Comics
Review ‘Alex + Ada’ #8
The pace continues to quicken in this issue of “Alex + Ada” and a number of genre-defining philosophical issues are addressed: Are the sentient androids better off than the “locked” ones? Is it better to hide and survive then to put yourself at risk to stand up for what you believe? What makes a sentient robot different from an actual human, and how do we differentiate the human brain from an ultra-sophisticated computer? This book is finally starting to become what I never knew I wanted it to be. Prepare yourself for a sci/fi ethics rabbit hole.
WRITTEN BY: Sarah Vaughn and Jonathan Luna
ART BY: Jonathan Luna
PUBLISHER: Image
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: August 6, 2014
Reviewed by Epic Switzer
Through the first volume of “Alex + Ada” I wasn’t convinced that this book had a ton of staying power. Coming out of the awe-inspiring “Her,” this book simply felt derivative, predictable, and slow to progress. I now bow my head in shame for these judgments, I could not have been more wrong. “Alex + Ada” has been a slow burn, no doubt; but this book eases you in like an impossibly euphoric hot tub.
Vaughn and Luna continue to complicate this world. There are so many questions and problems tied into the production and ownership of artificial intelligence, and it seems the creators are keen on addressing just about every one of them. Good sci/fi doesn’t just predict and pontificate, it relates. What can we learn about our own understanding of culture from examining this conceived society?
“Alex + Ada” invites us to consider what it really means to be human, a question not uncommon for this sub genre of sci/fi, but then it goes on to ask so many more questions about morality, responsibility, quality of life, identity, the list goes on and on.
I love a book that provides a lot to talk about. Some books are flashy and pretty but when they are done you aren’t left with much more than a tingle and a satisfied sigh. Like a rollercoaster they can be fun and they can control your emotions for a short time but in the end they don’t really mean much. This is not that kind of book. This is a book you can reflect on, draw from, this is a book that inspires. More and more I’m really impressed with this series and this issue is definitely a high point.
If you aren’t reading it yet, this is actually a really great place to jump in.
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Epic Switzer AKA Eric is an aspiring filmmaker and screenplay writer living in Los Angeles. His work tends to focus on the lighter side of entropy, dystopic futures, and man’s innate struggle with his own mortality. He can be found on twitter @epicswitzer or reached via email at ericswitzerfilm@gmail.com.
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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