Despite being commonly associated with superhero stories, modern comic books have been promoting some of the most unique voices in all of horror fiction for years now. While part of this trend has to do with the fact that the medium is capable of telling chilling stories without the need for expensive special effects and studio-backed budgets, I believe that this creative boom is also the result of a new generation of talented storytellers wanting to fight back against the oversaturation of superhero media in comics.
If there’s one publisher that’s been championing the horror genre from the very beginning, it has to be Dark Horse Comics.
Dark Horse rose to prominence thanks to a memorable run of licensed titles (including Aliens vs Predator and even the Terminator franchise), but the publisher has since made a name for itself by releasing creator-owned classics like Hellboy that blend horror and fantasy for a more mature audience.
This year continued the company’s winning streak, with Dark Horse releasing enough original horror media to make the ghost of EC Comics blush. However, with so many spooky comics to choose from (and with options ranging from disturbing H.P. Lovecraft adaptations to dark fables and even true-crime biographies), it’s only natural that some readers might end up unsure of what to get for themselves -or a friend- this holiday season.
Here’s a handy guide meant to help discerning horror fans decide which publications to dig into according to their taste in horror movies!
So strap in as we match you with a great comic book based on your favorite scary movies, and don’t forget to comment below with your own horror comic recommendations if you’ve read something particularly scary this year.
For even more, explore the vault of Dark Horse horror for cosmic terror, supernatural chills, and more reads that will keep you up at night. Build your horror library here.
Love these horror movies? Here’s what you should read to pair with them.
6. If You Love Dagon (2000)…
You Should Read:H.P. Lovecraft’s The Shadow Out of Time, H.P. Lovecraft’s The Colour Out of Space, and Arkham Horror: The Terror at the End of Time
The works of H.P. Lovecraft are notoriously difficult to translate to the big screen, so fans like myself tend to rejoice whenever a film gets most of one of the author’s stories right. That’s why Dagon has such a cult following, and if you love Stuart Gordon’s pulpy yet faithful Lovecraft adaptation, then I’m fairly certain that you’ll also enjoy the Trade Paperback release of Gou Tanabe’s tributes to the Cthulhu Mythos – as well as Cullen Bunn’s Arkham Horror tie-in comic that brings the infamous board game to life via an original miniseries!
While Tanabe’s adaptations of The Shadow Out of Time and The Colour Out of Space will appeal more to diehard Lovecraft fans who want to see the original stories faithfully retold in a brand-new medium, Arkham Horror: The Terror at the End of Time skillfully taps into the action-packed side of pulpy terror usually reserved for weird fiction magazines and tabletop role-playing games.
5. If You Love Good Boy (2025)…
You Should Read: Beasts of Burden Omnibus
Ben Leonberg terrified animal lovers earlier this year with the release of his dog-focused ghost story Good Boy, but if you’re still in the mood for more spooky fables about canine protagonists fighting the forces of evil while showing off how adorable they are, then I’d recommend the omnibus Evan Dorkin’s Eisner Award-winning Beasts of Burden.
A deceptively charming mix of urban fantasy and horror that follows a group of dogs (and one unlucky cat) living in the suburbs of Burden Hills, this comic series sees our animal protagonists dealing with tragic ghost stories, eldritch rituals, and more – all the while providing readers with a fresh (and furry) perspective on familiar genre tropes.
Just be warned that pet owners will likely shed a tear or two before the end of the book!
4. If You Love Crimson Peak (2015)…
You Should Read: Séance in the Asylum and Our Brilliant Ruin: Horror at Crane Mansion
Original tales of Gothic Horror are hard to come by in the world of film these days, but since comic books don’t have to deal with expensive sets and costumes, there are actually quite a few modern graphic novels following in the tradition of Poe and Jackson. And if you like the moody terrors of period pieces like Guillermo Del Toro’s Crimson Peak, Dark Horse has got you covered with comics like Séance in the Asylum and Our Brilliant Ruin: Horror at Crane Mansion.
Clay McLeod Chapman’s Séance is a classic tale of spiritualism gone wrong, where a medium attempts to use her preternatural gifts to conduct therapy on victims of the American Civil War. On the other hand, Cullen Bunn’s Horror at Crane Mansion is an Edwardian parable taking place in the Our Brilliant Ruin tabletop RPG setting, with this class-conscious horror story following a private investigator who gets caught up in a supernatural conspiracy while working on a seemingly routine case.
If you ask me, both of these titles are worth reading due to their impeccable worldbuilding and excellent use of atmosphere!
3. If You Love Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996)…
You Should Read: Dr. Werthless
We’ve previously featured Joe Berlinger’s true crime opus on our list highlighting six spooky documentaries for horror fans, but The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills is far from the only true story out there that’s liable to give you nightmares. In fact, the latest collaboration between true crime author Harold Schechter and celebrated comic-book artist Eric Powell (the same duo behind the excellent Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done?) will likely haunt comics fans for years to come.
Chronicling the life and controversies of Dr. Fredric Wertham, a radical psychiatrist who specialized in the humane treatment of violent offenders (including real-life bogeymen like Albert Fish) and later became known for sparking an irrational witch-hunt which forever changed the comic-book industry, Dr. Werthless unearths the complex history of a man who genuinely thought he was helping the nation’s youth but didn’t think twice about taking advantage of vulnerable patients in order to make a name for himself.
Just be warned that this book deals with extremely sensitive subject matter!
2. If You Love The Legend of Boggy Creek (1972)…
You Should Read: Let This One Be a Devil Volume 1 and Rat God
Monster movies are fun, but monster movies where the creature is more of an eldritch presence than a mere beast are absolutely terrifying. That’s why I love Charles B. Pierce’s “docudrama” about the Sasquatch-inspired “Fouke Monster”. And if you’re also a fan of stories about mythical cryptids and how they affect the community surrounding them, you should definitely check out Volume 1 of Let This One Be a Devil – James Tynion IV and Steve Foxe’s chilling retelling of the legend of the Jersey Devil.
On that note, while it’s more inspired by Native American folklore than cryptozoology, I’d also recommend Richard Corben’s gorgeous Lovecraftian pastiche Rat God to folks who enjoy monster stories where the characters and setting are just as important as the creature driving the narrative (especially if you were a fan of V/H/S/94’s Raatma segment).
1. If You Love Trick ‘r Treat (2008)…
You Should Read: Bowling with Corpses and Other Strange Tales from Lands Unknown
I’ve always loved interconnected anthologies that feel more like a pre-planned work of fiction than a patchwork of unrelated short films, so it’s only natural that I’m a huge fan of Michael Dougherty’s Trick ‘r Treat. And fortunately for my fellow anthology enthusiasts, Hellboy creator Mike Mignola has returned to the world of short-form horror yarns with his new book Bowling with Corpses and Other Strange Tales from Lands Unknown.
A retro collection of original folklore that feels like it was ripped straight from the history books of some alternate dimension, Bowling with Corpses will appeal to anyone who’s ever wished that the Brothers Grimm were still alive and writing. It’s also further proof that Mignola is a master of his craft, regardless of whether or not he’s working with established characters like Hellboy or creating brand-new worlds full of magic and mystery.
Dive deeper into the vault of Dark Horse horror for cosmic terror, supernatural chills, and more reads that will keep you up at night. Build your horror library here: https://www.darkhorse.com/search/horror/
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