With each of Jude Ellison S. Doyle‘s miniseries, I have come to expect something deep, dark, brooding, and fantastic. However, Dead Teenagers is a slight change of pace for the horror writer. Instead, we get a 1990s style horror romp with a playful time loop that entertains in ways you’d be surprised and outstanding artwork by Caitlin Yarsky.
Since 1997, five friends have been trapped in the ultimate nightmare as a mysterious entity forces them to relive their first prom night over and over again…and re-kills them in new and increasingly insane ways each time. They dress up. They party. They make out. And no matter what they try to change, they always die…until now. Something is about to break the cycle that has kept Alicia, J.T., Ryder, Brandy, and their group of friends locked in a bizarre purgatory beyond all understanding…but what they find on the other side will be the most disturbing revelation of all.
Now, time loop concepts are nothing new. We have seen them time in and time out in comics, books, movies, and television. However, what Doyle has been able to accomplish in Dead Teenagers is something truly special. Not only does he drop us in the middle of the dilemma this group of teenagers are in, giving us the feeling we have been we have been stuck alongside the them the entire time, but also changes things each time the teens are killed on prom night. This made for such a unique and fun experience, allowing for some unique storylines.
Known for their dark horror carrying some pretty emotional weight, Doyle brings a playfulness to the pages of Dead Teenagers that are both fun, yet also frightening. The horrors that take place are scary, but what’s even more terrifying is the teens enduring these things over and over, all while just trying to figure out what life is like and how to grow up. All that said, the story still has some deeper meanings that you pick up along the way.
I am a huge fan of the Scream film franchise and while nothing really matches what you get from those films, and similar films such as I Know What You Did Last Summer or even Final Destination. Dead Teenagers gives us a story that was inspired by someone who loves those films, but adds their own spin. It also feels like a blend of Groundhog Day and Happy Death Day, which also made it easy to love.
What makes this comic feel so complete is not just the story by Doyle, but the artwork by Yarsky. That playful horror I mentioned earlier is only solidified by the illustrations and bright colors on each and every page. Yarsky has to deal with coming-of-age teenagers, while also tackling dinosaur style monsters and so much more.
Dead Teenagers is another one of those stories by Jude Ellison S. Doyle that had me hooked from the first page. Doyle’s ability to craft a horrifying story with meaning, but also adding a spin to the tale that makes you stick around is like no one else. Add in the playful horror artwork by Caitlin Yarsky, not to mention lettering by Becca Carey, and you get one of hell of a horror comic.
The collected edition of Dead Teenagers hits local comic shops and bookstores everywhere on October 6, 2026 from Oni Press.
Dead Teenagers TP Preview
