duped by Sinclair, Hull’s beginning to come around to the fact that he can’t trust anyone, even if it’s temporarily convenient for him.
The political machinations of Blackacre, even if they seem to oppose our current antagonist, don’t serve to assuage any fears. It seems as if all actions, even if they are incidentally beneficial to many, are designed to serve the few. Much like Hull, the reader quickly grows suspicious and cynical; no action is interpreted as “good”; it’s just another play for power by a different man with ultimately the same intentions (hmmm… perhaps I overstated the lack of political commentary here).
Wendell Cavalcanti picks up where he left off, with excellent characters and scenery. It’s an odd compliment, but he draws injuries quite well. The scars and bruises on Hull and other characters have an impact, and aren’t there just to look badass. Cavalcanti’s artwork, along with the dialogue, go a long way in defining three new characters in particular; Bird, Kett and Rilus. This is significant, because there’s only so much space to be used in this issue.
“Blackacre” #3 is not without its flaws, but those are mostly to be expected. It’s too early in the series for anything of gravity to truly occur, so this issue can only reach so high. But to the extent that it can, it succeeds.
4/5 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.
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