Comics

[Comic Book Review] “Bitch Planet” #3 – Proves A Very Special Third Issue

Published

11 years ago

February 18, 2015

Reviewed By Pablo Arriaga. This is the first “special” issue of “Bitch Planet” that Kelly Sue DeConnick has planned for every third issue of the series, focusing on a single inmate and exploring them in depth. The first one is Penny Rolle. In case you don’t know who she is, she’s the badass giant who would beat a guard with another guard just because they told her to cover her mouth when she sneezes or some stupid shit like that.

WRITTEN BY: Kelly Sue DeConnick

ART BY: Valentine De Landro

PUBLISHER: Image Comics

PRICE: $3.50

RELEASE: February 18, 2015

This issue dives into Penny’s memories, the good ones and the super shitty ones as she goes under review from some kind of disciplinary board that is trying to make her see the “error” of her ways, as they tell her that the way she acts, looks, talks, and lives is completely wrong because she should know better, blah blah blah, “you’re really doing this to yourself,” blah blah blah.

I will start by stating right away that I liked this issue. It’s a solid one shot that studies one of the characters of Bitch Planet and delivers a solid story that wraps up in the best way possible, Wilson IV puts some solid panels on the pages, where he makes you feel the anger Penny does when motherfuckers just decided they were better than her. And also feel her pain when you see the consequences to her violence. With that being said, my first reaction to it was not absolutely positive.

While DeConnick promised us an in-depth look at a character, I wasn’t completely prepared for a complete halt in the main story that’s barely two issues in. I was ready to learn more about the MEGATON, yet there wasn’t even a mention of it.

But when I stopped and thought about it, I couldn’t help but compare this issue to an episode of Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black. Whic is not a bad thing, at all. The way DeConnick uses a current situation in the present to trigger a flashback relating to Penny’s attitude at the time, or an event that explains why she reacts so violently to situations. The difference being that in the show, the plot continues to move as we see more of that character. Now I know a comic doesn’t have the luxury of time or page usage to extend the way the show does, but having it all in a room, where it almost feels like time has frozen for everyone else while we see more of this character, does bug me. I like these “special third” issues, but I don’t want to be in a bubble every other two issues and deprived of the excellent main story.

There are things to reflect with the choices of Bitch Planet #3, the fact that the first to be looked into is Penny Rolle, the badass big girl that I want to hug for some reason, even though that would mean the end of me and every single one of my bones, the breaking of my dick, and crushing my skull with her one single head. Point being, that’s all we knew about her for the first two issues, not a major so far in the story, yet that’s the first spotlight given. If I had to guess, it would be two things, one is “don’t just count Penny to diss out the pain when someone fucks with her, she may be more in upcoming issues.” And the second one is “everyone in Bitch Planet has a story. Shut up, sit down, and read.” Kelly Sue likes exploring every aspect of a character so I’m leaning towards the second one.

Overall, this is a very solid First “Special Third,” but may have been too detached from the main story to be a great issue #3.

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Pablo Arriaga has been bringing the gospel of The Slacker Nerd to countless people the world over with Juatcast.com. He also writes the most metal rants on the web and knows a better recipe for tacos than you do. For more writings or to be baptized in the arms of Matthew McConaughey follow Pabby on Twitter and Facebook.

Zac Thompson

1 Comment

Comics

‘You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive’ – IDW Dark’s Next Horror Comic Will Make You Question Reality

Published

1 week ago

June 24, 2026

John Squires

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.