Comics
Review: “The Fuse” #4
Review by – Bree Ogden
“The Fuse” continues to impress me with its quick-witted, expeditious, and hugely digestible sci-fi crime plot. Johnston tangles up relevant social issues and seedy entertainment to create a nearly perfect 4th installment in this dirty sci-fi drama.
WRITTEN BY: Antony Johnston
ART BY: Justin Greenwood
PUBLISHER: Image
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE: May 28, 2014
The truly impressive aspect of this comic is the fact that in one issue, not a lot technically happens, but still I’m flipping the pages almost faster than my mind can digest them simply because I cannot wait to see what’s next. For the most part, Ristovych and Dietrich are just pounding pavement, continuing to uncover secrets and lies in their quest to solve the double Cabler murder from issue one. Only a few days have passed in the course of four issues, but the depth at which the characters and plots are explored is remarkable.
Nearly every character has a secret that is investigated in this issue. It’s a weighty issue for emotional exploration. Birch is the center of investigation while the other exterior characters keep the pacing brisk. We meet Ristovych’s son who may or may not be involved in some dirty politics and we’re allowed a closer peek into the office of the mayor and his dysfunctional crew. The balance between main and supporting characters is impeccable. Their individual stories are woven together in a way that makes sense without feeling convenient or obvious.
The clarity that is afforded us as we delve into the unfamiliar world of “The Fuse” is exceedingly generous. I’m constantly inspired by the deftness in which Johnston delivers us into his scenes. He is dealing with a deck of difficult cards: science fiction, cop procedural… these aren’t easily palatable, but he’s dealt them out with remarkable agility.
While I admit, there was a split second of heavy-handedness, a moment where I felt the “secrets revealed” where a tad soap opera-ish, it only lasted a mere minute before it either faded into the continuity or felt justified by the plot, I’m not sure what happened but it worked either way.
For the first time in a long time, possibly ever, I really appreciate the lack of detail in the art. I crave the simplicity. With the plot moving at an impossible speed, detailed, intricate art would slow the pace, completely changing the dynamic of the story. I’m not sure if this was a purposeful decision on the part of Greenwood or a happy mistake but I’m grateful for it. It’s one of the reasons this comic rates so high for me each month.
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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