Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to SPOOKY SPOOKY GHOST MONTH!!!!! I love October so much, and it's mostly because I get to break out all my creepy horror comics and give "˜em a read. And, because I have a job where I get to write about comic books every week, I also get to expose you fine folks to all of these glorious horror shows presented as four color frightfests. Fair warning, these comics are super creepy, and in some cases, actually quite scary. They're at the least pretty gory and bloody and nightmarish. So I guess what I'm saying is: "Reader beware, you're in for a scare." Oh, and 30 Days of Night is not on this list because 30 Days of Night isn't actually very good.
Source: wall.alphacoders.com
10. Revival
In a small town in Wisconsin, the dead start coming back. Some return fine, normal, unnoticeable. Some"¦not so much.
But what happens to a town that endures such a horrifying set of changes? How do things change day to day? Well, for police officer Dana Cypress, the answer is that it's made her job a lot harder.
Can Dana look after a son, a father, an ex-husband, and a sister in such insane circumstances? And when it turns out that her sister isn't quite as she seems, and may be a bit more dead than originally thought, what can she do? Faced with murderers, psychos, and those who seek to profit from the town's unique set of circumstances, what good can a cop and a reviver do? Well, they can try. And hopefully that'll be enough.
It probably won't be, but that's where the guns and scythes come into play.
Source: them0vieblog.com
9. Batman: Haunted Knight
Well, I had to put at least one superhero comic on this list, didn't I? What kind of list-based internet writer would I be if I didn't?
And if I'm gonna mildly pander, I figure I should put a really friggin' good superhero Halloween story on here. And so, the Haunted Knight trilogy.
Haunted Knight is composed of three separate Batman Halloween specials by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, famous for their work on Batman: The Long Halloween and its sequel Batman: Dark Victory. And if that didn't already make you pull up an Amazon tab to order this, then I don't know what your problem is. And, yes, these three specials most certainly live up to the pedigree given to them by their creative team. Tim Sale is a gorgeous artist whose Batman work is unlike anyone else's.
Seriously, if you want a spookytimes Halloween Batman book, this is most certainly the one to pick up.
Source: totalmayhemcomics.com
8. Tales from the Crypt
If you didn't think there was gonna be a classic EC horror book on this list, you really need to go back and bone up on your classic comic book history.
EC's horror comics are vital parts of the evolution of the medium, and they also hold up incredibly well when viewed from a modern day perspective. They wind up reading like fun Twilight Zone or Outer Limits episodes (Think Black Mirror if you're a millennial).
By which I mean they're creepy little stories, often with awesome twist endings, and sometimes a social moral or two. They're the kind of creepshow that you want to read to people around a campfire on the night of the full moon, surrounded by friends huddled together, hanging on every word.
They're awesome old school comics, and if you haven't read any, I'd suggest you change that. Especially around this time of year. Just open up that darkened crypt and pull out a story. You might like what you get.
Source: uproxx.com
7. Hack/Slash
Slashers are just a recognizable part of the horror landscape now. But not everyone wants that to be the case. When a knife wielding psycho rises from the grave, it's gotta be someone's job to put them back underground.
Meet Cassie Hack and her partner Vlad. They’re Hack/Slash Inc., a team of two devoted to crossing the country and executing the executioners. Cassie is the daughter and only surviving victim of a slasher known as The Lunch Lady, whereas Vlad is a gentle giant born with a deformity that makes him hated and feared. Well, as gentle as you can get, being a dude who regularly stabs monsters to death with obscenely large knives.
The duo are inseparable, and it's that charmingly sweet, funny, sometimes tragic relationship that makes the book work so well.
The series has been over for some time, but if you're looking for a long marathon read for the rest of the month, this is the book to do it with.
Source: comicsontheration.blogspot.com
6. Severed
Look, turn of the century horror skeeves me out, okay?
The year is 1916, and a young boy has run away from home. When he finds his way into the care of a mysterious old man traveling the roadways, only good things can happen, right? It's not like the old man is going to prove dangerous or anything, right?
But what does he want, and what secret does he hide beneath his false teeth? Fair warning, this one gets brutal. Although it's called Severed, so like, what did you expect? Unicorns? No, this one is great period piece horror, which makes it a rarity on this list.
But its extremely high level of quality makes it a perfect spot holder. It's probably the shortest read I'm gonna recommend, so if you need a quick fix of horror, give this one a look.
Source: inverse.com
5. Outcast
Shoot, I knew there was a TV show I forgot to watch.
