3 Horror Comics To Read for Halloween

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Looking for a chilling Halloween read? These three comics should fit the bill.

1. The Crow: City of Angels



When Ashe and his young son, Danny witness a murder, the two of them are killed by gangsters. Sarah, a young tattoo artist, dreams of the killings, and goes to help Ashe, who is reborn as the spirit of vengeance known as The Crow.

The Crow started out as a comic series written by James O'Barr, first published in 1989, before being adapted into a movie in 1994. There are now three more films, including the 2024 reboot, and many more comics and novels. This one was adapted from the screenplay of the 1996 sequel, The Crow: City of Angels, and fully embraces the cheesy 90s goth vibe of the film.



Cards on the table, I have a fascination with this entire franchise which I really can't justify, so I enjoyed this one, although objectively it isn't very good. I don't think much of the art style, which makes Sarah a sort of generic woman shape instead of a distinct character with identifiable features. The plot is at least easy to follow, with some heavy handed exposition, but that's what you would expect from a Crow story.

The Crow: City of Angels is a limited series with three issues, first published in 1996 by Kitchen Sink. It's not terrible, but it's probably one just for fans who will enjoy any incarnation of The Crow.


2. Stay Awake



A psychologist specialising in sleep disorders is interviewed by a police detective about three of his former patients, all of whom have since died under mysterious circumstances.

Stay Awake is a horror comic written by Joseph Oliviera, the author of Beneath Us , and illustrated by Adrian Manuel Garcia. Issue #1 deals with the case of a woman who described being visited by 'the Hag', a creature often described by people suffering from sleep paralysis, which she believed to be real. The doctor was dismissive of her belief, but now she is dead he is not so sure any more.

I liked the sinister atmosphere of this first issue, which was fun, fairly traditional seeming, ghost story. It is available in digital or paper format from Afterlight Comics .

3. Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire



"Somewhere in the night, someone was writing".

This one still technically counts as a horror comic due to the subject matter, although it's on the silly side. Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire is a parody of Gothic horror tropes written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Shane Oakley. There are ghouls, ghosts, a mysterious butler and even a talking raven. The writer, who sits alone writing these "true to life" stories seems to be another author self insert, like the one in How To Talk To Girls At Parties .



The bombastic language is great fun, although I had to look up some of the words. I am definitely going to be calling my writing desk an 'escritoire' from now on. I also quite liked the art, which fits with the over the top style of the story.

Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire is a silly but witty comic. It could be a pleasant way to lighten the mood after reading or watching something actually scary.

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