Comics
[Comic Review] “Headspace” TPB Can’t Be Missed
Reviewed By Jorge Solis. With a truly dynamic mix of story and art, “Headspace” delivers a compelling read that raises questions about human nature. The thin line between humans and monsters is blurred as premise sinks deep into the physiology of the characters. The trade paperback of “Headspace” collects all eight issues of phenomenal sci-fi thriller.
WRITTEN BY: Ryan K. Lindsay
ART BY: Eric Zawadzki / Sebastian Piriz
PUBLISHER: MonkeyBrain Comics/IDW Publishing
PRICE: $19.99
RELEASE: April 29, 2015
There is a town called Carpenter Cove that thrives on blood and chaos. Filled with killer alligators, kids with guns, and dragons, the only thing keeping the town sane is their sheriff, Shane. A town like Carpenter Cove doesn’t seem to make much sense. That’s because Carpenter Cove doesn’t exist in reality. This town was built inside the mind of a serial killer named Max. Is Shane part of someone else’s imagination? Or is he trapped in his own nightmare he can’t wake up from?
The big “twist” isn’t even a twist; it’s a framing device for insanity and horror. Shane fights his way through the volatile headspace of Max, a serial killer on the run. The script switches between bothPOV’s to fantastic effect. You watch as the nature of Max’s situation is reflected in the madness of Carpenter Cove. Within said insanity, Shane must find a way to define himself and his situation against everything in his way. Shane’s exploration into his own nature provides much of the motivation for reading the series. After a few pages Lindsay makes it clear that while Shane may seem in control of his city, visions of a long lost son cause fleeting moments of inescapable terror.
Writer Ryan K. Lindsay explores the themes of good and evil through fathers and their children. Is Max a sad victim of his harsh environment? Interestingly enough, Max is a guinea pig in a secret government experiment as scientists manipulate his fears and memories to create Carpenter Cove. At what point does a person accept his fate and say he’s a puppet; and life is pulling at the strings?
The narrative moves at a fast pace because of Eric Zawadzki and SebastianPiriz’s surreal artwork.The art is stellar all around. The sequences in Carpenter Cove are cleanly laid out and feature some of the most vibrant creature and character designs around. The town is fully realized. Zawadzki’s style is incredible. He spares no detail and has a knack for incredible perspective. As if this all wasn’t enough he colors his own work. Tonally everything is beautiful and totally soaked in the bleak emotions the script communicates. The momentum never loses a beat as the artwork keeps putting Shane in one action sequence to another. The character design of Max keeps changing to represent the Id, Ego, and Superego. With his cowboy hat and badge, Shane represents the law and authority that’s missing in a town gone wild.
Thank goodness for trade paperbacks, “Headspace” is a highly enjoyable and should not be missed.
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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.