Comics
Review: ‘Abe Sapien’ #11
For the past few issues, Abe Sapien’s story seemed to be stalling. Abe was bouncing around to different locations and there was very little intrigue built up. Thankfully, this final installment of the current arc brings a ton of intrigue to the forefront which really brings this book together with “Hellboy in Hell” and “B.P.R.D.: Hell on Earth”. This is definitely a standout issue.
WRITTEN BY: Mike Mignola and Scott Allie
ART BY: Max Fiumara
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
RELEASE DATE: March 12
Price: 3.50
This series, though titled after the main protagonist Abe Sapien, has had another story with an odd panel here or there, but it never really got the spotlight until now. The resurrected Agent Vaughn and the warlock Gustav Strobl have been on long monotonous journey to the destroyed city of Seattle and have finally reached their destination. This event really explains the background of the warlock and finally begins to bridge this story line to that of the event in “Hellboy in Hell”. I never really understood how this plot line would tie into Abe Sapien but the events of this book really emphasize that there are so many stories being spider-webbed throughout Mignolaverse.
The writing is top notch. Allie seamlessly weaves the two plot lines together, having both panels and dialogue boxes mixed and matched throughout. This jumping between narratives can be complex when done incorrectly, but that is not the case here. The issue allows the story to pick up in its intensity and starts to answer so many questions. Abe’s story has been unfolding predictably from the readers stand point as we are given insight to events that Abe is unaware of, but with the additional tension that derives from the Vaughn and Strobl’s story, it sets this book above its predecessors.
Even though the writing behind this book is incredible, the art is it’s own beast. Every panel is teeming with visuals, down to the smallest details, and filled with creative colouring, whether it’s the desolate Seattle covered in alien substance or the quiet landscape of Payson. I’ve always been impressed by the talents of Max Fiumara and Dave Stewart, and this book is just another testament to their skills as artists.
This story line is really starting to tie into its two companion series. As the year rolls on I can’t wait to see just what Mignola and the gang have in store for Abe Sapien.
4/5 Skull
Reviewed by – GreenBasterd
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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