Comics
Review: ‘Coffin Hill’ #1
Right from the first page, “Coffin Hill” #1 is an intriguing murder mystery filled with possible suspects, red herrings, and an engaging protagonist. A tragic event from the past comes back to haunt a rogue cop. Witches, spells, and crooked cops are all part of this gripping supernatural/police procedural.
WRITTEN BY: Caitlin Kittredge
ART BY: Inaki Miranda
PUBLISHER: Vertigo Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: October 9, 2013
For three long months, the Boston police have been on the manhunt for the serial killer known as The Ice Fischer. All of a sudden, a rookie cop comes in at the last second and arrests the murderer at an abandoned building. Did Eve Coffin, the arresting officer, actually cheat in the investigation and use her witchcraft powers to apprehend the Ice Fischer? Now that her face is everywhere on television and her name is printed in newspapers, all eyes are on this rookie cop who just about did the impossible. What will the reporters do when they start digging into her past? Whenever Eve casts a spell, someone close to her has to die.
Making her comics debut, Caitlin Kittredge, author of the “Black London” series, crafts a deeply flawed protagonist seeking redemption. Because of a crime she committed in the past, Eve Coffin thinks she can make things right by being a cop. As the narrative continues, readers will discover the tragic event that turned her life upside-down. Eve can never go back home because no one wants her there. Readers will be able to note the difference between who Eve was before and who she is now.
To present Eve’s character growth, Kittredge switches back and forth between her past and present. The nonlinear storytelling helps the readers see just how damaged Eve is both mentally and physically. We also get to witness the damaging effects of using witchcraft for personal gain. As readers, we’re left to wonder if Eve can somehow solve the mystery as she returns home wounded and alone.
Inaki Miranda’s phenomenal artwork captures the emotional turmoil in Eve’s facial expressions. As an adult, Eve always has this look of despair on her face. Miranda uses Eve’s petite body to represent just how small she sees herself in the world. When the narrative jumps back in time, Miranda illustrates a different version of Eve, a teenager who is carefree and rebellious against parental figures. Colorist Travis Lanham uses dark shading to highlight the tattoos on Eve’s slender body.
During the Coffin Family charity ball, Miranda superbly captures the wardrobe the guests are wearing. Notice how everyone at the ball is wearing white and black clothing. In a big panel, the guests almost looks like chess figurines, especially when they’re standing on the checkered floorboard. Miranda has the people lined up precisely so that your eyes focus on the exotic dancer in the center of the room.
An impressive first issue, “Coffin Hill #1” is a dark and twisted police thriller that must be picked up. Eve Coffin is an interesting character whose tale is about to begin. I look forward to seeing how the mystery progresses in the upcoming issues.
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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