Comics
Review: “Frankenstein Alive, Alive” #3
After nearly two years, “Frankenstein Alive, Alive!” is back* in all its literary, artistic glory. Niles packs a philosophical punch in issue #3 that falls in step with both the previous issues and the source material, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Niles’ appreciation for this classic work of literature is rivalled only by Wrightson’s obvious passion for the Monster, making it clear that there is no other pairing quite right to continue on with Shelley’s story.
WRITTEN BY: Steve Niles
ART BY: Bernie Wrightson
PUBLISHER: IDW
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: April 16, 2014
If you’re looking for the commercialized, violent, and cheaply horrific Monster that the 21st century has associated with Frankenstein, you’ve come to the wrong comic book. It’s not an easy job to recreate a literary classic, but Niles does this job exceptionally well. He provides us with a deep, thought provoking look inside the Monster’s psyche and additionally, a look into the collective psyche of Man. Much like the original, the Monster serves as a mirror to reflect our fears and prejudices.
One thing that really stands out in issue #3 is Niles’ ability to earn the reader’s empathy. The writing is so dizzying, causing us to feel the same sense of dread, fear, and hopelessness as the Monster. This issue is strong with emotion. We watch as the Monster plummets down from his high off the normalcy that was built for him in the previous issue. The kind façade of Dr. Simon Ingles that had given us hope for the Monster has been shattered and we are pulled into the emotional tidal wave.
Dr. Ingles, who appeared in issue #2 as a kind and gentle scientist working on a way to prolong life and help the body heal itself has been outed as a psychopathic and manipulative murderer. This realization is a blow to the confidence of the Monster, sending him into a frenzied tailspin, ultimately causing him to question his own purpose and reality.
The sheer amount of work that is put into the art for “Frankenstein Alive, Alive!” is astounding. The fact that this is a serialized comic is a treat, even if we have to wait a year or so for each issue. Wrightson is gifting us with a level of artistry that just cannot be achieved on a monthly basis. In addition to the pure skill that’s evident in his art, Wrightson’s take on the appearance of the Monster is reminiscent of the early, mid-1800s Frankenstein artistic interpretations. Especially the classic Theodor von Holst illustration.
This isn’t a comic that one reads for heavy, action-packed plot points. It’s existential. Self-reflective. Very literary. It’s shorter in length than the average monthly comic, so take time with it, indulge in it, soak it in. Treat it like the fine piece of art that it is.
*Dare I say “alive”?
Review by – Bree Ogden
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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.