The Guide - Part 3

Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel (2010)– Garth Hale is sucked into the mysterious land of Ghostopolis, the city of ghosts.  He must now journey to find his way out all while avoiding the evil dictator that rules that land.  It has a cartoonish art style with a dark palette of colors.  A good YA graphic novel.

Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol (2011)– Anya’s new friend is great.  The problem is, she has been dead for the past 100 years.  A great YA graphic novel with a cartoon style in black and white.

Death Jr. by Gary Whitta and Ted Naifeh (2005)– During a school trip, Death Jr. releases something terrible into the world and it is up to him and his friends to stop it.  The style and themes are like a Tim Burton movie put onto paper.  A good YA graphic novel.

The Goon, vol.1: Nothin’ but Misery by Eric Powell (2003)– A priest is amassing an army of the undead and only the Goon can stop him.  This is a good blend of comedy, action, and horror into one comic.

Boneyard, vol.1 by Richard Moore (2005)– Michael Paris recently inherited a plot of land in the remote town of Raven Hollow.  It turns out it is a cemetery filled with all kinds of supernatural beings that the villagers want out of their town.  But after meeting some of these beings, he realizes that maybe the evil the villagers sense is somewhere else in the town.  A spoof of the horror genre.

30 Days of Night, vol.1 by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith (illustrator) (2007)– In a secluded town in Alaska, once a year, the residents live in darkness for thirty days and thirty nights.  Out of the wasteland comes an evil that threatens to kill everyone in the town.  It is up to the sheriff and deputy (husband and wife) to decide between their own survival or protecting the town they love.  A great vampire comic for more mature readers.

The Walking Dead, vol.1: Days Gone Bye by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore (illustrator) (2006)– An epidemic has swept the globe that causes the dead to rise on feast upon the living.  Rick Grimes finds himself to be one of the few remaining survivors.  A good version of the zombie survival story that focuses more on the people trying to survive.  Done all in black and white.

Locke & Key, vol.1: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez (illustrator) (2008)– An updated take on Lovecraftian style horror stories.  This book, set in New England, tells of a mansion that is home to a horror beyond imagining.

The Guide - Part 2

Roots of the Swamp Thing by Len Wein, Bernie Wrightson (illustrator), and Nestor Redondo (illustrator) (2009)– The stories within feature the early days of Swamp Thing, from first appearance to the first 13 issues of his own series.  Swamp Thing stories involve everything from classic horror to science fiction.  Great for those curious about where this horror hero came from.

Swamp Thing, vol.1: Saga of the Swamp Thing by Alan Moore , Stephen R. Bissette (illustrator), and John Totleben (illustrator) (1998)– Before making his classic work, Watchmen, Moore wrote and revitalized Swamp Thing.  Taking this hero in a new direction, Moore used it discuss social and political issues while still telling a great horror story.  Look for great, if sometimes trippy, artwork in this classic Vertigo Comics series.

Hellboy, vol.1: Seed of Destruction by Mike Mignola and John Byrne (2003)– Follow the exploits of the demon-turned-hero Hellboy in this, the first volume of his adventures.  Learn his origins and about a world where eldritch horrors are common place.  The art is dark and spellbinding, a perfect fit for the subject matter being told.

B.P.R.D., vol.1: Hollow Earth & Other Stories by Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden, Thomas E. Sniegoski, and Ryan Sook (2004)– The B.P.R.D.(Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense) is an organization existing within the same universe as Hellboy.  Their goal is to defend humanity from all the unseen evils that exist within the world.  The stories within this volume are the first to explore the adventures of Hellboy’s cohorts.

Hellblazer: Original Sins by Jamie Delano, John Ridgway (illustrator), and Alfredo Alcala (illustrator) (1997)– John Constantine lives in a world where the supernatural is real.  He is a great example of the jerk that has a good heart.  Expect a combination of noir and horror style storytelling in this series about the demon hunter, John Constantine.

Spawn Origins, vol.1 by Seth McFarlane (2009)– One of the great antiheroes of comic books is introduced in this first volume.  After dying, Al Simmons makes a deal with a demon named Malebolgia and becomes a hell spawn for his army.  Spawn is then sent back to Earth, but soon begins to rediscover his humanity.  An interesting take on the superhero concept.

Marvel Zombies by Robert Kirkman and Sean Phillips (illustrator) (2006)– In an alternate Marvel Universe, a virus has come down from space and infecting the world’s greatest superheroes.  Now, they are all flesh-eating monsters.  What will happen when they run out of food?  An interesting take on zombie and superhero stories.

Hack/Slash, vol.1: First Cut by Time Seeley, Stefano Caselli, and Federica Manfredi (2007)– This series explores one possible set of events that could come as the result of the end of a slasher movie.  Cassie Hack is the sole survivor of a vicious slasher named The Lunch Lady.  Now she travels the country with her partner, Vlad, trying to stop other slashers from doing what happened to her.  The art is sometimes shaky, but the story can make it worth the time to read.

Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson (illustrator) (2010)– In a sleepy town, it is up to a group of dogs and one cat to protect the town from the forces of evil.  They hunt down and fight any supernatural evil that threatens their town.

The Guide - Part 1

The EC Archives: Tales from the Crypt, vol.1 by Albert B. Feldstein, Johnny Craig, and Wallace Wood (2007)– The Crypt keeper leads the reader through this classic anthology of horror stories.  EC was known for its horror and was one of the targets for a congressional investigation into the content of comic books and their effects on youth.  While these stories may be on the tame side by today’s standards, they are still worth reading today.

The EC Archives: The Haunt of Fear, vol.1 edited by Bill Gaines (2011)– One of the books that EC released in its horror line of comics.  Like Tales from the Crypt, it was one of many titles that were attacked during the congressional hearings on comic books.  It is a good piece of comic book history.

Creepy Archives, vol.1 by various authors and artists, Shawna Gore (editor), Russ Jones (editor/contributor), Archie Goodwin (editor/contributor) (2008)– In the same tradition as Tales from the Crypt, Creepy was an anthology book that, thanks to its magazine status, was able to avoid the Comics Code Authority and not be censored as heavily.  The stories within are all takes on classic and modern horror stories.  Where this book really shines is the artwork within.  This is worth a look for any fan of horror.

Eerie Archives, vol.1 by various authors and artists, Shawna Gore (editor) (2009)– This sister publication to Creepy brings more of what one would expect from a horror comic of that time.  As with Creepy, Eerie shines in the amazing amount of work put into the art of each story.  Be prepared for all the macabre glory that is Eerie.

Showcase Presents: The House of Mystery, vol.1 by various authors and artists (2006)– A collection of 22 original issues of a classic horror anthology series.  Cain, the host, leads the reader through stories that lean towards the comic and over-the-top side of horror, but are good for those who want a glimpse into horror comics of that era.  Unfortunately, the comics are copied in black and white, but the amazing art still holds its charms.

Showcase Presents: The House of Secrets, vol.1 by various authors and artists (2008)– A collection of 18 original issues of a classic horror anthology series.  Abel takes the reader through a number of stories featuring everything from comic horror stories to pure horror.  The original comics are reproduced in black and white with all of the artwork still intact.  This volume is notable for having the first appearance of Swamp Thing.

House of Mystery, vol.1: Room and Boredom by Matthew Sturges and Bill Willingham with art by Luc Rossi (2009)– A reimagining of the classic series that takes place within a bar located in the House of Mystery.  The stories are told while the over-arching story is being told.  The art is interesting and appropriate for the genre.

Museum of Terror vol.1 by Junji Ito (2011)– This manga series explores a number of stories written by Japanese horror writer Junji Ito.  The first volume follows the Tomie stories he created.  Tomie is so beautiful that she drives all that are attracted to her into a killing frenzy that ends in her death.  She is then reincarnated and the process starts all over again.  The artwork is appropriately creepy for this genre.

Introduction

Tales from the Crypt #24

This readers advisory guide revolves around horror and supernatural comic books.  Horror comics have been around for quite some time and have an interesting history because of it.  During the congressional hearings that led to the Comics Code Authority, horror comics were one of those attacked for their content.  Horror, as a genre, is defined by suspense, eerie atmosphere, and the ability to cause fear in the reader.  The supernatural is anything that is not bound by the natural laws of the world, such as ghosts, demons, and other such creatures.

The target audience for this guide is primarily older teens to adults, sixteen years old and older.  Horror comics have the possibility of having a certain amount of gore and violence that would not be recommended for a younger audience.  Also, certain themes that occur within the horror genre may not be suitable for many under the age of sixteen.  But, there are a few titles, which shall be marked on the list, that are all right for an audience as young as twelve years old. 

In looking for these books, a number of different kinds of books were considered.  Anthologies were chosen due to the fact that some of the most famous titles, such as Tales from the Crypt, were this type of book.  They also give the reader a chance to have various types of stories without having to have an ongoing plot.  The superhero genre is very pervasive in American comics, therefore, many heroes that have horror and supernatural themes or origins were chosen to be included in this list.  Examples from the list include Hellboy and Spawn.  Some titles were also chosen due to their ability to cross multiple ages, like Ghostopolis and Anya’s Ghost.  Finally, anything else that followed traditional horror conventions or played around with the typical horror and supernatural formulas were a must for the list.  That is why 30 Days of Night and Boneyard are on the list.

Image from Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel

      All of the above books were chosen by searching through the GoodReads website and by personal knowledge.  GoodReads is an online community dedicated to reviewing books.  During my search, I looked through lists that pertained to horror comics and supernatural comics.  These lists proved helpful in selecting a number of titles on this list.  Some of the choices on the list, such as Hellboy and Swamp Thing, came from personal readings.  Other choices were made based on works that I already knew were popular, but I had never gotten around to reading.