Lillian Hochwender
Isn’t there something great about Halloween? Perhaps it’s the chill in the air or the days growing shorter that send people in search of scary stories or supernatural romances. Or perhaps it’s just nice to wear costumes and eat candy with societal permission. Whatever the case, at Comic Watch, we all think of it as a good time to curl up and read comics. In the spirit of the season, we’ve curated 18 comics we think are perfect for this time of year. As the staff share their picks, consider this an opportunity to get to know us a little better. Here you’ll find what scares us, thrills us, and even what brings us joy. Most importantly, you’ll find comics that excite us — comics whose stories we can’t wait to share with someone else.
Infidel (Image Comics, 2018 — Pornsak Picheshote, Aaron Campbell, José Villarrubia, Jeff Powell): A haunted house story for the 21st century, Infidel follows an American Muslim woman named Aisha and her multi-racial neighbors who move into a building haunted by entities that feed off of xenophobia. Meher Shiblee recommended this comic, saying: “This comic manages to be profound, carrying a strong message about how deeply racism is rooted in our society, while also being extremely scary. The artwork was beautiful and unsettling in the same breath, and I often found myself looking away, and then forcing myself to look back. I do not recommend reading it when it’s dark out!”
Proctor Valley Road (BOOM! Studios, 2021 — Grant Morrison, Alex Child, Naomi Franquiz, Tamra Bonvillain, Jim Campbell): August, Rylee, Cora & Jennie have organized a “Spook Tour” with their classmates on the most haunted, demon-infested stretch of road in America to fund attending the concert of their dreams. When their visit turns deadly, these four friends race to rescue the missing students… before the town tears them limb from limb. Now they must slay the evils roaming Proctor Valley Road… along with the monsters lurking in the hearts of 1970s America. Travis Hedge Coke, who recommended this comic, says: “Since the beginning of the pandemic, I have watched schools, classrooms, teachers become overwhelmed and underprepared to serve and support children, and realized this is every time of crisis, and it’s almost always a time of crisis. When I read Proctor Valley Road, I see my family, my students, myself. It is a very clear window.”
Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love (DC Comics, 2016 — Sarah Vaughn, Lan Medina, José Villarrubia, Janice Chiang): Trapped inside an old gothic mansion, Deadman must battle the forces of darkness alongside Berenice, a young woman with a complicated love life who is gifted—or cursed—with the ability to communicate with the dead. Separated by the boundary between life and death, yet able to walk between both worlds, Deadman and Berenice must work together to unravel the mystery of the Manor and defeat the dark forces that threaten to erupt. Lillian Hochwender, when recommending this comic, said: “Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love is a fun, creepy read that stays true to gothic tropes. For queer people like me, it also offers something we’ve long been starved of: gothic stories where we’re the heroes and come out (ha ha) loving and alive.”
Ice-Cream Man #6: (Image Comics, 2018 — W. Maxwell Prince, Martín Morazzo, Chris O’Halloran, Good Old Neon): This haunting wordless comic follows its central character down three diverging timelines from a single event, each ending terrible and haunting in its own way. John Jack, who recommended this comic, says: “For a person with ADHD and anxiety, these three doomed timelines represent every wrong decision I ever made. This comic terrifies me and I’ll never read it again.”
Mooncakes (2019, Oni Press — Wendy Xu, Suzanne Walker): When a hard of hearing teen witch reconnects with her childhood crush (who just happens to be a werewolf), she needs to find a way to protect them from the dark forces that are chasing them. Gabriel de Jesus, who recommended this comic, says: “It’s a cute story that has a diverse cast that addresses its characters’ identities explicitly but never awkwardly. It has a Halloween vibe and is a good read for younger fans or just people not down with horror.”
Misty Vol. 2: “The Sentinels”/“End of the Line…” (Misty Magazine, 1978, repub. 2017 — Malcolm Shaw, Mario Capaldi, John Richardson): Two stories of chilling class horror! The Sentinels are public housing buildings which send the unfortunate to a Nazi-conquered England for the crime of living in public housing. In “End of the Line…”, young Ann uncovers a century-old plot to enslave the poor into eternal drudgery and servitude! Unwinnable battles for two two teenage girls on their own, but can they at least survive? Travis Hedge Coke recommended this comic, saying: “Malcolm Shaw (who died young) wrote teens who don’t live “in a society,” they live in a sociology, and sociology is horrifying. The Nazi-run 1978 England is only mildly more draconian and obvious than the Winter of Discontent England of real world 1978 or many anglophone nations right now.”
