Horror and comics have been tightly connected ever since the pre-code days of the early 20th century. Loved by readers, but despised by parents the world over, their content was highly censored until the dissolution of the comic code—upon which point all bets were off.

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There have been countless definitive horror titles within the comic book medium, but not all have experimented with the tropes of the genre as well as much as others. It takes a lot for a horror title to stand out and do something different in this day and age, but some titles continue to shock and surprise readers to this very day.

10 30 Days Of Night Offers Up A Fresh, New Take On Vampires

30 Days Of Night Issue 2 Cover.

With one of the most tantalizing, original premises in modern vampire fiction, 30 Days of Night was a breath of fresh air when it was first published back in 2002. Written by Steve Niles and featuring signature artwork by Ben Templesmith. The title focuses on a group of vampires that descended upon the town of Barrow, Alaska where its unique geographical position means that it is plunged into total darkness for 30 days a year.

The concept was so well received that it spawned several feature film adaptations, a series of novels, two TV miniseries, and a whole host of merchandise. It was one of the main titles of the time that helped reinvigorate interest in horror comics as a whole.

9 Shadow Service Mixes Bond-Like Espionage With Occult Horror

Shadow Service Issue 3 Cover.

Cavan Scott's recent foray into the clandestine world of supernatural London, Shadow Service, is a spectacular cross between a British spy thriller and Lovecraftian terror that manages to be both refreshing and reminiscent of all the best examples of each genre.

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Coupled with the unique artwork of Corin Howell, who gives London and the creatures that dwell below the surface there is a dirty and grimy edge. Vault Comic's latest horror title gives readers a satisfactory trip into the unknown, while also keeping them guessing at every turn.

8 Tharg's Terror Tales Are Shocking Stories By The Best Of British Creators

Thargs Terror Tales Cover.

Similar to 2000 AD's long-running Future Shocks, Tharg's Terror Tales are one-off stories told within the pages of the perennial British comic book anthology. Unlike the sci-fi-tinged Future ShocksTerror Tales are wholly horror-themed—and are often as adventurous and out-there as their more famous space-faring counterpart.

Having been worked on by impressive creators such as Gordon Rennie, John Wagner, David Baillie, and Monty Nero among others, this strip has been a constant in British comics for decades. It has helped introduce whole new generations of both readers and creatives to the world of horror comic books, with the very nature of 2000 AD and its anthology style being much celebrated for allowing great creative risks to be taken.

7 Die!namite Brings Together The Most Unlikely Group Of Protagonists In Horror Comics

Dienamite Lives Issue 3 Cover.

Mixing much of Dynamite's roster of heroes and villains into one giant, zombie apocalypse epic, Die!namite and its sequel series, Die!namite Lives!, is a no holds barred, full-throttle adventure that spans decades of comic book, pulp, and cinematic history.

Featuring Vampirella battling with Red Sonja, side-by-side with Ash from Army of Darkness, Dejah Thoris, Miss Fury, Jennifer Blood, and the cast of Project Superpowers, this title has it all for fans of both horror comics, and Dynamite as a whole. A truly visceral and high-speed collision course that plays with its source material to great effect—it is not one to be missed.

6 Afterlife With Archie Inserts An Iconic Character Into A Completely Different Genre

Afterlife With Archie Issue 1 Cover.

In one of the strangest, yet most satisfying moves in recent memory, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla's Afterlife with Archie for Archie Comics pits the wholesome residents of Riverdale against one another in a Walking Dead-style zombie survival yarn. While many readers were reluctant to accept the move at first, upon the 2013 release of the title, most were won over by the clever writing and sublime art that manages to mix EC Comics-styled terror with the more traditional tropes that fans identify with Archie and friends.

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So successful was the title that it has spawned a whole horror wing of Archie Comics, and has ushered in multiple other spooky books in the same vein, such as Chilling Adventures of SabrinaVampironica, and Jughead: The Hunger—the continued popularity of which no doubt inspired the hit show Riverdale to take on a different, more horror-tinged angle in recent years.

5 The Silver Coin Lets An All-Star Creative Team Tell Separate, Yet Connected Horror Tales

The Silver Coin Issue 5 Cover.

Image Comic's latest horror anthology hosts an all-star cast of comic book creators overseen by Michael Walsh, who has brought together a team of today's best writers and artists to tell some of the craziest stories in horror comics today. So far, readers have been treated to stories told by the likes of Chip Zdarsky, Jeff Lemire, Kelly Thompson, and Ed Brisson—as well as Walsh himself—and tell separate, time-hopping tales of terror that are all connected by the presence of an old, sinister coin.

Readers are transported in each issue to a new, bizarre, and always entertaining world filled with gory good times that, with each new tale, bring them closer towards unlocking the secrets behind the coin.

4 Preacher Hits Readers With Everything & Pulls It Off

Preacher - Jesse And Tulip.

Not content to stick to just one genre, Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's epic masterpiece Preacher is still thought of in such high regard for a reason. From Southern Gothic to vampire-fiction, religious satire, voodoo mysteries, razor-sharp cultural commentary, and more, this series truly has a little bit of everything.

While the underrated television adaptation was met with mixed reviews, the comic series that inspired it still holds up to this day and should be high on any fan of comic books "must-read" list.

3 Christopher Priest's Vampirella Mixes Psychoanalysis, Social Commentary, & Horror

Vampirella In Therapy.

Horror has always been a brilliant outlet to explore the fears and problems of contemporary society. From Night of the Living Dead to Get Out, the genre has often used allegory to come to terms with the social issues of the day. No title today does this better than Christopher Priest's Vampirella and sister title Sacred Six.

Using therapy as a way to come to terms with her past, Vampirella lays it all on the table. She is both hardened and strong, but also vulnerable and, most importantly, human. The setting of Ashthorne and its never-ending battle between its downtrodden, supernatural minorities against the ultra-religious, right-wing neighboring town of Sacred is a no-holds-barred commentary on many of today's problems and makes this one of the deepest, and most important takes on Vampirella ever written.

2 The Walking Dead Is An Epic That Keeps Readers On The Edge Of Their Seats Throughout

The Walking Dead - Rick Grimes.

With the multimedia juggernaut that it has become since, it is easy to forget just how big a deal the original comic book series was during its original, breakout run. Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead was a breath of fresh air when it appeared back in 2003, mixing a slower-paced, human-focused drama with a terrifying zombie apocalypse—and it kept readers coming back month after month.

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Spanning for an enormous 193 issues and keeping readers guessing every month which characters would survive or be next to die. This title will forever go down in history as one of the greatest zombie tales ever told, right up there with George A. Romero's classic films.

1 From Hell Is An Academic Dive Into Real-Life Horror

From Hell TPB Cover.

In a landscape where hundreds, if not thousands, of fiction and non-fiction books have been written on and about the infamous Jack the Ripper killings of the 1800s, it is high praise indeed that Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell's 500+ page epic From Hell is among the most respected.

Meticulously researched and pulling no punches when exploring the grittier sides of Victorian-era London, this title is not for the squeamish. Filled with exemplary writing and strong thematic interpretations of already bizarre source material, From Hell is as genre-defining as it is defying.

NEXT: 10 Spooky DC Comics To Read This Halloween