Whenever I read a fiction book, I try to get a feel for the look and atmosphere of it and what movies are similar to it. It’s easier to do with thrillers and horror books, because most super hero books lean towards being generic. IDW’s upcoming Fixation #1, debuting in September as part of their “IDW Crime” imprint, has a heavy Jane Schoenbrun vibe. Anyone who’s seen Jane’s films We’re All Going to the World’s Fair and I Saw the TV Glow will instantly see similarities in this book’s eerie artwork and neon colors – compliments of artist Savanna Mayer and colorist James Fenner – that make this whole world feel both stunning and haunting.
Everything feels dangerous, like horror could come lunging from the shadows at any moment and I enjoyed the visuals from the first to last page. Especially creepy are the scenes set in the “Blood Mountain House”. And much like Schoenbrun’s work, the book has many layers. On the surface, it’s a story about Taylor Van Owens, a female superfan of the vampire film series “Blood Mountain” who wins a contest to stay in the “Blood Mountain” house and meet all the cast members. Coming with her is her best friend Karrah Jones, both excited for the week ahead, and the depths of their fandom is explored.
This “Blood Mountain” film series sounds pretty great by the way, like The Vampire Diaries combined with the more adult themes of True Blood. And no glittery vampires! If I lived in this book’s world, I’d be watching the heck out of those films. On another level, the book is like a slasher film, as a hooded figure brutally targets fans of the films and kills them.
Also, there’s a lot of intrigue as the cast members pair up or fight each other. There’s a lot of love and hate between them and one of them may very well be the hooded killer. Writer Amy Chase imbues most of the characters with unique and interesting personalities. My favorite character among the huge cast is Marisol Ferreira, the Production Liaison for the films, responsible for wrangling both the actors and Taylor and Karrah. Always besieged by problems but never shaken by anything, she’s icy cool.
Also interesting is Patrick McAllister, an actor who was written out of the film series but still hangs around the “Blood Mountain” set and makes friends with Taylor. At times, he seems a bit too friendly. Is he truly a good person or does he have secret motives for getting so close to Taylor?
Unfortunately, I found Taylor and Karrah to be the least interesting characters in the book. They come off as typical fangirls but I’m hoping over the course of the next two issues they’ll move beyond that (Fixation is a three-issue miniseries).
Fixation #1 kicks off a miniseries with elements of slasher films, murder mysteries and psychological thrillers, all wrapped in some gorgeous art, but the two main characters hold it back from being a truly “can’t-miss” book.
Fixation #1 hits comic store shelves September 9, 2026.
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