Through the Woods (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2014 — Emily Carroll): Journey through the woods in this sinister, compellingly spooky collection that features four brand-new stories and one phenomenally popular tale in print for the first time. These are fairy tales gone seriously wrong, where you can travel to “Our Neighbor’s House”—though coming back might be a problem. Or find yourself a young bride in a house that holds a terrible secret in “A Lady’s Hands Are Cold.” You might try to figure out what is haunting “My Friend Janna,” or discover that your brother’s fiancée may not be what she seems in “The Nesting Place.” And of course you must revisit the horror of “His Face All Red,” the breakout webcomic hit that has been gorgeously translated to the printed page. Lillian Hochwender recommended this comic and had this to say: “Emily Carroll has a way with color that’s truly phenomenal, and I wish her work were celebrated more in comics circles.Her comics remind me of folk tales or children’s stories, but they’re utterly haunting. Perhaps not the sort of thing you should actually share with children. Well… maybe children who like Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.”
Count Crowley: Reluctant Midnight Monster Hunter (Dark Horse Comics, 2020 — David Dastmalchian, Lukas Ketner, Lauren Affe): Once a rising TV journalist, Jerri Bartman has returned to her small Midwest hometown station. Demoted to hosting the nightly Creature Feature, Jerri’s professional humiliation is eclipsed by the discovery that her new job comes with a secret, supernatural duty. Mike Eakins describes it as “a late-night 80s throwback that will please everyone from the most discerning palate to the occasional horror fan. A horror comic done elegantly with just enough ghouls to keep you up at night.”
Archival Quality (Oni Press, 2018 — Ivy Noelle Weir, Steenz): After losing her job at the library, Celeste Walden starts working at the haunting Logan Museum as an archivist. But the job may not be the second chance she was hoping for, and she finds herself confronting her mental health, her relationships, and before long, her grasp on reality as she begins to dream of a young woman she’s never met, but feels strangely drawn to. Especially after she asks Cel for help…As Cel attempts to learn more about the woman, she begins losing time, misplacing things, passing out—the job is becoming dangerous, but she can’t let go of this mysterious woman. Who is she? Why is she so fixated on Cel? And does Cel have the power to save her when she’s still trying to save herself? Duna Haller, who recommends this, says: “It’s both a ghost story and a confessional story and shines a light on oppressive practices of psychiatric institutions while being accessible, spooky and somehow light-hearted.”
Welcome to Hoxford (IDW, 2008 — Ben Templesmith, Robbie Robins): A group of prisoners fight for their lives in a prison overrun with werewolves. Trey Campbell recommended this comic, saying: “With a protagonist suffering from delusions caused by multiple mental health issues while fighting off werewolves, it is often hard to tell what is real vs what has been imagined as a group of prisoners fight for their survival.”
Legion of Monsters (Marvel, 2011 — Dennis “Hopeless” Hallum, Juan Doe, Will Quintana, Dave Lanphear): Elsa Bloodstone hates monsters – and when the trail of a mysterious serial killer leads to their underground city, Elsa’s ready to kick some horrific butt. Morbius the Living Vampire, Werewolf by Night, the Living Mummy and the slithery Manphibian have news for her, though; the monsters are innocent, and the real killer is out there… a creature so terrifying and vicious that even monsters are scared to death! Elsa Bloodstone and the Legion of Monsters are on the case! Brent Jackson, recommending this comic says: “It’s action, horror, and comedy all rolled into one. If you are like me that loves everything Halloween, but also hates being scared then this lighthearted romp is for you.”
Weavers (BOOM! Studios, 2016 — Simon Spurrier, Dylan Burnett, Triona Farrell, Jim Campbell): Sid, a young man with nothing going for himself, becomes an unlikely new addition to The Weavers, a brutal, East Coast crime family whose members are bound to loyalty thanks to the supernatural spider inside each one of them, granting them powerful – and often grotesque – abilities. Kyle David, who recommended this, says: “Burnett’s art combined with Farell’s colors creates the perfect eerie and gothic atmosphere whilst Spurrier’s story builds a highly enjoyable, dark and bonkers world of crime, spider demons and often grotesque supernatural powers.”
