Horror tends to be a genre that works really well on the big and small screens as elements such as music, editing, and special effects can really freak viewers out. However, with comics, there exists a problem of horror not exactly being, well, horrifying. This is despite the fact that horror and comics have been like peanut butter and jelly since the medium's inception In order to help readers discover something scary, CBR has a list of 10 great horror comics to read right now to get the blood pumping and send a shiver down any horror fan's spine.
What to look for in a horror comic? There are three things; originality, creepiness, and shock. Originality is key because seeing the same tropes over and over can be far from scary. Creepiness is all about that looming sense of something bad about to happen. Shock is that really great payoff that keeps you thinking about what you read way after. So, what comics can be read right now that delivers on all three?
10 Hellboy
Mike Mignola's Hellboy is a legendary title in the comics industry. The series spotlights horrific and Lovecraftian visions and beasts that can be found in so many issues. With volumes and volumes of pages, Hellboy has countless horrific moments ideal for pleasing all sorts of horror fans. Love ghosts? The Conqueror Worm storyline features one of the coolest ghosts in comics. A fan of creepy frog monsters? The first volume of Hellboy, Seed of Destruction has just that sort of thing.
Hellboy's horrific beasts, settings, and history proved so expansive that the series has also spun off into several stories such as B.P.R.D., Lobster Johnson, and Witchfinder. There is a lot of great content here for horror and general comic fans.
9 Creepy
Launched in 1964 by Warren Publishing, Creepy was a horror anthology series in a magazine format, not unlike MAD Magazine. The series took the magazine format because of continued issues with the Comics Code Authority (boo! hiss!). Creepy has a long and fascinating history, with the most recent contributor being Dark Horse Comics. Dark Horse relaunched the title and republished classic collections of the anthology. Creepy featured a tremendous array of talented contributors such as Neal Adams, Steve Ditko, Frank Frazetta, Alex Toth, and Wally Wood, among countless others. Creepy's mascot was the aptly named Uncle Creepy.
Some great early stories from the anthology series include an adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's "Teel-Tale Heart" (Creepy #3) and the Archie Goodwin-penned and Al Williamson-illustrated "Sand Doom" (Creepy #5).
8 Monster Soup
An often overlooked horror gem in the world of webcomics is Julie Devin's Monster Soup. The series skews a little more toward the comedic, but it is full of horrific moments and imagery. Monster Soup features a group of monsters who are sentenced to live under house arrest in the castle of a mad scientist. As the characters interact and relationships are formed, readers discover tragedies that haunt each occupant of the castle as well as begin to uncover a conspiracy that seeks to put these temperamental figures together. The history of Bo, the zombie, is particularly hilarious and tragic.
The comic showcases gorgeous illustrations with often astounding levels of detail with Devin's style having a slight animesque feel to it, making the characters affable looking until the bloodshed starts. Best of all, however, is that Monster Soup is completely free to read. Like many webcomic creators, Devlin seemingly only makes money through her Patreon. Monster Soup is well worth any comic fan's time.
7 Hellblazer
When it comes to horror among the big two publishers, DC Comics is generally more likely to give fans their due with great titles. One such title is Hellblazer. The series was originally written by Jamie Delano and illustrated artist John Ridgeway with Dave McKean's truly outstanding covers. Hellblazer has long since been a staple of supernatural storytelling for DC Comics and the Vertigo imprint, with an incredibly strong run of creative partnerships over the years.
The Hellblazer himself, John Constantine, was created by Alan Moore during his run on Swamp Thing and was loosely based on the popular musician Sting. To say Constantine was a runaway success would be underselling the popularity of the petty dabbler. Despite a rather tepid film adaptation, the character has proven incredibly influential in DC Comics' horror projects.
John Constantine's tangles with demons and the occult result in endless brilliantly creepy moments. However, what stands out most about the long run of the series, is the willingness to tackle complex themes. Sure, demons are scary, but so are the legacies of British colonialism in Mumbai, such as in Hellblazer: India.
6 Locke & Key
Penned by Joe Hill, son of the legendary Stephen King, and illustrated by Gabriel Rodríguez, Locke & Key is a horror fantasy series published by IDW. Locke & Key follows the modern-day Locke family after the murder of the patriarch, who move to the family estate of Keyhouse, located in Lovecraft, MA. The youngest of the children discovers a supernatural door in the home, known as The Ghost Door. From there, things become enchanting and spooky. The children continue to make new discoveries about the estate and dark forces interested in the grounds.
