My Favorite Creepy Horror Comics, by Angela Rairden

In the spirit of Halloween, I have decided to make a list of a few of my favorite horror comics. These are all going to be newer comics, most of which you can easily find trades of at your local comic book store. So, without further ado:

Wytches – Published by Image Comics, Written by Scott Snyder, Art by Jock, First Issue Released in 2014

This is the comic that first got me into reading horror and suspense style of comics. Only six issues long, the comic is set in New Hampshire and revolves around supernatural beings called wytches. When the Rook family move there, they learn that the townspeople regularly pledge other people to these wytches in order to gain a favor from them. Ultimately, however, Wytches is a tale of a father’s love for his daughter and the sacrifices he’s willing to make to keep her safe. Although the story takes some dark turns, the heart of the tale has stuck with me for years and the creepy, shadowy art is perfectly suited to tell the tale.

The Autumnal – Published by Vault Comics, Written by Daniel Krause, Art by Chris Shehan, First Issue Released in 2020

Similar to Wytches, the 8-issue series The Autumnal follows Kat Somerville and her daughter, Sybil, as they return to Kat’s childhood home in the small New Hampshire town of Comfort Notch where there’s more going on in the seemingly perfect town than meets the eye. The story takes slow, suspenseful turns before finally revealing the sinister truth of the matter, during which time you learn that there’s two sides to everyone involved and that America’s prettiest fall colors can be chilling.

Something Is Killing the Children – Published by BOOM! Studios, Written by James Tynion IV, Art by Werther Dell’Edera, First Issue Released in 2019

What can I say about the wildly popular SIKTC that hasn’t already been said? Still an ongoing series, this is a comic where you learn not only that monsters are real, but that sometimes it’s the monsters who should be afraid because the humans can be even scarier.

Stray Dogs – Published by Image Comics, Written by Tony Fleecs, Art by Trish Forstner, First Issue Released in 2021

Another popular and instant cult classic comic, Stray Dogs somehow combines Disney-esque art of adorable dogs with the chilling tale of a serial killer. I would’ve loved this comic anyway, but the fact that I read it right when we were sadly having to say goodbye to our own dog, Enzo, made it even more personal and poignant for me. This comic explores the unquestioning loyalty and love that dogs show their owners, but also asks if that level of devotion is always deserved. Also, the amazing horror movie variant covers that were released of each issue are absolutely worthy of hunting down, if you’re lucky enough to find them.

The Me You Love In the Dark – Published by Image Comics, Written by Skottie Young, Art by Jorge Corona, First Issue Release in 2021

Another currently on-going series, and one that I’ve written about before, TMYLITD is a moody, strangely romantic tale of an artist trying to find herself and an entity that seems perhaps too eager to help her. I love the creepy undertones of this tale and can’t wait to see how it ends.

So, of course this isn’t an exhaustive list of amazing horror comics, but it is a few of my absolute favorites out there. Also, I’m clearly a big fan of Image’s ability to release creepy tales, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t plenty of other publishers out there that want to try to give you nightmares.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you all have a wonderful, safe Halloween!