Comics
‘Umbrella Academy Dallas’; My Pick For Best Series of 2009
As I sat at the computer looking back at the year in comics, horror particularly, I came to the realization that there had been so many great stories told in 2009. So many great story tellers and their equally talented artists had lent their talents to titles such as “The Walking Dead,” “Freddy VS Jason VS Ash,” “Locke & Key,” “Deadworld,” ect…that it was really a mixed bag. But even with such titles floating about in my imagination my pick for story of the year had been made months before when I picked up the final issue of the 6 part mini-series. 
“The Umbrella Academy: Dallas,” written by My Chemical Romance front man Gerard Way and illustrated by Gabriel Ba, did something that not many ever really thought it could; it surpassed its Eisner award winning predecessor and set the bar for macabre sci-fi laced comics higher than they already had been.
Dallas finds us just months after the events of the first series with our heroes still nursing their wounds (physical and emotional alike) from their last battle. The loss of Pogo has left the group in shambles, with each member dealing with their primate mentor’s death in a different way. White Violin is still bedridden from the head trauma she suffered in the last fight, with her sister Rumor at her bedside keeping vigil as she rests her lost voice. (Unfortunately, this is also the source of her powers) Kraken on the other hand has turned to food to sooth his pain, gorging himself to the point of Biggest Loser proportions.
The story itself though seems to revolve around Number 5, who has turned to gambling as his poison. Much is revealed in this story about the teams’ youngest member, and to say much else would ruin the story entirely. But suffice it to say Number 5 is easily one of the most sinister and dangerous characters in comic HISTORY.
Way’s writing is as sharp as ever. Each character, no matter how ridiculously odd they might be, is decidedly human with all the flaws needed to make them interesting. In fact it is Way’s talent for writing these human characters that is arguably the reason why The Umbrella Academy has been so lovingly received by the comic community. The tone of this story is much more serious than the first, and it shows through the content in every way. The colors are a hint darker, the characters are beaten and dealing with a serious loss, and all the while we are trying to stop the assassination of John F. Kennedy by Number 5.
That being said, a more serious twist on the story was a memo that Ba obviously invested himself into because there is blood and guts everywhere. From the first issue we see an entire troop of men having their brains sprayed all over the pavement by one character, as two assassins wearing the goofiest headgear this side of Afro Samurai torturing another. Each and every panel depicts the violence in Ba’s patented bright and vivid style making it 1 part absurd and 2 parts realistic. Everything is sharp and fluid as Ba doesn’t miss a beat in any of the stories 6 issue run.
With DALLAS the team at Dark Horse has found their niche. Way has gone from being a theatrical, enigmatic rock singer to one of writings greatest new talents. And I’m not just referring to comics. And on the other side of the coin Gabriel Ba has cemented himself a resume that is slowly but surely putting him in the ranks of some major talents. Now the question is no longer whether or not the duo are one hit wonders, but where will they take us next? Way has stated that there will be 6 separate mini-series in his story, and if that is true then the next 24 issues cannot come soon enough.
Rating: 5 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.
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