Comics
[Comic Review] “Injection” #1 Is A Story Of Failure And Control
If you read the solicits for you’ll have seen “Injection” #1 described as sci/fi-horror-crime-techno thriller about 5 people that poisoned the world and now have to deal with the consequences. This first issue does not hint at any of that. Instead, there is nothing but unintelligible, indigestible dialogue about locations and organizations with no context whatsoever. And yet, despite not having a single clue about what anyone is talking about, I found the characters to be instantly relatable, likeable, and emotionally substantial. “Injection” #1 puts the art foot first and asks you to trust the story will come together later. I would encourage you to jump in with both feet, this is going to be something pretty remarkable.
WRITTEN BY: Warren Ellis
ART BY: Declan Shalvey
PUBLISHER: Image
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: May 13, 2015
The story begins with a woman in some kind of hospital, Maria Killbride. She is talking to Control, the woman who manages Cursus, an office inside FPI. Control has an actionable, she is talking about exploitable resources, non-state actors, the awkward squad, active finds, and the Cultural Cross-Contamination Unit. I don’t know what any of this means and trying to figure any of it out with only frustrate you. I do know that this is a power struggle. Maria is tired, annoyed by Control, and feeling helpless, I can see it in her eyes. Control wants something from
Maria is tired, annoyed by Control, and feeling helpless, I can see it in her eyes. Control wants something from her and is using threats, intimidation, and manipulation to get it. It is remarkable that despite not being able to follow the conversation I’m instantly drawn into the dynamic. It is a testament to the work of Declan Shalvey and Jordie Bellaire that the art is driving completely by itself right now. The lighting, camera, and character work tell the story that you ought to be hearing right now.
We are then thrown back pre-injection to the Cultural Cross-Contamination unit and the 5 people noted in the press release. Again, what transpires is unclear, and nothing else that happens in the rest of the issue is anything you’ll understand. But you’ll have a pretty clear picture of who three characters are, Maria, Robin, and Brigid, as emotional beings. Especially Robin, who is approached during a soul searching walk and similarly threatened. Robin is a broken man, but within him is great potential.
“Injection” #1 is essential storytelling: focused more on the “who” than the “what” and demonstrates what really matters to an audience; identifying with the characters. You may be turned off by all the confusion, but this issue taps into something deep and concentrated like a cave painting depicting the origin of man. Look past what you can’t see an focus on what you can, and you’ll find “Injection” #1 makes perfect sense. It is a story of failure, of control, of best intentions gone awry. I encourage you not to reject something because you can’t fully understand it. The answers aren’t going to all come spilling out, but there is enough foundation here to settle on that I’m prepared to let Ellis, Shalvey, and Bellaire take me away.
It is a story of failure, of control, of best intentions gone awry. I encourage you not to reject something because you can’t fully understand it. The answers aren’t going to all come spilling out, but there is enough foundation here to settle on that I’m prepared to let Ellis, Shalvey, and Bellaire take me away.
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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