Alright then, here comes the first post. No pressure.
It’s Halloween here today, so I thought I would share with y’all my top five horror/Halloween comic book series… Spooky.
Number 5 – Colder.
Coming in as the first entry on the list and 10th place is Dark Horse Comics ‘Colder’ written by Paul Tobin, and ilustrated by Juan Ferreyra.
Colder is a five-part horror comic mini-series that explores supernatural themes and insanity with the protagonist Declan Thomas who’s body temperature is so low, he should not be among the living anymore. After decades in a coma he awakens with a so-called cure for the insanity surrounding him, however, attracts the attention of Nimble Jack – A jester-like being who feeds on the minds of broken, fractured individuals. Colder’s art is chilling (no pun intended) and gory, striking horrific images into the eyes of readers. The story’s writing is one of a kind and definitely deserves a place on this list.
Number 4 – American Vampire.
4th on the list is an entry from Vertigo Comics. American Vampire is written by Scott Snyder, and illustrated primarily by Rafael Albuquerque and Sean Murphy.
American 
Vampire is an Eisner-Award winning series created by Scott Snyder. Having the stamp of ‘Snyder’ across any series is a sure sign for quality, the man hasn’t really created or written a bad story. This story depicts vampires as a population made up of different species and charts vampire evolution, and inter-species conflict throughout the eras. The focus of the story however, is a new bloodline of Vampires born in the 19th century; impervious to sunlight, and much faster and stronger than those before. The series tracks his movements over varying decades of American History. While American Vampire isn’t as horror-esque as the other entries to this list I had to reserve it a place. The art is staggering and the story is one of the most capturing I’ve ever read, I could barely put it down. Plus – Blood, gore, violence and legendary creatures.
Number 3 – Freaks of the Heartland.
Starting the count down of the top 3 now. Coming in at 3rd place is another entry from Dark Horse Comics written by Steve Niles and illustrated by Greg Ruth.
Freaks of the Heartland is a grizzly, gothic, and monstrous horror story set in a small Midwestern town where a young boy has been locked away by his older brother, Trevor Owen, for although his brother is only 6 years old he has vast super strength and towers over the rest of his family. The family’s secret of monstrosity is about to be revealed and unleashing a horrific truth about the town that the boys grew up in. Freaks of the Heartland really is a one of a kind, merging the emotional concepts of human fragility and grizzly monsters. Artist Greg Ruth captures a harrowing theme and we are subjected to a brutal reality unlike any horror that we have come to know.
Number 2 – Wytches.
2nd place on the list is an entry from Image Comics. Wytches is written by Scott Snyder and illustrated by Jock.
Wytches is second for many reasons, the art is harrowing and graphic, and the story is a suffocating, haunting, and monstrous. Wytches follows the Rook family, and particularly their daughter, Sailor. The story starts shortly after the family have moved across states to a small town called Litchfield after an event between Sailor and a bully named Annie, in the event Sailor was attacked and Annie went missing which provoked rumours than Sailor killed her. The family are largely unaware that the town is laced with supernatural secrets regarding its origins. The story pits Charlie Rook; a novelist, against ancient, satan-worshipping crones known as ‘Wytches’ which trade potions for human lives. Jock’s perfect work of decaying textures and scratchy overlays of landscapes create such an atmospheric feel, add in the superb writing of Snyder and you have a truly horrific comic series.
Number 1 – Crossed.
#1. The big one. The number 1 entry to my favourite horror comic-series is a master piece from Avatar Press. Crossed is written by Garth Ennis and illustrated primarily by Jacen Burrows.
Crossed is a mass-virus story unlike any of the rest. With most there is a feeling that good will win-over but not with Crossed, which makes it all the more terrifying. The story centres around a pandemic-virus that forces the infected to carry-out the most horrific things their mind can think of, it brings their worst thoughts to the front such as rape, cannibalism, murder, uncontrollably like they are possessed with an insatiable desire for these monstrous things, nothing is off the table and around every turn is new disaster, unwinnable odds, and grizzly endings for our survivors. Carriers of the virus are known as the ‘Crossed’ due to large cross-like rashes that appear on their faces, the virus spreads across the world and the carriers rape, kill, maim for fun. A massive, and winning difference between Crossed and other virus-involving stories is that the infected, while horrific and monster-like in nature, still retain a basic level of human intelligence: thus, they are still capable of using firearms and tools, driving motor vehicles, setting complex traps, and other actions. This gives a greater depth to the horrors that unfold, the art is gruesome and disgusting but I can’t put it down; the story dives deep into how far someone would go to survive and captures a great emotional response within the reader. Tension builds in the story that I have rarely found in other comics, if any. Crossed delivers a truly heart-wrenching, scaring, and suspense filled story that is unlike any other horror comic.
That concludes my top 5 list of favourite horror/Halloween comic-book series, what titles would be a part of your top 5?
Advertisements Share this:
