Comics
Review: ‘The Maxx: Maximized’ #1
A welcomed blast from the past, “The Maxx: Maximized” #1 brings back the stylish and imaginative cult classic. An iconic character from the ’90s jumps back into the fold with a brand new look. While old fans will cherish The Maxx’s ultimate return, newcomers should definitely jump right in.
WRITTEN BY: Sam Kieth and William Messner-Loebs
ART BY: Sam Kieth
PUBLISHER: IDW Publishing
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: November 27th, 2013
A homeless vagrant known only as Maxx finds himself lost in two different worlds. In New York, Maxx finds himself in deep trouble with the cops and crooks. In the Outback, Maxx is the protector of the worshipped Leopard Queen. Is Maxx really screwed up in the head or is he actually a hero in an alternate dimension? Which reality is the actual one that Maxx lives in? Is New York the fake world, or is the Outback a mere hallucination? There is a deranged lunatic who can freely walk around both worlds and he intends on slitting the throat of Leopard Queen.
The Maxx is on a quest for self-truth. Though he is wearing a loud and colorful costume, that does not make Maxx a real superhero. Because Maxx doesn’t know what his identity is, he could be making up any story that suits himself best. In the mean streets of New York, is he supposed to be this violent vigilante taking down crime a notch? In the Outback, he cannot take his eyes away from the beauty of the Leopard Queen. Maxx wants to mean something to somebody, be someone important in this other universe, which is why he is always trying to protect his social worker, Julie. At times though, I spotted some of the ’90s clichés though and thought, “How come Julie doesn’t have a cell phone?” and “Why is the bad guy is calling from a phone booth?”
What I really enjoy is how the narrative switches between both realities smoothly. Messner-Loebs and Kieth give specific reasons why Maxx slips between fantasy and reality. At one point, Maxx is unable to control his hallucinations and goes off suddenly. In another scene, he willingly travels to Outback because he wants to fall sleep and wake up somewhere else. As readers, we’re always left to question which existence is the real one.
Keith’s illustrations just flows effortlessly with such cartoonish style. Midway through the narrative, I love how Kieth lays out the panels to make it look like the camera is spinning. In her character design, sometimes you don’t see Julie’s eyes because her long blonde hair covers them. With her extremely tight shirts and grungy jeans, Keith illustrates Julie as a vixen and teases with her body poses.
Because I have the original “Maxx” comics from Image, I definitely wanted to see what IDW was going to do differently. Ronda Pattison punches up the colors, especially the purple tones of Maxx’s costume. As I compared the original issues, I noticed Julie’s blue eyes are much clearer and less faded in this “Maxximized” version. Using a less thick black hue, Pattison’s retouch gives the little Isz creatures a much more vibrant look. This isn’t the same “Maxx” comic I have in my collection.
With writer/artist Sam Kieth playing around with narrative structure and artwork, “The Maxx: Maximized” #1 ends up becoming a rewarding and entertaining reading experience. With such psychedelic illustrations, readers will love the landscapes of the gritty city and the vast jungle. Though the ’90s have dated the material, “The Maxx” continues to thrive because of its twisted storytelling and impressive artwork.
4/5 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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