Outcast, written by Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, is unsettling and bone chilling. It's no wonder it got picked up for a television adaptation. I thought about putting Walking Dead on this list, but in the end, I decided against it. After all, I love Walking Dead, but it's never scared me. I always saw it as more of a drama than a horror story. But Outcast? That one most assuredly counts.
The series follows Kyle Barnes, a man with a dark past and the unpleasant ability to exorcise demons. Alongside Reverend Anderson, Kyle decides to use his abilities as the Outcast for the benefit of his town, while also trying to figure out why he has these gifts. Paul Azaceta's art creates a unique and haunting environment that is at once beautiful and unpleasant.
Dark, brooding, creepy, Outcast is fan-friggin'-tastic and you should most definitely be reading it, especially if you're a Walking Dead fan.
nwpr.com
4. Afterlife With Archie
I know you think I'm kidding with this one, but I am not kidding whatsoever.
Afterlife with Archie is one of the best horror comics on the stands today. It's mindbending and eerie and really gets under your skin. From the sociopathic Reggie, to the eternally tortured Sabrina, to the unholy horrors of Zombie King Jughead, this series has it all. Its story follows a zombie outbreak at Riverdale High that spreads at an alarming rate. But while that might seem like the kind of high parody seen in Archie's crossovers with The Punisher or Predator, this one is anything but.
There are some real pure dark night of the soul moments in this one. Moments that you cannot physically believe are happening in an Archie comic. This one is absolutely unsettling, especially because you're watching your childhood favorite characters make dark and devastating decisions.
Seriously, that Reggie issue is one of the most horrifying comics I've ever read. There are panels from that issue that still haunt me.
Source: howtolovecomics.com
3. Wytches
I was born and raised in Los Angeles, but as long as I can remember, my family and I have spent our Christmases in a small town in Connecticut. I've spent a lot of time walking out in the late hours, stepping through the woods of the northeast. And as such, Wytches scares the absolute s**t out of me.
Seriously, those woods are nightmares. Too quiet, something eerie around every corner. I've found weird shrines left abandoned in the woods before.
So this story of Sailor Rook and her experiences with the forest-dwelling Wytches of New Hampshire? That gets me right in my heart. Wytches is all about atmosphere, half brought on by Scott Snyder's terrific writing and half by Jock's haunting artwork. It creates this ethereal tone that leaves you constantly on edge. The Wytches themselves are unforgettable creatures, borne out of the very woods they haunt.
Sadly, the series is currently only six issues, but if Snyder and Jock ever want to make more, they pretty much already have my money.
Source: nerdswag.com
2. Nailbiter
One of my favorite currently-running series, and certainly one of the best horror comics ever, Nailbiter is gloriously gory with every blood-soaked page.
The series focuses on the small town of Buckaroo, Oregon and its horrific reputation. You see, Buckaroo was the birthplace of sixteen famous serial killers, known as the Buckaroo Butchers. From the Book Burner to the Nailbiter, the legacy of the town is an unfortunate one, indeed. But when an FBI profiler says that he's discovered the secrets of the town before disappearing, it's up to a rogue NSA agent to find him and solve the case. But to do it, he'll have to work with two very distinct characters: the town's embittered sheriff, and Edward Warren, aka the Nailbiter, the sixteenth of Buckaroo's infamous serial killers.
Unfortunately, while Warren may very well be Buckaroo's most recent serial killer, he definitely isn't the last. And what is the secret of the town? Why here? Who's behind it all? If you wanna know, then get reading.
Just, ah, make sure not to chew your fingernails while you do. Never know who might be watching.
Source: hitfix.com
1. Locke & Key
Locke & Key is absolutely incredible. And it's something I would recommend even to infrequent or non-comic book readers.
Joe Hill is an accomplished novelist in his own right, the author of books like Heart Shaped Box and Horns, and his comic book work is just as magnificent. This one follows the Locke family, who have moved to Massachusetts to get a new start after a traumatic incident in which the father, Rendell Locke, was killed.
And when I say traumatic, holy hell, are those flashbacks tough to read. But after moving into the Locke family home in Lovecraft, MA (nicknamed the Keyhouse), things start to go strangely. The Locke family kids discover that the house may have some deep dark secrets, all of which can be easily unlocked, even if some of them probably shouldn't be.
The series is heartwarming and heartrending in equal measure, and can scare the pants off me, making it a must read.
And there you go! Here's your list of spooky spooky comic books to scare your socks off this Halloween season. I love this time of year, and I hope you do too. So please take my advice, turn off your porch lights, leave a bowl of candy on the doorstep that says “Take one”, and sit in your bedroom under the covers using a flashlight to read one of these great comics. As for me, all I want you to do is think of me when you look to the night sky.
