Horror comics have always been a central part of the industry. Their visual nature allows for graphic scenes, horrific revelations, and anything that might shock fans. Additionally, their changeable pace is often a key ingredient for creating bone-chilling stories and piquing readers' morbid curiosity.
Like in films, there are various types of horror in comics: gothic horror, body horror, slashers, and even psychological thrillers. Although these comics belong to different sub-genres, they all have one thing in common: the reader won't want to sit alone in the dark after reading their pages.
10 The Man Who Came Down The Attic Stairs Is A Dark Allegory
Celine Leloup invites readers to blur the lines between reality and fantasy with The Man Who Came Down the Attic Stairs. First published in 2019, this horror tale follows Emma, a new mother who just moved into a new home with her family. As her kid never stops crying and her husband grows detached from her, Emma worries an external presence may be haunting her house.
An obvious allegory of post-partum depression and misogyny, The Man Who Came Down the Attic Stairs is as sad as it's profoundly creepy. This makes it a great read about mental illness, and it's an adrenaline-packed tale to boot. Leloup's depiction of new motherhood is full of desperation, which perfectly combines with the gothic and claustrophobic feel of her house. As a result, it leaves readers reflecting on their lives and staring suspiciously at every dark corner.
9 The Dregs Is As Surreal As It's Macabre
When the homeless people of an impoverished block called The Dregs start disappearing, one of their fellow homeless people attempts to solve the mystery. The protagonist is a drug addict who's obsessed with detective fiction, making his investigation feel more like a Don Quixote adventure than an actual case. Regardless, what he discovers is as serious as it gets.
Considering its dark comedy and moving social satire, readers often dismiss The Dregs as a scary story. However, cannibalism is one of the most inhumane things a person can do, and when adding warped power dynamics and explicit gore to the mix, it's a recipe for one of the most unsettling plots in comics.
8 PTSD Radio Won't Let You Close Your Eyes
PTSD Radio or Kouishou Radio, written by Masaaki Nakayama, is a 49-part anthology series that features a dozen different stories with only one thing in common: the God of Hair, which is a wide-eyed, metamorphic entity that haunts, traumatizes, and kills its victims.
When it comes to the horror genre, Japan has a special place in any comic fan's heart, especially thanks to Junji Ito. However, he isn't the only icon. Among J-Horror's most gruesome stories, PTSD Radio stands out for its bizarre violence and weird villain. Readers won't be able to unsee the creepiest forms of the God of Hair ever again. Adding to its unsettling aura is its nonsensical plot; so, by the end, readers will have more questions than answers.
7 Mr. Arashi's Amazing Freak Show Depicts Everything Wrong In The World
Suehiro Maruo's Shōjo Tsubaki, also known as Mrs. Arashi's Amazing Freak Show, centers on Midori. She's an orphan girl who goes from selling flowers to becoming the slave and sexual victim of a perverted bunch working in a freak show, all the while acting as their caretaker.
Mrs. Arashi's Amazing Freak Show is scary, but not in a supernatural way, in a 'who-could-enjoy-this-stuff?' kind of way. In fact, its anime adaptation was banned in several countries, including the USA. Between the ero-guro, the graphic animal abuse, and the rampant pedophilia, this series isn't for everyone. While some claim there's a certain beauty in its art, certain panels are very difficult to digest, especially in the middle of the night.
6 Vampire Fans Will Love 30 Days Of Night
Created by Steve Niles, Matt Fraction, Dan Wickline, Kelly Sue DeConnick, and Ben Templesmith, 30 Days of Night is set in Barrow, Alaska, which is a city where night lasts 30 days once a year. This phenomenon allows vampires to feed without any repercussions. The series primarily follows the attempts of Sheriff Eben Olemaun to save the city, while its sequels and prequels recount other survivors and vampire stories.
30 Days of Night may not be particularly disturbing, but it plays amazingly with the generational fear vampires have caused humans since they first appeared in literature. Between this cultural fear and the gruesome panels, readers will feel vulnerable once night falls thanks to these blood-sucking monsters.
5 Something Is Killing The Children Is A Modern Classic
When Archer's Peak's kids start to disappear, a monster hunter called Erica Slaughter shows up to set things right. She's no superhero, but she'll do what she has to. By James Tynion IV and Werther Dell'Edera, Something Is Killing the Children is a classic small-town horror story that will keep readers glued to the end.
Something Is Killing the Children's monsters aren't night-exclusive, but it's at night when a person reading it will feel the most vulnerable. Tynion and Dell'Edera do a great job at reminding readers of their childhood fears, so it's better to stick to daylight reading sessions.
4 Jisatsu Circle Is A Disturbing Comic Based On A Disturbing Film
Loosely based on the 2001 Suicide Circle film by Sion Sono, Usamaru Furuya's Jisatsu Circle tells the story of Kyōto, the best friend of Saya Kōta, who's the only survivor of a collective suicide. Furuya's manga takes the reader on a journey to explore what's behind the unnerving new cult.
Jisatsu Circle is one of the darkest mangas out there. It serves as both a horror-gore story and an exploration of suicide as the only solution to societal exploitation. Given this, its most shocking moments are quite bloody and explicit. Additionally, since it deals with realistic topics, many scenes have a supernatural, unexplainable vibe that will make anyone feel uneasy.
3 Colder Delves Into Mental Health As A Universal Topic & Has Incredibly Creepy Art
Colder follows Declan Thomas – an ex-inmate committed to an asylum – who doesn't feel pain, doesn't get sick, and doesn't know how to stop his body temperature from dropping. When this complicated man realizes he can cure others from their mental illness, he becomes the prey of a demonic 'insanity-eater' who chases Thomas to ensure he can't cure anyone.
Colder is an unnerving story full of bizarre moments and blood. However, readers don't even need to open its pages to notice it. From the covers, both Declan and his demonic poltergeist appear in disturbing scenarios, such as touching their eyes from inside their mouth and nose. Their blood-curdling eyes on the cover are enough to keep these books far from anyone at night.
2 Survivor's Club Will Bring Back Childhood Nightmares
Created by Lauren Beukes and Ryan Kelly, Vertigo's Survivors' Club centers on a group of victims who manage to escape archetypical 1980s horror characters, like poltergeists or killer dolls. These six characters, who only have this in common, will have to reunite to stop whatever it is that's happening again in the 21st century.
What's worse to remember in the dark than the creepy creatures that haunted entire generations? Any comic readers who didn't enjoy horror films in their childhood should stay far away from Survivor's Club, otherwise, the unattended traumatic consequences of being exposed to Chucky, It, and Freddie Krueger may come back.
1 Ice Cream Man Puts A Diabolical Twist On A Otherwise Cheerful Figure
W. Maxwell Prince and Marti Morazzo joined talents to create Ice Cream Man, a horror anthology series of stories all connected through Riccardus – a strange ice cream man with reality-bending powers who enjoys torturing people. His archenemy, a cowboy named Caleb follows and tries to stop him, but he doesn't always accomplish this goal.
It's always an uncomfortable feeling to see such a quotidian figure transform into a nightmare, but an ice cream man is also supposed to induce a nice childhood memory. As a result, this uneasiness is only made worse when it's revealed Riccardus doesn't really have a motive for his actions. He channels pure chaotic evil, meaning anyone could be next. Better sleep with one eye open or not sleep at all.