The series proved extremely successful for IDW, prompting a prequel series that fills in some history regarding the Locke family. There was also a great deal of buzz about a potential film adaptation, though that fell through. While a television series based on the comic has been picked up by Netflix, the comic is well worth the read and should satisfy anyone's need for horror.
5 Split Lip
Split Lip, an anthology written by Sam Costello, is another example of strong horror webcomics. Each story tackles a different type of horror and Costello partners with different artists to make a horror comic that evokes classic anthology series like Creepy. With no set theme, no one ever knows where Costello will venture next. A great many of the stories are free to read right now, such as the excellent "Face Blind" and "A Slip of the Tongue." Particularly impressive is the way each artist complements the specific story.
Costello also uses Patreon to keep a few of the other stories exclusive; after all, a writer has to eat, right? Overall, horror fans are sure to find something they like in Split Lip that they may not necessarily see in any of the big industry titles on this list. Especially because one never knows what the future may hold.
4 Swamp Thing
The works of Alan Moore could easily dominate this list of great horror comics but Swamp Thing is a very special case. This is because of the influence of Moore's run on the character and the larger comic industry. Swamp Thing is a DC Comics horror series that began with the collaboration of writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson in the DC Comics anthology title House of Secrets #92.
The series began in the 1970s and continues to this day, undergoing different adaptations and creative teams. What remains consistent is the influence of the Swamp Thing on DC Comics' other horror projects. Much of modern comic publishing owes a great deal to Swamp Thing, as Alan Moore's run on the character would introduce characters such as John Constantine and played a crucial role in establishing the influential Vertigo imprint for the company.
Swamp Thing has had a long list of adaptations, including the recent DC Universe streaming series, Swamp Thing. It should be clear that the Swamp Thing himself will be around for a long time, and provide a lot of great horror in the future. For those wanting to dive into the swamp water, Saga of the Swamp Thing, Book 1 is a great place to start. It consists of the first seen issues of Alan Moore's defining run on the character.
3 Tales from the Crypt
While Tales from the Crypt is more likely known by a modern audience as a horror series that aired on HBO, the concept originated as an anthology comic series by EC Comics in the 1950s. Over the years the series has had a number of reboots and revivals in comic form and television form. Alongside titles like Eerie and Creepy, Tales from the Crypt succeeded in generating interest in comics again after WWII through the use of horror.
One great gimmick in the original run of Tales from the Crypt was the fact the Crypt-Keeper, the host of the comic, was one of three host figures (including the Vault-Keeper and the Old Witch) to share something akin to a professional rivalry. Tales from the Crypt had a number of stories that were adapted for the television show. Some of the best comics in the original run include "The Man Who Was Death" (issue #17), "The Ventriloquist's Dummy" (#28), and "Only Skin Deep" (#38).
2 Broodhollow
Kris Straub, author of Candle Cove, a popular creepypasta that was adapted into a show on SYFY is also known for his work in webcomics. One of those webcomics is Broodhollow, a cosmic horror serial that combines rather cute character designs with unsettling visuals. Broodhollow is about an encyclopedia salesman in the 1930s who receives a letter informing him about the passing of a distant relative and a potential inheritance. He must travel to the town of Broodhollow to learn more. As one would expect with a horror comic, things quickly get spooky and unusual from there.
There is a lot to digest with this comic, particularly the way it utilizes panels and colors. For example, red and black are signal there are odd occurrences transpiring. This is all, of course, offset by the rather cute and simple character designs, creating a rather uncomfortable blend of the cute and the creepy. Overall, Broodhollow is well worth the read on a lunch break, all completely for free.
1 The Walking Dead
Rober Kirkman's The Walking Dead requires no real introduction. It is a long running zombie horror series, a massive television show with spinoffs and a popular series of games. What should not be overlooked, however, is how effectively horrifying the comics are and how fantastic the concept of a never-ending zombie apocalypse story is. Where most zombie stories have endings, be they tragic or hopeful, the central conceit of The Walking Dead is that the survivors had to continue surviving. There was no helicopter into the sunset to a tropical island. While the comic has undergone many narrative shakeups, the most impactful moments revolve not around the zombies but the survivors.
According to The Walking Dead, other people are the real horror. The Woodbury storyline, in particular, serves as a transformative moment for the series. The Walking Dead is still being published, although the series may begin to feel a little long in the tooth. Even so, that means there will be a substantial amount of zombie and survivor horror to come.