Comics
Review: ‘Ballistic’ #4
Issue four of “Ballistic” proves to be no different than the three that preceded it. Butch’s haphazard inquest through the heart of Repo City State pushes forward and the secret of Bang-Bang is finally revealed. Adam Egypt Mortimer and Darick Robertson routinely make other comics look bad. This is a book that taps into modern social issues with wild imagination under the guise of biological science fiction and body horror. It’s totally exciting and thought provoking.
WRITTEN BY: Adam Egypt Mortimer
ART BY: Darick Robertson
PUBLISHER: Black Mask Studios
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE: February 26, 2013
If you’ve been routinely checking out “Ballistic” then you may remember the last issue of this series dropped in November. It’s been quite some time, so let’s recap. Butch wants to be a criminal. Gennie is blown to bits. Gennie 2 has joined the this casual criminal force and Bang-Bang Butch’s talking gun has a sensitive secret that seemingly every badass in Repo City State wants.
This month Mortimer further submerges his book in the dep
ths of his insane research. His already deep world gets deeper and the backstory of his most interesting concept and character is explored in a tragic and exciting way. We’re finally given the backstory of the talking gun. It’s surprisingly heartfelt and goes a long way to explain the nature of just what Butch fell into.
It’s funny because through no efforts of his own Butch has fulfilled his goal. He is the most sought after criminal in Repo City State but his rise to fame was accidental in all the right ways. With his newfound status all sorts of terrifying threats emerge. They range for disgusting bio-creatures to deadly assassins.
Yet the real star of the show is the Cronenbergian body-horror at play here. Mortimer really delves into the fear of the living and breathing organisms that we share the world with and holds a lens to the relationship. The experience will make you cringe in revelation as you receive a startling look at the future.
Robertson’s art is a thing of sheer beauty. No task seems too large for the talented artist. As he brings his charm and wit to every page, the BigDick Gangster panel returns in full form, his flashback is action packed, and the fallout is somber. The finale of the issue is all around insanity that shows off both his paneling ability and his haunting character work.
“Ballistic” is easily the best and most polished comic book you’re not reading. It magnifies certain aspects of the human condition with such brilliance that it may make you feel uncomfortable. It is ripe with horror, self-reflection, and provides a totally unique take on science fiction while still finding the time to craft compelling characters. It’s a breath of fresh air in the all to cluttered science fiction arena that isn’t afraid to shock and educate you. It’s an invaluable reading experience that I urge you to read.
Rating 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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