Comics
Advance Review: ‘Drumhellar’ #1
“Drumhellar” boasts a unique trip into the rural surreal. Written by Alex Link with art from Riley Rossmo (the team that brought you “Rebel Blood”), the first issue is packed with plenty of oddities that will have your imagination falling head over heels. Yet, for all its quirks, “Drumhellar” manages to ground itself in reality to deliver a cohesive and intriguing mystery.
WRITTEN BY: Alex Link
ART BY: Riley Rossmo
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE: November 6, 2013
The backstory behind the inception of “Drumhellar” is almost as interesting as the book itself. Rossmo knew he wanted to work with a rural setting, so he took a trip to the small town of Drumheller, Alberta where he collected reference imagery, interviewed locals, and sketched concept art for a week. The prep work shines through in both plotting and artwork, as you feel that you are a citizen of this little town.
Drum Hellar, a bohemian paranormal private eye, finds himself having to deal with “something big” that is coming, and the unknown forces that have stolen his “gear” (psychedelic drugs). In order to solve the case, he is forced to face ghosts from his past, including an imaginary cat friend, two ex-girlfriends (one of which is a werewolf), psychedelic drugs, a bog man, and some trees. If that sounds like a lot, it’s because it is, but somehow Link and Rossmo balance all these elements effortlessly. This is a dreamlike world, the likes of which Salvador Dali or Rene Magritte would be proud.
Drumhellar is the kind of book that asks you to expand your mind. This is a world where anything is possible and neither Link nor Rossmo are afraid to take you to the extremes. The opening pages set the bar for what’s to come, as Rossmo bring us along the ride for one of Hellar’s hallucinations. I’m a sucker for anything that recalls the surrealist movement, so this book had me from the solicitations alone. However, the execution of this first hallucination sequence shows that Link and Rossmo are both masters of their craft. They kick off the mystery and simultaneously introduce us to their off-kilter world.
As the issue continues, the story finds stands on firmer ground. Hellar shoots the shit with a greasy spoon waitress, offering some backstory, and then it’s off to his ex-girlfriends house to pick up some more plants. While the first few pages are expansive, the creative team reels it back to showcase this beautiful rural setting.
Hellar himself is one of the most intriguing lead characters I’ve encountered in some time, but it’s the supporting cast that tugs at my heart strings. His imaginary cat friend isn’t quite so imaginary, his ex-girlfriend is a skeptical naturopath, and the bog man is just downright creepy. Link and Rossmo find a perfect balance between mystery, horror, comedy, romance, and drama. Because they cover so much ground, it gives the story a certain expansiveness, and the sense that this is truly just the beginning of the weirdness.
Rossmo is at the top of his game. While that’s not really a surprise, I think this is his best work since “Green Wake”. It’s obvious that he put a lot of research into building this world, but his style is perfect for the reverie-packed world of “Drumhellar”. His panels are clean and simple when they need to be, which contrasts nicely with the uncanny hallucination/dream pages. Rossmo has solidified himself as one of the best in the industry, and this issue shows why.
“Drumhellar” proves that comics can do things other mediums can’t. It crosses multiple genres in a spacious world that teems with imagination and care from the creators. I have no idea where Link and Rossmo are going to take us, but you can bet I’ll be along for the ride.
4.5/5 Skulls
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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