You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive #1 – Prepare for Ascension

IDW Publishing provided Nerd Initiative with an advance copy of their new IDW Dark comic, You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive #1. The series, launching October 14th with a Final Order Cutoff of September 7th, is written by The Hivemind (Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly) with art by Heather Vaughan. The death of one member of a group of friends suddenly has Phoebe Joplin questioning everything about the secluded community she and her friends were raised in.

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Creative Team

Writers: Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly
Artist: Heather Vaughan
Letterer: Clayton Cowles

Writing

What a mind-blowing issue. Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly have crafted a story that hooked me right out of the gate. This feels like horror meets a combination of The Runaways and The Hunger Games. The story is addicting, pulling you deep into the lore of this world. A secluded community untouched by the world, you can’t help but feel there is something nefarious going on. IDW has another great horror hit on their hands with this series. One thing that Kelly and Lanzing do really well is that, on top of being a horror story, they add a psychological thriller kind of element to the story.

The story is really what hooks you in. While Heather Vaughan does an amazing job with the art, it’s the speed at which Kelly and Lanzing are able to make you care about these characters that really allows You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive #1 to sink its hooks into you. The duo takes the ragtag band of misfits trope that is so common in stories like The Runaways or even The Breakfast Club and turns it on its head by making this a group of kids who, whether it be knowledge or athletics, are the peak of this community’s achievement. That knowledge sets you on a dark path through this story that will have your palms sweating and you ready for the next issue as soon as you hit the last page.

Art

Heather Vaughan does such an amazing job in this debut issue. Right out of the gate, Vaughan really manages to capture the vibe and feel of the story that Lanzing and Kellly are telling. The art is part beauty, part grime, and part psychedelic. Vaughan really gets to play with a variety of line styles which really give the story some variety across panels.

The color choices for this issue are spectacular. While the mood and much of the story rely on the shading and dark aspects, Vaughan works in some really beautiful purple and red hues that pop off the page. The colors really make the lines stand out in a way that further draws you into this deep dark mystery and leaves you sitting on the edge of your seat.

Final Thoughts

I can already tell one issue in that IDW Dark has another hit on their hand. Kelly, Lanzing, and Vaughan knock this story out of the park. This feels both familiar and creepily eerie. The story has moments of comfort intertwined with moments of terror. Just when you think you understand what is happening you’re drawn further into the story and realize you have no clue.

Overall Grade: 10/10

Are you going to add You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive #1 to your pull list? Let me know in the comments below.