Comics
Review: Kirkman, Silvestri’s DEMONIC Is One Hell Of A Good Read
Robert Kirkman’s (“WALKING DEAD”, “MARVEL ZOMBIES”) newest installment into Top Cow’s “PILOT SEASON” has been plagued with release date issues, being pushed back twice in the span of one month alone. It was getting so bad that it left readers wondering if the story was even going to happen at all, and if it did then the next question became whether or not it was going to be the comic equivalent of the forthcoming “WOLFMAN” remake and get pushed from this month entirely. But thankfully all is well, and for whatever creative or political reasoning that kept “DEMONIC” from readers hands for the past couple weeks, allow me to be the one to
assure you that it was not to ill effect. Read on for the full review.
“DEMONIC” is at it’s heart the story of a man (Scott) who is fighting off his own inner demon. In this case a completely naked, hot pink, witch of a specter that wants just one thing: for Scott to kill his wife and daughter. It will not subside from his vision until it is fed souls, and that leaves Scott few options. And so is Scott’s plight as he is forced into vigilantism as the cloaked crusader the police call, Demonic.
Being that this is a potential one-and-done story, Kirkman does all he can to pack as much action, blood, gore, character introduction, and relationship development as he can into the 32 pages he has to work with. No easy task for any writer, and if it weren’t for the fact that he is such a seasoned vet to the genre now he might have failed. But there is a steady hand at work here, and after all is said and done you wouldn’t be able to tell you had read just one intro issue to a potentially dead story. We are introduced to all the major players in Scott’s world, his wife, his child, the demon haunting his mind, and the police that struggle with the irritation of not being able to stop the murderous crusader who has slaughtered many of their brothers in arms. There is a heavy emotional weight packed into these pages, that of a man that might potentially be dealing not with a supernatural entity, but that of his own psychosis as it begs the question: does the devil
want his family dead or is it himself?
There are no definitive answers in this issue, just the questions that are planted in the backs of our minds as we race headlong into the story, spiraling to the finale at break-neck speed with our anti-hero. The feel of raw, untapped, barely explored potential seeps from every line of the story that Kirkman and Silvestri have laid in our hands. One that begs to be explored further. The story itself borrows somewhat from its predecessors like “SPAWN”, but it does what it sets out to do with the stigma of “PILOT SEASON” hanging over its head, and it does so admirably. You buy into the story almost from the start, and thanks to Silvestri’s superior artwork you feel it as well. There isn’t much that doesn’t work in this one. The only real fault you could hand it is that it seems to rush through things a bit, only giving a taste of everything it shows you. But unfortunately that is all it can do.
When all is done and read “PILOT SEASON: DEMONIC” is a well written, well drawn, well executed piece that borders on potential greatness. There is so much going on that it even seems to trip on its own restraints at times, but at the end of the day the creative team that brought the equally good “MURDERER” into the world have once again created a near perfect read. And at just $2.99 this is one ride you most certainly need to buy a ticket for. I guarantee you’ll find something to like.
4 Out Of 5 Skulls
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.