AMC is quickly becoming the place to go on television for a great dose of terror. It has been the longtime home of The Walking Dead, pushing boundaries for gore and action over the course of eight seasons so far. However, last week AMC upped its game and ambitions with the start of a new miniseries: The Terror. Based on Dan Simmons’ titanic novel, the series follows explorers seeking the legendary northwest passage who must confront terrible threats, both human and inhuman, as they are isolated in the Arctic. The novel was a huge hit with both literary and horror critics, and it appears the new series carries all of the same potential.
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The producers at AMC understand what it takes to bring horror to television effectively. Both the visual effects of monsters and gore, as well as subtler elements of tone and casting are built into these series. It’s what makes them an obvious network for future ambitious endeavors within the genre, and it’s what makes us want to see them adapt more horror comics. If The Walking Dead ends or AMC decides to double-down on horror television, these are eight great comics series that would be perfect for the network to adapt next.
Wytches
Written by Scott Snyder
Art by Jock
Published by Image Comics
While only one story (and a handful of backups in Image+) have been released, Snyder and Jock have crafted a mythos ripe for exploitation in a television series. This reimagining of witchcraft as the arcane arts practiced by an offshoot of humanity is truly terrifying. There’s the witches themselves, twisted reflections of people with extra eyes and long teeth. They function best like xenomorphs, left in the shadows until a quick and gorey reveal. Yet it’s the acts of people that make this concept truly horrifying, as only a friend, family member, or neighbor can pledge someone else as a sacrifice…
House of Penance
Written by Peter Tomasi
Art by Ian Bertram
Published by Dark Horse Comics
The legend of the Winchester Mystery House was recently adapted to film in Winchester, but it left a lot to be desired. If you’re not sure why that is, then just check out the miniseries House of Penance. This story gets to the heart of the legend, making it clear that the real horrors of the mansion are not the ghosts attracted from a century of killing, but the makers and dealers of the weapons used in their slaughter. It’s a mood-heavy piece packed with different characters and historical connections. A showrunner could easily expand upon this ghostly narrative to craft an ongoing series about the legacy of violence.
Rachel Rising
Created by Terry Moore
Published by Abstract Studios
This is a series with as perfect of a hook for a television pilot as you’ll find. It begins with Rachel rising from a shallow grave with no clue as to how she got there. From that initial mystery, the story sprawls to include an entertaining cast of characters, witchcraft and demons, and an even-grander conspiracy. There’s a lot for viewers from all different backgrounds to sink their teeth into, whether it’s the character-driven drama or well-crafted lore of the small town setting. Almost every Terry Moore comic could provide a good premise for television, but none of them offers a better one than Rachel Rising.
Fatale
Written by Ed Brubaker
Art by Sean Phillips
Published by Image Comics
Fatale offers a new take on some of the core elements of Rachel Rising. The series still centers on a woman unsure of her role in a greater, demonic conspiracy. However, it goes to far darker places and sprawls across different decades of American history. This story has the ability to develop an anthology in the style of Fargo or American Horror Story with some overlapping threads of plot all in vastly different settings. As a conspiracy thriller, Lovecraftian adventure, or historical travelogue, Fatale is packed with potential.
Fell
Written by Warren Ellis
Art by Ben Templesmith
Published by Image Comics
If you’re interested in the cross-section of horror and conspiracy, there are few better comics than Fell. While the series didn’t last for long, it established a landscape in which everything was a clue and nothing was safe. Following Detective Richard Fell’s transfer to Snow City, readers learn about the urban landscapes oddities right alongside him. This story emphasizes a constant unease with only brief revelations of the terror that rests just below the surface. It’s a potent, dark tone that could be unbearably creepy on television.
American Vampire
Written by Scott Snyder
Art by Rafael Albuquerque
Published by Vertigo Comics
Another great opportunity for an anthology-horror series lies in the pages of American Vampire. While a few key characters, like Skinner Sweet, tie the entire narrative together, each new arc emphasizes a different style of story in a different era. A showrunner could go crazy exploring their favorite moments in American history while adding new vampires and bits of lore in each decade. AMC knows how to put together a historical look as shown with series like Mad Men, maybe it’s time to add some vampires to the mix as well.
Revival
Written by Tim Seeley
Art by Mike Norton
Published by Image Comics
The start of Revival bears some resemblance to Rachel Rising with a girl coming back from the dead to find her murderer. This series brings back a lot more dead folk in a town packed with mysteries and soon to be overrun by the military though. It’s a thriller much more in line with a series like Homeland. That means lots of characters, subplots, and other key elements to hold viewers’ attention every week. It’s an incredibly busy story with a sense of paranoia that feels increasingly apropos for modern times.
Locke & Key
Written by Joe Hill
Art by Gabriel Rodriguez
Published by IDW Publishing
Locke & Key has been in development for television and film multiple times, with multiple pilot episodes shot. Outside of a screening at San Diego Comic-Con in 2011 though, nobody has ever actually witnessed the potential of a live-action adaptation of this series. That’s too bad because it would be perfect for television. Locke & Key offers a lovable core cast of teen characters in a coming-of-age story set against an old mansion with apocalyptic secrets. It’s one of the best horror comics of the past decade and a guaranteed hit — if it ever makes it beyond a pilot.
