Comics
[TV Review] “The Strain”: Episode 1.01, ‘Night Zero’!
Guillermo Del Toro’s “The Strain” has a long history of adaptation with first being a series of novels, being adapted into a comic series, and now into a television series. The voice of the incredible creator is present in every form, however, as evidenced by the huge scope of the narrative “The Strain” was always meant to be a television series.
The pilot “Night Zero” looks fantastic. It’s got the blue hues of 80’s horror movies, and the deep reds and bronzes of Del Toro’s previous work. It’s visually stunning and evokes an eerie tone right from the get-go. There is a ton of heavy lifting to do in terms of the plot, and while most of it is incredibly compelling the episode struggles in a few moments. Several false endings, and big moments that feel like the end of the episode cause the narrative to stall in the latter half of this longer episode.
“The Strain” begins with a commercial airliner landing at JFK without a single passenger left alive. This huge event causes literally every emergency team to arrive at the airport eager to get inside. Meanwhile Epidemiologist Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll) is at a counseling session in an attempt to save his relationship with his estranged wife and son. He is consumed by work, and is introduced in all consuming fashion. Stoll kills it in the role. He is the right combination of levity and seriousness all at once. In his personal life he seems frantic, but professionally he’s in complete control.
As the situation with the airliner deepens we’re introduced to the wide assortment of supporting characters. Abraham Setrakian (David Bradley) has a cliché introduction that evolves into something deliciously Del Toro. The set design of his pawn shop is filled with amusing trinkets and serves as a love letter to lore of Vampirism.
The pilot has it’s fair share of exceedingly creepy moments that cannot possibly be spoiled. It will get under your skin and refuse to leave. There are moments of pure gore, and others of creeping dread. Everything about this new type of vampire will leave you with a looming sense of terror that doesn’t easily wash off after the credits roll. With a particular scene in the morgue set to “Sweet Caroline” that will have you cringing the next time you hear “touching me, touching you.” It’s a brilliantly stage scene that shows the true horror that “The Strain” is capable of.
Fans of the books will be thrilled to see the fantastic characters of Eph and Abraham come to life with fantastic performances by Bradley and Stoll. Supporting players like Sean Astin’s Jim is nervous and adds a lot of comedy to tense moments, and Mia Maestro as Nora Martinez delivers a laughably wooden performance. Everyone else is pretty fantastic in the short time we spend with them here.
There are genuine moments of pure terror in this pilot, coupled with strong central performances, Ramin Djawadi’s unnerving score, and some fantastic bits of dialogue that make for a great introduction to this world. “The Strain’s” ticking clock is now set in motion. This pilot episode wasn’t afraid to move slowly to introduce the core elements that will come to a head over the next thirteen weeks, but rest assured the rest of the show moves with lightning quick pace.
What did you think of the pilot?
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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