Review - Smile: For the Camera #1
From IDW Dark
From the new horror imprint IDW Dark from IDW Publishing comes Smile: For The Camera #1.
Pose. Vogue. Couture. Gore.
It’s Fashion Month 2005. Five young international models have just landed in New York City, ready to tackle four grueling weeks of runways, press, and cameras as they try to make it big. The girls become fast friends…until one seems to crack under the pressure. Little does everyone know that she is afflicted by the entity, a being bent on destruction and pain as it seeks to destroy lives through its horrific visions.
Dive into this never-before-seen story of betrayal and reality bending, based on the critically-acclaimed SMILE film franchise from Parker Finn, brought to you by horror star Hannah Rose May (The Exorcism at 1600 Penn, Rogues’ Gallery) and Miriana Puglia (Disney Villains: Cruella de Vil, Disney Villains: Maleficent) as we follow these models’ glamorous, gory descent into insanity.
Get ready to smile like you mean it.
Delving into the horror franchise of Smile, Smile: For The Camera #1 sees IDW Dark take that deeply unsettling concept and drop it into a world that is already cut-throat in its own right — fashion. And honestly, it’s a pairing that works disturbingly well.
Cleverly combining the ever-present tension of the fashion industry with the creeping dread of the Smile entity, we’re introduced to a group of models preparing for the new season. Backstage nerves, image obsession, unspoken rivalries — it’s all there before anything supernatural even fully takes hold. One of the models, who comes from outside that rarefied world and has her own personal reasons for being there, serves as a strong anchor for us as readers. Through her eyes, we navigate this high-pressure environment of castings, expectations, and constant scrutiny.
The comic does a sharp job of highlighting the pressures of needing to be “just right” — physically, socially, professionally — and the unpleasant industry figures the models are forced to deal with along the way. There’s already a sense that everyone is stretched thin, balancing ambition with insecurity, leaving them feeling fragile from the outset.
Then, layered over that, comes the horror.
The Smile entity wastes no time announcing its presence. A particularly gruesome death in the opening pages sets the tone immediately, reminding us exactly what kind of franchise this belongs to. From that moment on, there’s an undercurrent running beneath every interaction. Even in quieter scenes — fittings, rehearsals, backstage conversations — there’s a tension that never fully dissipates. You’re constantly waiting for the next crack in the façade.
As the issue progresses, that tension steadily tightens. Because these characters are already operating in a high-stress, hyper-competitive environment, the addition of a supernatural force that feeds on trauma and despair feels like pouring petrol on an open flame. By the final pages, things escalate from uncomfortable to outright alarming, ending on a note that suggests the spiral is only just beginning.
Visually, the artwork does an excellent job of balancing two very different tones. The sleek, polished, behind-the-scenes fashion world contrasts starkly with the grotesque horror elements. When the Smile entity makes its presence felt, the shift is jarring in exactly the right way. The expressions — especially the unnatural smiles — are deeply unsettling, and the supernatural moments land with real impact.
Overall, this is a smart opening issue. It takes an established horror concept and places it somewhere fresh, using the natural anxieties of the fashion world to amplify the terror. A strong start that proves the Smile franchise still has unsettling new places to go.
Get it at Forbidden Planet:
