Comics are a quiet medium of visual storytelling, the noise and sound of the story is something you have to use your imagination for as you read a story. This is why stories told in the A Quiet Place universe seem to resonate so well on the pages of a comic. In A Quiet Place: Rising Tides, writer Declan Shalvey and artist Luke Sparrow take us to a new location with a fresh storyline of fear, but also an emotional core that speaks volumes without much speaking.
When a young woman named Grace tracks her estranged father to a run-down houseboat in the Florida Keys, she expects disappointment, resentment, maybe even closure. Instead, the entire world ends.
Now stranded in the aftermath of the invasion that shattered civilization, she and her sick, aging father cling to survival on the open water — the only space safe from the creatures who attack at the sound of a single breath. But his oxygen is running low, supplies are disappearing quickly, and the deadly predators circling the shoreline are learning fast.
And on top of it all, a hurricane is coming.
This style of story seems fitting for a writer who started his comic career as an artist. Shalvey has the mindset of an artist, allowing the artwork itself to speak with little script to go along with it. Knowing how artwork flows gave Declan the ability to craft story in the silence that has meaning and is also terrifying. Not to mention he packs a lot into this debut issue.
A Quiet Place: Rising Tides is set in an all-new location with new faces, but brings along with it the fear felt from the original films and first series at IDW Dark. Not only does Grace have to face her estranged father and all that comes along with this, but now she has to tackle the sudden appearance of terrifying creatures from another planet at the same time. Oh, also add to all of this a hurricane forming offshore. Facing her father and finally being able to talk with this person who has been absent from her life, but now not being allowed to speak without possible deathly consequences, what luck.
Shalvey definitely has the talent needed to deliver a mostly silent comic story where the sounds and speaking have a larger impact and resonates beyond the panel. This is not an easy task and handled it extremely well. But this is more than just a new A Quiet Place story, its a tale of raw emotion, family dynamics and drama, in addition to the terrifying natural disaster brewing and terrifying creatures waiting for a slip-up. A emotional and horrifying tale that happens to be set within the parameters set by the A Quiet Place franchise, just how it should be. This allows for fans of the films as well as those new to the franchise to enjoy this story without feeling lost.
Yes, does Shalvey craft a story that has momentum in silence, of course, but it’s also the fantastic illustrations by Luke Sparrow and colors by Colin Craker that have this story moving from panel to panel. In a story where silence is key, the artwork has to speak loudly. Sparrow uses unique angles and imagery to provide context and push the story along with perfection. Craker’s choice in colors from brighter colors as well as pinkish-orange tones for the flashbacks and dark, dreary colors for the present allows us readers to know where exactly we are in the timeline and adds to the dread felt by the world coming to an end.
Every comic takes a team to craft and create, but some are more evident than others. A Quiet Place: Rising Tides falls squarely in the latter. Shalvey’s storytelling, Sparrow’s illustrations, and Craker’s color choices are key, but what about the impact felt by outstanding lettering, again in a story mostly absent of words. Jodie Troutman uses the sparring sound effects and lettering to land the impact felt by certain moments as well as add motion to some still imagery. Lettering can be an unsung hero of a story and A Quiet Place: Rising Tides is just such story.
A Quiet Place: Rising Tides speaks loudly even when needing silence in its debut issue. Writer Declan Shalvey, artist Luke Sparrow, colorist Colin Craker, and letterer Jodie Troutman deliver on a comic that fits squarely in the A Quiet Place lore, but also stands on its own. A Quiet Place: Rising Tides turns silence into its greatest strength with an emotionally powerful and terrifying tale.
A Quiet Place: Rising Tides #1 hits local comic shops on November 18, 2026 (FOC: October 12) from IDW Dark imprint at IDW Publishing.
A Quiet Place: Rising Tides #1 Preview