Hellboy: The Wolves of St. August (Dark Horse, 1995 — Mike Mignola, James Sinclair, Pat Brosseau): No one remembers the last time the church bells rang in the small town of Saint August. Now, the Balkan village has been wiped out overnight167 brutal killings. Hellboy, world-renowned occult investigator, aims to lift a 780-year-old curse, in a tale of ghosts, werewolves, and crumbling chapels. Bethany Pope recommended this comic, saying: “It’s a remarkable, terribly mournful, deeply horrific story, brimming with monsters (who wear the skins of men) and infused with an atmospheric, gothic beauty. Also, Hellboy fights a werewolf. What more could you want?”
Saga of the Swamp Thing #21: “The Anatomy Lesson” (DC Comics, 1984 — Alan Moore, Stephen Bissette, John Totleben, Tatjana Wood, John Costanza): Jason Woodrue, formerly the Floronic Man, is released from prison and ordered to examine the remains of the Swamp Thing in order to uncover the secret of Alec Holland’s Bio-restorative formula. Kevin Rossi recommended this comic, saying: “”Swamp Thing is both natural and unnatural, human and inhuman. ‘Anatomy Lesson’ takes it a step forward and deploys this idea of duality with existential horror, a staple of gothic literature; the horror of the realization of one’s circumstances or existence.”
Afterlife with Archie (Archie Comics, 2013 — Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Francesco Francavilla, Jack Morelli): When Jughead’s beloved pet Hot Dog is killed in a hit and run, Jughead turns to the only person he knows who can help bring back his furry best friend—Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Using dark, forbidden magic, Sabrina is successful and Hot Dog returns to the land of the living. But he’s not the same… and soon, the darkness he brings back with him from beyond the grave begins to spread, forcing Archie, Betty, Veronica and the gang to try to escape from Riverdale! When recommending this, Brent Jackson said: “If I had to show someone visually what Halloween was, Francavilla’s art from Afterlife with Archie would be one of things I would show. The mood and tone Francavilla sets with just his colors alone is beautifully everything “all hallows” and his art is eerie and grotesque when it needs to be. If you like superbly well done zombie horror thrillers then Afterlife with Archie is for you.”
Immortal Hulk #23 (Marvel, 2019 — Al Ewing, German Garcia, Joe Bennett, Ruy José, Chris O’Halloran, Paul Mounts, and Cory Petit): Hulk joins forces with Harpy, Rick Jones, and Beta Flight but will it be enough to bring down General Fortean and his Hulkbusters? Tyson Yurai, who recommended this comic, says: “This issue captures the timelessness of the Elevil and destruction that The Hulk is capable of if he’s possessed by The One Below All as he will wander reality destroying life wherever it may be. There is nothing that can stop him. It’s both psychological and existential terror because NOTHING is safe.”
Damned, Cursed Children (Source Point Press, 2021 — Howard Wong, Josh Stafford, Robin Simon Ng): In the sudden aftermath of a series of horrifying attacks, a group of strangers are forced together in a city gone mad under the onslaught of an unimaginable terror! Children! Can they overcome every deeply ingrained human instinct and do the unimaginable to survive in a world overrun with Damned, Cursed Children? Mike Eakins recommended this comic, saying: “It harkens the spirits of EC Horror and does not miss a step. Black and white pages usher the horror in faster than Michael Myers can chase Lori Strode. A zombie tale filled with gore and jaw-dropping panels from front to back.”
Vampire: The Masquerade: Winter’s Teeth/Anarch Tales (Vault Comics, 2020 — Tim Seeley, Tini Howard, Blake Howard, Devmalya Pramanik, Nathan Gooden, David W. Mack, Aaron Campbell, Addison Duke, and AndWorld Design): When Cecily Baine, a courier for the Twin Cities Camarilla, takes a mysterious young vampire under her wing, she’s dragged into an insidious conspiracy. Will she be able to escape with her unlife and protect her aging, Alzheimer’s afflicted sister, or will she be yet another pawn sacrificed to the Masquerade? Meanwhile, an Anarch coterie investigates a vicious killing. Duna Haller, who recommends this comic, says: “It tackles vampires in one of the most interesting ways: by showing how no two vampires are the same and how their life affects and soaks their (un)death. From the political and emotional savvy of Seeley’s story to the intricacies of Howard’s depiction of a diverse set of vampires, it becomes more meaningful at every turn.”
