Comics
Review: “Monster & Madman” #3
Review by – Bree Ogden
“Monster and Madman” finished its 3-issue arc this week with a terribly depressing ending, but the only ending that seems fit for the Monster. This unique story that details the life of Frankenstein’s Monster after Victor dies, gives us exactly what we subconsciously want and need from the mythology—for the Monster to be alone. Anything else would feel insincere.
WRITTEN BY: Steve Niles
ART BY: Damien Worm
PUBLISHER: IDW
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: May 21, 2014
As the Monster patiently awaits his new bride, Niles and Worm show us snippets of the all-around repulsive situation he is in. The panels move swiftly through a montage of horror in which we see newspaper clippings about the Whitechapel murders, images of prostitutes being hacked up, and the Monster sitting alone as he must endure long, tedious procedures conducted by Jack.
Things settle into place when Jack swings open the door claiming that he now understands Frankenstein’s creation only to blow up into a frenzy again when he sets about to make a bride out of all the hacked-up prostitutes.
Although the Monster has been wary of Jack’s general character from the start he actively chooses not to pursue that negative train of thought. And even though all signs point to Jack as being the Ripper, it’s not until a slab of female body parts is sewn together, electrocuted into the Bride, and starts screaming about Jack being her murderer, that the Monster finally accepts that truth.
This issue moves considerably faster than the previous two. Issues #1 and #2 were a grand, slow burn buildup to the final pages in this issue that carry the full weight of horror when the Bride is awakened. And it’s then that the Monster and Jack’s lives are truly intertwined: the Whitechapel murders and The Bride become one, creating a mess that the Monster must clean up.
It’s a mess that probably could have been avoided had the Monster followed his initial feelings about Jack. This is a new path for Niles. He’s always written a highly sympathetic Monster. But the Monster that he and Worm create is the first one that’s truly fallible. They address the things we can’t deny: he’s a killer, his devotion can be somewhat skewed, and he will do just about anything to get his Bride. Now that he’s paired up with reality, we can clearly see this.
Theoretically, this comic is outstanding. The concept of mixing fiction’s greatest horror icon with reality’s greatest horror mystery is absolutely superb. It wasn’t until this final issue, however, that I saw how the execution of this plot was just as outstanding as the theoretical concept. It’s not just about mixing fiction and reality. It’s about using fiction to explain reality.
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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