It’s Halloween Week! To help get you into the festive mood, here are some spooky Halloween comic book picks from some folks in the Nerd Initiative Comic Book Bullpen.
What was your first Horror Comic Book?
As someone who didn’t get into horror until her 30s (I blame seeing the 1990 IT way too young), I got to start with shouting out The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman. I started the show first, and after three episodes I had to stop as my dreams turned into zombie nightmares. After a while I picked it back up, and eventually the zombies in my dreams became more inconveniences than nightmares.
This was around the time I first started reading comics, as Hugh Jackman was peaking as Wolverine and I needed to know more. As with Wolverine, I needed more Rick Grimes. However, I would simply browse Barnes & Noble for Wolvie and X-Men books. Now I needed a comic shop, because the show was catching up to the comic quick. So, my very first love of horror, and my very first official comic box started with The Walking Dead.
However, everyone knows The Walking Dead comics are awesome and perfect for spooky season. So here’s a few other recommendations from the Nerd Initiative Comic Bullpen to get you into the festive spirit this week!Â
Matt: The Ice Cream Man
Ice Cream Man by Image Comics is one of my favorite horror/spooky comics to read for a variety of reasons. Firstly, I’m a sucker for a horror anthology series whether it’s movie or book. Something about the ever changing landscape all tied together with a single background, really pulls me in.
Secondly, the artwork gets trippy. Martin Morazzo and Chris O’Halloran do an incredible job bending realities and finding new ways to twist the horrifying art in different ways that make you feel squeamish at times. Meanwhile W. Maxwell Prince has a way with writing this series where even the most messed up story has an air of cheerfulness to it which makes it all that much more unsettling. There are 11 trades out currently. So there’s plenty to read and catch up on this Halloween season!
Megan: DC’s Zatannic Panic
For this spooky season, there’s no better way to get into the spirit than bringing Zatanna into the mix! DC’s Zatannic Panic!, which is written by some powerhouses bursting with talent like Andrew MacLean, Alex Galer, Cavan Scott, and more, has a plethora of spooky stories from our favorite DC characters. There’s something for everyone in DC’s Zatannic Panic and every story has the same theme, the energy of Halloween!
Lauren: Spectregraph
Jame Tynion IV and Christian Ward teamed up to create the creepily beautiful comic, Spectregraph. They say you can’t take your fortune with you when you die, but what if your fortune could help you live forever? However, what would one become?
A real estate showing turns into a terrifying haunted house experience. Complete with some life reflections showcasing how petty and selfish humans can be. While still showing the good. The art in this is so disturbing and gorgeous that there are times you want to turn your head, but simply can’t. Ward has such a unique art style that compliments this story perfectly. This 4 issue run is insanely engaging and spooky throughout. A must read this Halloween season.
Kat: Monster High Halloween Special
Last Halloween, I got to review what I can only describe is one of my favorite Halloween comics, IDW’s Monster High Halloween Special. The creative team of Writer Keryl Brown Ahmed, Artist Naomi Franq, Colorist Desolina Griego, and Letterer Kielamel Sibal made a fantastic issue. I have loved all of the Monster High books from IDW, but this Halloween special is something I would recommend everyone to go and read.
Matt: The Principles of Necromancy
The Principles of Necromancy from the Hivemind themselves (Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly) and artist Eamon Winkle bring Doctor Jakob Eyes to life in this graphic body horror comic. With the goal to overcome death itself the trio take medicine to some dark and disturbing places. Eamon’s ability to get creative in various ways, in the name of science, illustrate hard to witness scenes. While Jackson and Collin use a subdued and soft spoken voice to build a sense of unease that culminates in a truly horrifying sequence of events.
Lauren: Devour from Hyde Street
From Ghost Machine at Image Comics, Devour from Hyde Street is a fantastic one shot! It perfectly sums up everything that is wrong with diet culture into a creepy generational horror story. I don’t know that I have ever been so sucked into a comic book story as quick as I was with this.
The way the generations of women are portrayed was beautiful, creepy, and perfect. A young healthy and gorgeous women is looked down on by her mother and grandmother who only see beauty in being thin. So they go to extremes to attain their goal, and pass it on down the family line. The art overall just did a brilliant job of showcasing how generational trauma is taught, and how heartbreaking it can be. The last panel gave me chills.
For more spooky recommendations, check out this live episode, Matt and Lauren, from Hops Geek News, recently recorded at EPIC Comics in Orlando, Florida.
What’s your favorite Scary Comic Book?
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