Comics
Zomblog – “Fear the Walking Dead” Will Make You Double Take
Fear The Walking Dead has arrived bringing a new type of zombie apocalypse with it. Instead of throwing the viewer into the middle of a world gone to hell, we’re treated to a slow descent into madness that captures contemporary fear in new and alarming ways. I’ve seen the first two episodes of the AMC spinoff series, and the closest thing I can compare it to is Double Take’s Ultimate Night of The Living Dead.
Now hear me out. I know we’ve already ranted about Fear The Walking Dead. But let’s get another take. The tone of this new series is very different than the sister series. The new series makes character drama a center point, and therefore the story seems much more palpable. Double Take has created a mantra that is unique to the world of comics, that celebrates character above all else.
It’s also important to mention that in both worlds the downfall of humanity isn’t quite exactly how we’ve typically pictured it. This creates an uncanny sense of familiarity to the whole ordeal that seems relatable. Double Take has built a dialogue first mentality that mirrors what the pilot of “Fear The Walking Dead” does right. Our stories in the Ultimate Night of the Living Dead universe begin with a fully realized oral story that carries throughout the background of the issue’s plot.
My book, “Race” just finished it’s first pass on dialogue. And the story was developed with an action first mentality that makes for a cinematic story driven by character relationships that could be communicated without a single line uttered between them. The tension builds through the visuals in any Double Take book. Fear The Walking Dead works in much the same way. Both warrant their existence through being a thoughtful alternative to the typical zombie yarn. The zombies in Fear The Walking Dead move faster, look healthier, and bite twice as hard, and Double Take’s do too.
I do have to say that I was quite stunned by how similar these things seem to align. In an age where zombie narratives are a dime a dozen, you have to do something startlingly different to stand out. Now, Fear isn’t something profoundly new. But, Double Take’s zombies are a brand new take on an old idea made by people who have a grand understanding of what zombie movies were when they were made unbelievably well.
This year feels like it could be a strange and interesting year for zombies. We’re finally treating these ridiculous undead creatures to new ideas. A lot of recent zombie stories rely on unsatisfying zombie kills to drive their narrative. Double Take’s process isn’t willing to sacrifice substance for style, they are taking cues from Fear The Walking Dead before even seeing it. Which shows that great ideas come in pairs, I just know that Double Take’s zombies are better than those in The Walking Dead because I know what’s coming, and you’re not ready for it.
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This Zomblog will run every Monday and Friday until I run out of things to say about zombies.
Until then check out Double Take Universe to keep up to date on the incredible comics that will be coming your way in September.
Fear The Walking Dead premieres on AMC Sunday August 23rd.
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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