5 horror comic books to creep you out
Once upon a time, horror comic books were one of the backbones of the genre. That time may be coming around again. “This is a definite golden age of horror,” says Emily Day, who works at Bedrock City Comics on Washington Avenue. “There have been times in the past, like the EC Comics days and Marvel in the ’70s, when it was pretty great, but this is a new renaissance. Especially as far as indie comics go. As more publishers give creators ownership and freedom, it lets people run wild with their imaginations.” Day sat down with us and recommended five great recent horror comic titles perfect for the Halloween season. Volumes of these comics are available in both physical and digital form from Kodansha USA.
1. “The Immortal Hulk” by Al Ewing
For those who need a transition from traditional superhero comics into to horror, Al Ewing’s 2018 reimaging of Hulk is the place to start. “It feels like a throwback to classic Marvel horror, like “Tomb of Dracula,” says Day. “This has some great body horror that pushes the boundaries of what they could get away with without going full-on adult. Bruce Banner was dead for a while and then came back, and the series explores where the (Hulk) people go when they die. It turns out there is a level of hell just for them. It also returns Hulk to his original status of only appearing at night.” Ewing’s run concluded with the 10th volume, “Of Hell and Death,” last year, and all 10 are available as trade paperbacks.
2. “Basketful of Heads” by Joe Hill
Modern master of horror Joe Hill has plenty of horror comics under his belt, including the critically acclaimed “Locke and Key,” but “Basketful of Heads” might be his most deranged. Put out by Hill House (a subsidiary of DC), it follows June Branch, a young woman who is searching for her missing cop boyfriend when she is attacked.
Luckily, she finds a magic ax that keeps severed heads alive once she decapitates people. Now armed with a deadly weapon and the titular basket, she uses her gruesome trophies to continue her search. The limited series finished up in 2020 and is available in trade paperback.
3. “Ice Cream Man” by W. Maxwell Prince
“Ice Cream Man” is a monthly horror anthology that echoes such classic titles as “The Haunt of Fear,” with the jovial and mysterious ice cream man, Rick, serving as the host and sometimes catalyst of the series. “It’s ‘Tales From the Crypt’ on an acid trip,” says Day. “It gets really colorful. It doesn’t always go full horror, but it’s always wild.” Some of Day’s favorite issues includes a Kafkaesque story where someone turns into a cockroach and another where a child keeps the corpses of his parents around for company. The book started coming out monthly in
2018, and a television adaptation is reportedly in the works.
4. “Stray Dogs” by Tony Fleecs
Another title from Image that will keep people up at night is “Stray Dogs.” The fiveissue miniseries is told from the perspective of dogs owned by a brutal serial killer. The murderer attacks women,
steals their now-ownerless pups, then uses the dogs to lure his next victim at dog parks. Part “Silence of the Lambs” and part “Homeward Bound,” it’s a new take on the serialkiller genre, framing it from the unrelated narrators that are loving pets. The original run is available in trade paperback. Image tried to capitalize on the runaway success of the book with prequels about the dogs, but honestly, they’re not worth checking out.
5. “Blood on the Tracks” by Shuzo Oshimi
Finally, for the manga fans is the incredibly disturbing “Blood on the Tracks,” currently in its 13th volume. It’s the story of a young boy who slowly realizes that his mother is murderously obsessed with him. “Big ‘Psycho’ vibes,” says Day. “It’s more uncomfortable than truly scary, and it dances the line between overprotectiveness and emotional incest, but it’s unforgettable.”