There have been some great horror comics over the years, and some of the best have been outside of Marvel and DC’s main comic book lines. These comics come from a variety of sources, including Dark Horse Comics, Image Comics, IDW, Boom Studios, DC’s Vertigo imprint, and even Archie Comics. Each of these comic book lines has horror series that are not only spooky but sometimes absolutely terrifying, delivering some of the best horror storytelling in any medium. These also have some big names behind the comics, including Invincible creator Robert Kirkman, former X-Men writer Cullen Bunn, and former Batman writer Scott Snyder.
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From monster and zombie stories to haunted towns and terrifying witches, here is a look at the best horror comics that are not part of the Marvel or DC main comic book lines.
10) Harrow County
Harrow Country is a Dark Horse Comics series from former X-Men and Deadpool writer Cullen Bunn and BRPD: Hell on Earth artist Tyler Crook. Initially written as a serialized prose story called Countless Haints by Bunn, it was repurposed into a comic with Crook coming on board. The story follows Emmy Crawford, who learns on her 18th birthday that she is connected to the land around her and all the supernatural beings that live on it.
It turns out Emmy is a witch believed to be the reincarnation of Hester Beck, who has immense powers and can reshape all reality to her will. The Eisner-nominated Harrow County is a comic book series that blends folk horror and dark fantasy with a Southern Gothic atmosphere. There are 32 issues in the story, and a spinoff titled Tales from Harrow County explores the mythology after the main series ends.
9) Afterlife with Archie
It might seem hard to believe that a comic set in the world of Archie Andrews and his friends would rank as one of the scariest. However, anyone who follows the Archie Comics line knows that it specializes in horror, and it even spawned TV versions in Riverdale and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. The scariest of the brand is Afterlife with Archie. This was the first comic from the company to be sold only in comic book stores, not at newsstands, and much of that was due to its terrifying horror themes.
Afterlife with Archie is a Teen+ series that features realistic violence, gore, and disturbing images. There were 10 issues in the series, starting with Reggie accidentally killing Hot Dog with his car, and Jughead asking Sabrina to bring his dog back from the dead. She does, but it has horrific consequences when this starts a zombie outbreak. The series received critical acclaim and was one of the scariest and dread-filled comics of the 2010s.
8) Wytches
Released in 2014, Wytches is a six-issue comic book miniseries by Batman writer Scott Snyder and The Losers artist Jock. Released by Image Comics, Wytches tells the story of the Rook family, who move to a new town after their daughter is suspected of murdering a school bully, only to find that the town harbors supernatural secrets. When they soon learn about the wytches that ask people to pledge others to save themselves, the family’s trauma boils to the surface.
One of the most striking aspects of this series is Jock’s art, which is scratchy and chaotic, with a heavy use of dark colors that builds the sense of dread in the small-town setting. It also helps that Jock’s artwork never clearly shows the wytches, which makes their appearances even more terrifying. With Snyder’s story moving from slow-burning terror to intense moments of violence, this is a horror story that sticks with the reader long after finishing the series.
7) Fatale
Fatale is a comic book series that blurs the lines between crime noir and horror in fascinating ways. The series was written by Ed Brubaker and illustrated by Sean Phillips, who also worked together on the brilliant crime series Criminal, which ran for 24 issues between 2012 and 2014. The series follows the life of Jo, a femme fatale who appears to be immortal and has been around since the 1930s.
Jo has the supernatural power to hypnotize men to become infatuated with her, whether she wants it or not. These men will do anything for her, and often they will pay for this in tragically horrific ways. There are also horror elements with a cult that worships Lovecraftian gods, who are constantly pursuing Jo. Bouncing between the 1930s, 1950s, 1970s, and 1990s, Brubaker doesn’t mix horror and noir but explores all the areas where the genres overlap. Fatale received several Eisner Award nominations
6) Hellboy
Hellboy might be the most successful horror comic book of all time, thanks to its long-running storylines, crossovers, and both theatrical and small-screen adaptations. Mike Mignola created Hellboy for Dark Horse Comics in 1993, and since then, he has built an entire universe for Hellboy and his supporting cast. Hellboy is a half-demon found as a baby and rescued from the Nazis, only to be raised by Professor Trevor Bruttenholm, who started the BRPD.
