Comics
[Comic Book Review] “Shutter” #7 Is A Return To Form… Mostly
“Shutter” #7 is an invigorating return after a shaky hiatus. The book has been on a break since September and it was definitely needed, it was a hot mess last time we saw it. Although I’m not entirely sure it’s any less convoluted – it feels fresher, less grating, it feels fun again. So much fun that I’d definitely start recommending it again, although I get the feeling it’ll read much better in trades.
WRITTEN BY: Joe Keatinge
ART BY: Leila De Duca
PUBLISHER: Image
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE: December 10, 2014
Reviewed By Torin Chambers
For a nice change of pace the opening two scenes are interspersed within each other. Starting with Ms. Vian (Kate’s blonde friend who got blown up back in issue #3) dealing with the fallout of Kate’s sudden disappearance back in the city. This gradually gives away to Kate and Chris fighting that massive dragon creature from the end of issue #6.
It’s nice to see the call back, if only to know that the characters Kate leaves behind aren’t totally forgotten. “Shutter” could have never touched on it again and I wouldn’t have been surprised, so it’s great to see some more cohesion in terms of story.
Now I’d like to take a moment to talk about the ending, this will all be spoilers, you’ve been warned.
It’s is a real gut puncher of an ending, Kate gets stabbed in the stomach by her very own sister. My initial reaction was shock. It’s one hell of a page turn and hits you hard without warning. At first it seems solid but then the more you think about it the less shocking it is and the more eye rolling it becomes.
Ekland and Shaw were both shown to be pretty much decimated last issue but here they are, eviscerated, beaten for sure, but still alive. To add insult to injury, in this very issue Alarm-Cat is seemingly killed, only to turn out to be alive. With this many deaths all turning out to be false in one issue ending it on another is weak. Even with Kate’s plot armor aside, the “shock” ending becomes utterly hollow.
Besides the weak ending “Shutter” is back in beautiful form this month. The story has never felt more cohesive while still maintaining the fun factor. I only noticed one ‘just because’ moment in the story telling (The explosive flaming dragon laser somehow teleports them inside the creature) which honestly doesn’t bother me too much. There are laughs, exciting characters and gorgeous art – what more do you really need?
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Torin Chambers is a rad dude from the nineties who does film stuff or something. Thomas the Tank Engine is his favorite transformer. Find him on Twitter @TorinsChambers
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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