Comics
Review: ‘The Walking Dead’ # 120
“All Out War” has hit peak insanity. Kirkman and Adlard have painted their characters into a corner that won’t be easy to escape from. There is death at every angle. Rick’s camp is falling apart at the seams and Negan’s cocksure attitude is the biggest draw of the month. As Kirkman proves that “The Walking Dead” works best when nothing is going right.
WRITTEN BY: Robert Kirkman
ART BY: Charlie Adlard
PUBLISHER: Image
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: January 22, 2014
With the concluding pages of last month issue 120 was bound to be an action packed affair. The back and forth nature of this conflict much less resembles an actual war than the clashing of egos. Rick and Negan are so sure of their own success that they are unable to spot the weaknesses in their plans. The back and forth insanity between them proves to be the books biggest draw and what seems like something that should run out of steam only proves to be more fun with each successive issue.
The pacing of the book is incredible compared to the rest of the series. I fear that the series won’t be able to keep up after this arc concludes, but that is beside the point. For know everything is riveting and packed with conflict. There is never a dull moment as a barrage of grenades devastates Rick’s camp.
Adlard keeps pace with the story and revels in the literally explosive action of the issue. This arc has provided him with some unique opportunities and he manages them with incredible creative. He never really breaks the mold with his paneling and has a very standard approach to his character work, but he shines in death. The moments of loss are made big bombastic displays that won’t soon be forgotten and Rick’s feeble attempt to escape with Andrea in tow makes for one of the best splash panels of the series.
The script really shines with Negan. His moments are both comedic and character fueled. He never feels wore out or tired. His volatile energy never ceases to entertain and gives way to his insane cocksure attitude. As much as Rick may be blind to the world around him Negan has made the choice to completely ignore it. It’s telling because for all their similarities Negan is still a little more naïve than Rick.
So it goes with another chapter of “All Out War.” The narrative has yet to hit a slump but somehow still feels a little drawn out. The book always works better in collected format and I’m sure this arc will be no different. Yet, for what it is worth #120 does feel like a pulse pounding race to the finish line that will begin the final chunk of this monumental arc. I’m not entirely convinced that Kirkman will do anything drastic to break the mold of the book after everything here is concluded, but I’m dying to see a major change. Already these past few issues have felt like a breath of fresh air into a book that was largely spinning its wheels since issue 100. Bring on #121.
Rating: 4/5 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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