Comics
5 Skull Review: “Curse” #4
Michael Moreci & Tim Daniel craft an ambitious conclusion for their story that mirrors it’s dark beginning. Their ultimate solution is seeded in a certain darkness that becomes warped with opportunistic idealism that plays with the expectations of the genre. Through a brilliant sleight of hand the real monster is revealed as “Curse” pulls off a masterful and beautiful conclusion.
WRITTEN BY: Michael Moreci & Tim Daniel
ART BY: Colin Lorimer & Riley Rossmo
PUBLISHER: BOOM! Studios
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: April 16, 2014
If I were being perfectly honest I’d have to admit that the idea of another werewolf story had me roll my eyes four months ago. I was sure there was nothing new to be said, and nothing about the beast that could surprise me. Michael Moreci & Tim Daniel have successfully tweaked mythology, defied convention, and humanized the beast. Proving that I couldn’t have been more wrong.
At it’s core “Curse” was never about the werewolf. It was about Laney and his blind pursuit to get what he wanted. What first seemed like desperation evolves into a cold and calculated solution to a no win scenario. I was genuinely surprised by his resolution. It was the perfect damnation for the character. Horror thrives in destruction, and over the past four issues we’ve seen Laney taken apart and put back together again. It’s devastating and near repugnant to watch, but you can’t look away. The actions Laney commits here were long part of his character arc, as soon as he realizes it himself you understand that this was the only way the series could have ended. You should have seen it coming; it was all there from the beginning.
Much like the fantastic and delicate balancing act the artists have pulled off. The interplay between cold human cruelty and the visceral beast behind the curse is mesmerizing. Colin Lorimer is able to frame a scene in such a way that removes all warmth and comfort from the people involved. He makes the chilling atmosphere pop, and does his best to make Laney a menace as he towers over his trophy. As the issue hits its climax the incredible and primal work of Riley Rossmo takes over. He cuts a hole through the page and makes for a pulse pounding battle that will leave you bewildered. It’s perfectly paced and leaves you breathless going into the conclusion.
The final pages manage to dovetail all of the plotlines with relative ease. The whole story converges on a certain point, and ends in a youthful voice that seems both optimistic and threatening. It’s a bold choice that will resonate with readers for some time to come. It really struck me, and confirmed my worst fears.
“Curse” is truly something special. As a supernatural horror story that focuses on the evil of man, rather than the beast it stands alone. It cuts into the core of what it means to be human and defies convention and expectation on every level. It’s thrilling, horrific, and oddly appealing. The beautiful balance of dark humanity with the supernatural creates a unique and captivating story that comes to define the werewolf mythos in a new way. I couldn’t be happier with the conclusion but I’m truly saddened to see it go.
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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