2025’s Best Werewolf Story is Not What You Think

When it comes to the horror world, you’d be hard-pressed not to see another entry in the worlds of vampires and zombies coming down the pike. Thanks to the universes of Dracula, Night of the Living Dead, and The Walking Dead, the undead have received plenty of riveting stories under their belts. Unfortunately, there are often times when the same cannot be said for lycanthropes. Werewolves still have their time to shine on the screen, but it would be impossible to make the argument that they appear as much as their vampire brethren. Luckily, 2025 has given werewolf enthusiasts one of the best stories focusing on the supernatural beasts in recent memory, and it’s a shame that many might have missed it.

Earlier this year, writer and artist Zander Cannon introduced readers to the Image Comic, Sleep, a story that is as skin-crawling as the creature that stalks its pages. In the traditional werewolf story structure, the comic’s protagonist Jonathan Reason has a little wolf problem. Whenever the lead falls asleep, he leaves behind a trail of destruction that has made anyone living in his general vicinity a potential victim. The carnage caused by the mysterious beast is terrifying to look at, and it’s this creepy rampage that the true twist of the Sleep comic book series comes alive.

Werewolf stories traditionally have a hook that helps to push the lycanthropes to the forefront, and Sleep is no different. Each issue ends with Reason falling asleep, with the subsequent issue beginning as Jonathan awakens to see the damage his other self had caused. Cannon’s unique art style creates each scene with a combination of greyscale and a red tint that is usually saved for Reason’s glasses and/or the blood that was left in his wake. To date, readers have yet to see the monster itself in action, leaving many to wonder what Jonathan is transforming into and just how much horrific damage he is doing to those around him. Things have only gotten worse with each passing issue, and in recent chapters, new revelations have been discovered for both Jonathan and the other unfortunate residents of his town.

An Unseen Horror

While not seeing the carnage play out in the pages themselves might be seen as a detriment for some, horror has often relied on the idea of what you don’t see versus what you do. A perfect example is with Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a movie that has routinely been thought of as one of the bloodiest films of all time. While Leatherface and the Sawyer family certainly perform some wildly horrific actions, the movie itself isn’t as gruesome as many expect. It’s in the hinting of some of the more terrifying moments off-screen that can hit that much harder, and Sleep takes this same approach. Witnessing the devastation and painting the picture for yourself is quite effective in eliciting the Image Comic’s horror.

Sleep has been billed to house eight issues, with the sixth issue being the latest, looking to close out its story in the coming days. Without diving too deeply into spoiler territory, the latest issue has a conclusion that presents even more questions than answers, setting the stage for a bloody grand finale. In a world where werewolf movies might not come out as much as horror fans would like, Sleep feels like a story that plays on traditional tropes while injecting interesting new elements into the mix to create one of the best horror comics of 2025.

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