Comics
Comic Book Review: ‘Alex + Ada’ #12 Is A High Point For The Sleeper Hit
Reviewed By Eric Switzer. Coming off of a chilling cliff-hanger, “Alex + Ada” #12 is probably the most eventful issue in the series. This is a slow burn series, but if you’ve stuck with it you will certainly be rewarded with everything that is happening here. Luna and Vaughn have done such a fantastic job of building out this world, establishing the conflicts and social issues within it, and developing a growing cast of interesting and uniquely motivated characters. It is quietly one of the best series going right now, and issue 12 is a high point.
WRITTEN BY: Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn
ART BY: Jonathan Luna
PUBLISHER: Image
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: January 28, 2015
Brutal violence, unexpected death, new sentients, and purple blood characterize this issue filled to the brim with drama and intrigue. I’ve stayed current with “Alex + Ada” despite the fact that it traveled beyond my wheelhouse because of how much I’ve appreciated the thought and concern put into the sociopolitical ramification of sentient A.I. It has meandered somewhat over these 12 issues, and has for the most part fit into what I would call the “relationship drama” genre, but as Alex and Ada have learned to love each other I have grown to really appreciate the intricacies of a human-robot relationship. Call me a softie, but a monthly break from the blood and guts isn’t the worst thing. I find this book to be uniquely sweet, even if it isn’t as pulse pounding as my typical faire.
This issue stands out from the rest, though, for the level of anxiety and foreboding brought into Alex and Ada’s life. The threat has been swelling gradually since the incident at the mall and the new government mandate that awakened androids would not be tolerated. The threat of exposure is present every time Ada has to interact with the outside world, and it was inevitable that she would be discovered eventually. Here we are, and just when it seems like things can’t get any worse, something unexpectedly tragic happens, causing Alex to make another difficult decision.
I wonder how bad things can get for Alex and Ada. I don’t know what this book will become, if they will forever be on the run and in hiding, or if they will stand up with an army of A.I. and win this battle to be recognized in court, or on the steps of the white house. I worry that things will end tragically. I think about this book a lot, as I’m sure Luna and Vaughn have thought a great deal about the future and the challenges we will likely face. The themes aren’t especially deep, but every once in a while I get a new perspective from this book, or a new angle to approach the issue of consciousness with. This is a book I wish got more attention.
You should read it.
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Eric Switzer is an aspiring filmmaker and screenplay writer living in Los Angeles. His work tends to focus on the lighter side of entropy, dystopic futures, and man’s innate struggle with his own mortality. He can be found on twitter @epicswitzer or reached via email at ericswitzerfilm@gmail.com.
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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