Comics
Review: “The Empty Man” #1
A fast-paced thriller, “The Empty Man” #1 leaves you with an unsettling presence in your mind after you’ve finished reading. This is a twisted police procedural that puts society’s fears under a microscope. I really want to see where “The Empty Man” series goes after its shocking plot twist.
WRITTEN BY: Cullen Bunn
ART BY: Vanesa R. Del Rey
PUBLISHER: Boom! Studios
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: June 11, 2013
Reviewed by Jorge Solis
A message of hope and belief becomes a sneaky brainwashing scheme by a swindling cult leader. Reverend Markoff promises to heal you, the sinner, if you join his special congregation. His sermons have lead to mass suicides and a rising number of serial killings. Though it would be easier just to incarcerate Markoff, somehow “The Empty Man” disease has been spreading on its own. Two special agents, Jensen and Langford, are about to discover a shocking clue that may change everything about their case.
Interestingly, writer Cullen Bunn takes an in-depth look at how society becomes brainwashed by cult leaders. I had to read the opening pages twice because Bunn examines the media’s fascination with cults in different perspectives. These cult leaders are preying on the emotionally wrecked and weak-minded. Those fanatical types don’t really care about the members of their congregation; they’re just using them. But for someone who has just lost hope, they’ll do anything to get it back somehow.
Right off the bat, Bunn delivers some witty banter between special agents Langford and Jensen. Their relationship isn’t really romantic, but their bond does go beyond a loyal sense of duty. I really like how Bunn steers their conversation from being personal to being about work all of a sudden. What I also enjoyed is that these protagonists are two smart cops, who are definitely good at their jobs.
Artist Vanesa R. Del Rey captures a moody atmosphere that usually comes with gritty police procedurals. Agent Langford has this Clark Gable look to him, especially with his mustache and slick hairstyle. Agent Jensen’s character design also harkens back to an actress from a different time period. Because of her combed-back hairstyle and classy wardrobe, Jensen resembles closely to Dorothy Dandridge’s early film work.
Del Rey places the camera in interesting spots during interrogation scenes. The shots are always taken from a high angle, as if looking down on everyone. Del Rey also makes sure the space is wide enough to fit in both agents. Like in every police drama, there is a mandatory chase sequence, but this one comes with a few surprises.
An awesome introductory issue, “The Empty Man” #1 has a lot of potential going for it with the story’s mix of cults, serial killers, and police procedural. I really want to see what happens the second issue.
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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