Comics
Review: Clive Barker’s ‘Next Testament’ #4
As each installment gets incredibly better and better, horror fans will be craving for more with “Next Testament” #4. Everything from the writing to the artwork is just sweet candy for the readers. Your mind will be blown away by the “Next Testament” series.
WRITTEN BY Clive Barker and Mark Miller
ART BY: Haemi Jang
PUBLISHER: Boom! Studios
PRIECE: $3.99
RELEASE: Sept. 25, 2013
After being exiled for thousands of years to the desert wasteland, billionaire Julian Demond unearthed the long forgotten entity known as Wick. After Julian presented Wick to his wealthy socialites and Hollywood producers, the dinner party turned into a bloody massacre. Tristan, Julian’s son, barely escapes from the bloodbath with his girlfriend, Elspeth. Thinking they are far away from Wick’s reach, Tristan and Elspeth buy a plane ticket to Providence. Little did they know, Wick singlehandedly causes every plane to explode in mid-air.
Clive Barker and co-writer, Mark Miller, focus on the bloody aftermath of the previously shocking cliffhanger. As Wick destroys all the flying airplanes with the flick of his fingers, the sheer intensity and breathtaking suspense of the panels reminds me of the “Lost” TV series pilot. There is interesting post 9/11 commentary as reporters are hinting at terrorist threats and civilians are talking about an alien invasion. Though Wick is a powerful deity, no one is making a single reference to God. This upsets Wick greatly because he sees humanity having no faith and has lost their religion. Wick is even becoming more controlling of Julian as they travel to their next destination.
The major strength of the narrative comes from the protagonists, Tristan and Elspeth. This loving couple represents everyday people caught in an extraordinary situation. Tristan is trying to keep Elspeth strong and focused as they struggle to survive together. Even when times seem to be at their bleakest, Tristan finds a way to make Elspeth laugh. Readers will find themselves rooting for these protagonists because they are instantly likable and relatable.
Artist Haemi Jang is able to illustrate such tender, somber scenes while capturing such jaw-dropping gore. Jang paces out the suspense as Tristan and Elspeth hold onto each other while their airplane rocks back and forth. Readers will see what happens inside and outside as the plane makes a downward dive to the ground. In an unforgettable piece of imagery, Jang draws attention to the lights of the ambulances and police cars as Tristan and Elspeth walk away from the crash.
When the narrative is at its darkest, Jang also highlights the quirky humor in the script. On their way to Providence, the couple hitches a ride from a stranger, who happens to be a carefree hippie and a slob. While Tristan and the driver are discussing about death and causalities from the airplane massacre, Elspeth has this weird expression on her face. Sitting in the backseat, Elspeth is holding the driver’s dirty shoe from its laces.
With “Next Testament” #4 marking the end of its first arc, I can’t wait to see what happens in the upcoming installments. What is going to happen when Wick finally arrives in Hollywood? With “Next Testament”, you know you are in the capable hands of a horror master.
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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