You'll Never Leave This Place Alive #1
/1.webp "You'll Never Leave This Place Alive #1")
| Writer | Jackson Lanzing |
| Artist | Collin Kelly |
| Cover Price | $4.99 |
Five friends. Four houses. One perfect life.
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 finds 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
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CRITIC REVIEWS Back to Top
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10
Capes & Tights - Justin Soderberg
Aug 24, 2026You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive is the type of horror story that surprises even those who know exactly what to expect. Writing duo Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly and artist Heather Vaughan craft a story that is filled with this growing unease, unsettling dread, and an ending that will stay with you in ways that I can’t explain. You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive is eerie and unsettling in all the right ways. Read Full Review
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10
Nerd Initiative - ShawnFoles
Sep 02, 2026I 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. Read Full Review
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10
Pages and Panels - Xenia “Xenon” Honchar
Sep 16, 2026You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive #1 hits the ground running, and it clearly has no intention of stopping. With gorgeous art and incredible writing, this is a must grab! Another smash hit from IDW’s Dark imprint. Read Full Review
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9.0
COMICON - Brendan M. Allen
Aug 27, 2026Cults are creepy and weird, and that’s why we love them. Humans have an evolved reaction to the macabre that triggers a biological thrill and offers emotional release. You’ll Never Leave Here Alive #1 taps into that reflex in all the best ways. Read Full Review
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9.0
AIPT - Collier Jennings
Aug 31, 2026You'll Never Leave This Place Alive #1 takes a deep dive into the hidden horror of adolescence, resulting in a gripping read that will hook readers from beginning to end. It's also proof that IDW Dark is firing on all cylinders. Read Full Review
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8.0
ComicBook.com - David Harth
Oct 14, 2026It’s all so well-done; Hivemind create a tense, interesting story and Graham is able to bring it to life perfectly. This comic is definitely greater than the sum of its parts, a pleasant surprise from creators who always seem to pleasantly surprise me. Read Full Review
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7.5
Comic Book Clique - George Serrano
Oct 15, 2026A solid, deeply unsettling opener that swaps superhero destiny for generational cannibalism. Read Full Review
USER REVIEWS Back to Top
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Not going to rate it as I haven’t read it yet. It was on my pull list but after previewing the interior art I removed it. Now I’m seeing a 9.6 rating on here for a comic with art I found to be a bit atrocious. Like most collectors I have a severe case of FOMO and am intrigued to read this issue (hopefully on hoopla). If I do read it and the art is as bad throughout as I expect, a rating of 9.6 isn’t accurate. Art and storytelling both have a role in the quality of a comic.
+ Like • Comment -
7.0
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