Hellboy ended up working for the BRPD, an international non-governmental agency that searched out and battled evil forces, from demons and monsters to Nazis and sorcerers. Hellboy comics have been in a near-constant publication for 32 years now, and Mignola started creating BRPD comics in 2002 to supplement his regular series.
5) 30 Days of Night
30 Days of Night is the scariest vampire horror comic book ever written. The title explains the story’s primary focus. It takes place in a small town called Barrow, Alaska, where the sun never comes out for 30 days in a row. This means vampires never have to go into hiding and can feast for a month without stopping. The comics follow an elder vampire named Vicente, who heads to the town to stop the vampires before they reveal their kind’s existence.
A local sheriff named Eben injects himself with vampire blood to give him enhanced strength to fight Vicente, who also plans to kill the townspeople to keep the vampire’s existence a secret. Created by writer Steve Niles and artist Ben Templesmith, this three-issue series was a massive success and was even adapted into a movie. It was so successful that it also spawned several sequel series before finally wrapping up 11 years later.
4) Something Is Killing the Children
Something is Killing the Children is a Boom! Studios’ series that remains one of the best ongoing horror comics on the market today. James Yynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera created the series, which follows a woman named Erica Slaughter as she hunts monsters that are killing children. Erica is one of the best horror comic heroes, a damaged woman who hunts monsters and does what she does because she is the only one who can save the children.
The artwork is disturbing in the best ways, with Dell’Edera’s monsters appearing as horrifically twisted beings that look and feel predatory. Add in the overarching Order of St. George and Erica’s toy octopus Octo, who has his own secrets, and there are a lot of great horror tropes in this series to unpack.
3) The Walking Dead
There isn’t a bigger crossover property in horror comics than The Walking Dead. Robert Kirkman’s black-and-white zombie series was already a massive success when Frank Darabont created the first season of the AMC television series based on it. Since that time, The Walking Dead has told its entire story in comics and on TV, and there are now televised spinoffs continuing the story.
As for the comics, new color versions of the issues are also coming out, so new fans can discover why the comics were so great. The series follows Rick Grimes and his family and friends as they try to survive the zombie apocalypse and the evil humans left behind while seeking a new place to call home. The comics have a very different ending from the TV show, and it is well worth reading for horror comic book fans.
2) American Vampire
While Vertigo Comics is a DC Comics imprint, its status as a non-mainline DC brand with adult content means it remains distinct from the main comic line. That said, American Vampire is one of the best horror comics that all fans of the genre should read. Skinner Sweet is easily one of the best vampires in comics, and he rivals even most vampires in movies and on TV shows.
This comic book series features vampires living in private as part of many different species, some of whom hold considerable positions of power. The comics follow Skinner Sweet, a vampire from the Wild West, and Pearl Jones, a young silent-film actress in the 1920s who was turned into a vampire. Scott Snyder started the series, and Stephen King even wrote some of the stories. With 68 issues, there is a lot to dig into, and the entire series is a brilliant look at vampires from a very different perspective.
1) Locke & Key
Locke & Key is a horror comic written by Joe Hill, the son of Stephen King, and the author responsible for the short story that became the movie franchise The Black Phone. The series follows the Locke family, who move into the family’s ancestral home after their father is murdered. When they arrive, the three kids discover keys that open rooms in the house that are supernatural and demonic in nature.
Gabriel Rodriguez provides the art for the series, which ran for 37 issues, with an eight-issue spinoff. With a vengeful demon possessing the youngest child, time travel to the American Revolution, and the keys unlocking rooms that are both supernatural and fantastical in nature, this is one of the most inventive and brilliant horror comic books ever published.
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Image courtesy of Focus Features.
