Comics
Comic Book Review: Wilds End #5 Barely Advances The Plot
“Wild’s End” hits its penultimate chapter this month with what ends up being a bit of a mixed bag. For an issue almost entirely encompassed by running there’s not much real plot progression and no reveals to speak of. Abnett is definitely saving some of his juicy twists for next month’s finale, although I bet that issue will completely satisfy it leaves this month’s chapter a wee thin. It’s still a good read just one with a few more hiccups than normal.
WRITTEN BY: Dan Abnett
ART BY: I.N.J Culbard
PUBLISHER: BOOM! Studios
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: January 14, 2015
Reviewed By: Torin Chambers
Wasting absolutely no time Wild’s End #5 picks up immediately after issue #4’s cliffhanger ending. Mr. Slipaway rushes back to the bar which is now engulfed in flames, in an attempt to save Mr. Blatchley and Alph. Mr. Blatchley, as we all know was incinerated last issue but little Alph manages to make it out. Although with horribly burned hands from trying, in vain, to save Mr. Blatchley. It’s almost heart breaking to see this little guy go through so much pain, both mentally and physically. He’s visibly shaken by the ordeal and is sort of aloof for the rest of the issue. Not being able to fully come to terms with what’s happened and still is happening around him.
The remainder of the issue follows our heroes as they try to make their way back to Lower Crowchurch, using any means at their disposal. A couple interesting dynamics form this issue as Mr. Slipaway and Mr. Fawkes become something of a leadership team and Ms. Peardew and Mr. Minks strike up an intriguing friendship. While these new dynamics are refreshing they don’t add much to the plot.
Visually this is the most beautiful Wild’s End has looked yet. I.N.J Culbard flourishes during a gorgeous night scene. The first page of the river side at night is absolutely stunning and it just keeps getting prettier. The starry night sky is dotted with a massive amount of stars that gives a sense of just how much is out there. Out there, where these space-things have come from. Thematically I love it.
While the plot barely advances this month, instead there’s some excellent character work happening and the visuals are at an all-time high. Wild’s End’s finale next month is sure to bring it all home in a big way and I’ll be counting down the days.
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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