Comics
Review: ‘Monster & Madman’ #2
Steve Niles incredible tale of “Monster & Madman” continues to blow my mind. The first issue focused on the Monster while this one has seamlessly brings in the presence of the notorious serial killer of old. Damien Worm works works in tandem with Niles’ script to bring a stunning, dark, and twisted tale of elegant horror.
WRITTEN BY: Steve Niles
ART BY: Damien Worm
PUBLISHER: IDW
RELEASE DATE: April 2
PRICE: 3.99
Issue #2 takes off right where its predecessor left off; the monster awakens in a strange place and takes to the city, a thing he is most unfamiliar with, and curiosity is soon overruled by terror. It is at this point we are introduce to John Moore, but his friends call him Jack. This is where the story begins to open up as the monster seemingly stumbles upon a friend. As the story rolls on it becomes clear to the monster that this Jack fellow isn’t exactly what he seems, but knowing he could destroy the man at a whim, he chooses to let the chips fall where they may. As the book closes out we are finally given a brief view of the man who becomes the legend of Jack the Ripper.
Steve Niles has the ability to create empathy for the monster, giving him human emotions that the reader is able to identify with. Everyone has felt like an outcast at one point or another and this lonely feeling secretes from the pages. As the story unfolds it’s interesting to see how Niles depicts Jack the Ripper as seemingly a harmless man with curiosity that borders on psychosis. There have been many renditions of Jack the Ripper throughout the years, but this is a particularly interesting one, coupled with his interactions with Frankenstein’s monster we are really able to see the quirks of Jack’s character.
The story itself starts off quickly as the monster strolls through the crowded city streets but it tones down in pace once the interactions begin between the two characters. By the end of the book I could feel more kinship with the monster than the madman which really is the core of Frankenstein’s monster, even though he’s a creature of dark science, he is really more human than most people.
The art by Damien Worm is breathtaking. The images appear so sketchy and out of focus at times but then suddenly are clean and crisp as though they could leap off the page. This artistic style, dark and gritty, really adds to the overall feeling . When I reflect on the first issue I see many similarities between the two, but this book has something the previous issue did not. It feels as though Worm changes his style and I’m interested to see what he cooks up for the third installment.
Overall, a brilliant second issue to the story arc; both characters are developing quickly along with the plot. This is a must for horror fans.
4/5 Skulls
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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