Comics
Review: ‘Blackacre’ #6
Blackacre #6 is essentially the exposition of how Greene became the leader of the religious cult occupying the dystopian American wasteland the series is set in. Taking place two years prior to the events of the previous issues, it does a good job – though certainly not a perfect one – in showing how Greene, a sane man by any means, joins and comes to lead a group of homicidal fanatics when Hull reunites with him two years later.
WRITTEN BY: Duffy Boudreau
ART BY: Wendell Cavalcanti
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: May 1st, 2013
Packing two years of plot into a single issue isn’t easy work, but for the most part Boudreau manages to make it work. There’s not an extensive amount of dialogue, but that’s alright; what’s there is what’s necessary. A consequence of this is that many characters – besides Greene and Bird – aren’t developed at all, and serve to simply fulfill the intended trajectory of the plot. However, since most of these characters aren’t going to be making any future appearances, this isn’t such a bad thing.
If there is one thing that sticks out as awkward, it’s Greene’s “revelation” moment during his brief imprisonment. On one hand, it provides a logical impetus for Greene to, ironically, abandon strict logic in favor of faith. On the other, it’s confusing in its execution – Greene closes his eyes and suddenly trips harder than all but the most experienced stoners? In a comic where cynicism justifiably reigns supreme, this leap of faith is out of place. Perhaps by design.
Regardless, it’s a necessary moment. And while the rest of the content is somewhat breezy, it still tells an interesting story. The art is, as usual, up to the task. There are some missteps here and there – Bird’s face right before he escapes is a little weird – but it’s the strong, unassuming aesthetic you’ve come to expect by now. Strong and unassuming is probably the best way to describe “Blackacre” for the moment, and this issue continues that streak.
3.5/5 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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