Comics
Review: ‘Suckers’ #1
Delightfully absurd and disarmingly hilarious, Patrick Shand’s “Suckers” is one of those rare subversive genre comedies, that effectively balances its uneven mix of gags, guts, and human blood-pong glory. This four-part miniseries will read like a welcomed breath of fresh air. “Suckers” #1 is an unexpected gem of pure fun and ridiculousness, and with Patrick Shand and Ian McGinty behind the wheel, it’ll become an easy crowd pleaser.
WRITTEN BY: Patrick Shand
ART BY: Ian McGinty
PUBLISHER: Zenescope Entertainment
PRICE: $1.99
RELEASE: September 18, 2013
“Suckers” is a comedy that follows a pair of horror movie watching, blood pong playing, vampires named Chad and John. The former is your typical brawny vampirebro, while the latter is straight out of “Nosferatu” in appearance. More than a little miffed by mainstream media’s watered-down depiction of their kind in films like “Moonshade: The Tale of the Romantic, Redeemed Vampire”, the two embark on a hilariously violent — and self-documented — journey in hopes that their reality horror film will give vampires everywhere, their dark edge back.
The first issue thrives on Chad and John’s winning, and amusing, personalities as well as the unmistakeable chemistry that’s so evidently present between the characters. This type of buddy dynamic is only made believable through Shand and McGinty’s successful collaborative work. Both writer and artist play off each other really well. Shand, who was the voice behind Zenescope’s “Grimm Fairy Tales: Robyn Hood”, establishes an extraordinarily different tone for this series. His exuberant and strangely good-natured script, aims for laughs in hilariously inappropriate places, and more often than not, he gets them. McGinty plays a detrimental role in bringing that comedy to life through his vibrant illustrations, and renderings of Shand’s world.
With a cartoonish style that does nothing but add to the fun of the series, McGinty’s black and white contribution of just pencils and inks, manage to strike an even balance between playfulness, and modern-day horror comedy. The comedic panels definitely hold precedence, especially in the face of what should be considered horrific imagery, due to McGinty’s spirited style which doesn’t allow for much deep dwelling. Overall, he really suits the genre.
Some readers might think Shand’s “Suckers” premise to be a bit too goofy and meta, and to a certain extent, it is, but that doesn’t stop Shand and McGinty from delivering a number of genuinely funny comedic moments. There’s also some questionably distasteful (though still arguably amusing) plot developments. The final page is evidence of that, and sets up the remainder of the series perfectly.
4/5 Skulls
Review by – ShadowJayd
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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