When we consider the comic books universe, often the first thing that comes to mind are superheroes. Superheroes dominate comic book titles and storytelling, but that does not mean that all that comic books are about the battles that erupt between Superman and Lex Luthor, Batman and the Joker or The Avengers and Hydra.
Some comic books create the tissue for nightmares, with narratives that allow everything frighten to ochers love: terrors, blood, carnage, traumas and thrills.
In the 1940s and 1950s, horror comics were remarkably successful, covering titles such as the first full-length horror comic novel, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, in 1943. There were also a lot of excellent anthologies that kept youngsters reading under their bed covers by flashlight at night, too, including titles like Eerie Comics and Adventures Into The Unknown.
Today, horror comics remain a favorite staple in comic book repositories, resting on the shelves beside superhero titles. Here is our lead to some of the greatest horror comics accessible now.
Death Head
We are commencing the list off with a title by Dark Horse Comics, a publisher that is no stranger to the world of horror comic books. If you have continually encountered those medieval plague doctors creepy, then you will want to strike this one up because it is about a couple who stumble upon an abandoned village, where they end up discovering a plague doctor-masked killer who ends up hunting them.
This is classic horror at its finest: the couple in the woods who wander into evil.
Constantine: The Hellblazer
You cannot have horror without the con-man magician himself, John Constantine, who has consumed so much time fighting the darkness that he has officially matured into a pop culture symbol and has even sparked characters on other television series (such as Supernatural’s Castiel).
John Constantine even got his own short-lived television show, so it is no wonder that the character is just as famous today as he was back in 1985, when he made his first appearance.
‘Constantine: The Hellblazer’ is still a distinct title, but that does not mean that it does not have the same horror factor as preceding manifestations of the character.
Currently, John Constantine finds himself hunting a serial killer, somebody that is killing his ghost fellows.
The first panel of ‘Constantine: The Hellblazer’ reveals John Constantine in a store cloaked in blood, so if that does not dupe you immediately, nothing will.
Harrow County
Dark Horse Comics is only three issues into its new southern gothic horror tale ‘Harrow County’, but the title has become such a hit that the first issue sold out quickly, and Universal Studios wants to turn it into a television series.
‘Harrow County’ has all the traditional horror tropes: a dead vindictive warlock, a youthful sweetheart coming of her own supernatural skills and people who want to kill her before she goes deranged and murders everyone else. There are some truly horrifying concepts in the artwork, too, including that of a skinless fellow who becomes a friend to the story’s main character.
‘Harrow County’ is indeed obliged to hold you up all night for fear that the “haints” might come for you if you fall asleep.
Wytches
You comprehend you have got a unique horror title if the horror author Stephen King gives it his seal of approval.
That is precisely the case with ‘Wytches’, which tells the tale of a family who moves to a secluded village, hoping to start over after a traumatic event. Of course, things are never that simple, and there are ancient, scary things waiting in the woods.
‘Wytches’ is frequently terrifying and regularly entertaining, and it may have you keeping the lights on while reading, just in case.
Haunted Horror
Embrace the 1950s era of horror comics.
‘Haunted Horror’ crew have the painstaking commitment to restored some of the greatest horror comic stories of that time period, flawless with their over-the-top art and absurd stories of the grotesque.
If you want to relive an era when horror comics were something of a dangerous diversion much hidden from your sires, this is a title you will want to subscribe to.
The October Faction
There is something about the month of October that always brings back our affection for Halloween and all things eerie and scary.
‘The October Faction’ brings those memories and scares to life, recounting the story of a retired monster hunter who now teaches others about monstrosities present in mythology.
Of course, his family is aught but perfect and includes a “thrill-killer,” a witch and a warlock. Imagine The Addams Family, but even scarier.
Shadowman
Shadowman is actually a superhero, but what he struggles is further terrifying that the villains Batman ever goes up against. There are malevolent forces in the city of New Orleans, who have come through a portal from the “Deadside.” It is up to Shadowman to defeat these forces and save the city from being invaded by monsters and prevent the Deadside taking over the world.
Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina
For most of us, our only vulnerability to Sabrina from Archie Comics was with the television series ‘Sabrina, The Teenage Witch.’ However, in ‘Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina,’ the character is less hokey, a lot murkier and usually struggles the really horrifying creatures that go thud in the night.
This comic book is so far removed from that television series that it is very nearly its opposite, but there is one analogy: there is a rule that witches cannot fall in love with mortals.
In the first issue, though, the differences between the comic book and television show is immediately evident: Sabrina often finds herself wandering the thin line between right and wrong and often makes implicitly questionable decisions.
This is a dark modern retelling of Sabrina and her adventures, so if you are looking for the ridiculous speaking cat with all the punchlines — although a talking Salem does appear in the comic book — this is not the title for you.
Do you have a traditional horror comic book of preference, or perhaps one that surprised you with how well it did? What about one that you were hoping would perform well but ended up shelling?
