Comics
Review: ‘The Twilight Zone’ #2
Capturing the nostalgic magic of the past, “The Twilight Zone” #2 is a suspenseful mind-bender that never slows down. Based on the classic TV series by Rod Serling, “The Twilight Zone” returns with even more twisted tales. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or a newbie to the series, don’t miss this trip into another dimension of imagination.
WRITTEN BY: J. Michael Straczynski
ART BY: Guiu Vilanova
PUBLISHER: Dynamite Entertainment
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: Feb. 5, 2013
In order to avoid prison time for embezzlement and fraud, Trevor Richmond traded his old life for a new one. With a different name and face, Trevor is able to walk away freely and unpunished from his crimes. But suddenly, something is obviously wrong when Trevor sees himself testifying in court. Trevor knows that is not him but somehow it really is him standing there in the courtroom. Someone else has taken his name and face, using his identity for their own personal gain. Will Trevor make a new man out of himself now that he has a second chance? Or does he secretly want his old life back?
Writer J. Michael Straczynski explores society’s personal fears through intense psychological horrors. Using satire, Straczynski is able to poke fun at the economic gap between the wealthy and middle class. The real Trevor Richmond is a Wall Street stock-broker who stole millions from his investors. The fake Trevor Richmond has a guilty conscience and turns himself in to the authorities, pleading forgiveness from the public. Everything the real Richmond built, fake Richmond is doing a great job breaking it down.
What’s really interesting about Straczynski’s narrative is that fake Richmond’s character arc resembles closely to a coming-of-age tale. Seeking redemption, fake Richmond is trying to reconcile with his girlfriend and his estranged father. Fake Richmond is making a better life for himself than the real Richmond ever did. Even with his new identity, the real Richmond is still making a mess and getting into serious trouble.
I particularly enjoy how artist Guiu Vilanova came up with the character designs of Trevor Richmond. Though the two Richmonds are basically the same person, Vilanova is able to hint at the differences, making it easier for the readers to distinguish them. While the doubles have the same hairstyle, the real Richmond is a much darker version of himself. In their facial expressions, the real Richmond is smug, arrogant, and confused, while the doppelganger is calm and confident.
Vilanova kicks it up a notch when the real Richmond ends up in a high speed pursuit chase with the police. Through extreme close-ups, Vilanova intensifies the action sequence as the cops end up pulling their triggers. Vilanova makes great use of its New York location, setting the chase inside Manhattan buildings and onto the streets. In an impressive splash page, Vilanova illustrates the different chapters of the car ride from the rims of a tire.
“The Twilight Zone” #2 captures the essence of what made the TV series so memorable. I look forward to more tale tales of light and shadow as the “The Twilight Zone” continues in the comic book page.
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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