2023 is going to be a huge year for horror. We already have dancing robots making their entire budget back in a day at the box offices, with a ton more to come on the big screen. But it’s also going to be a huge year for horror in comics as well! While comics find a lot of their roots in the horror genre, it was something that went relatively under the radar for some time. In recent years it has made a huge resurgence. A number of indie publishers have begun to put out plenty of different types of horror books that everyone can enjoy.
Here are a few ongoing horror series, original graphic novels, and digital series to keep your eyes peeled for!
Nightfall: Double Feature
Vault Comics’ Nightfall imprint has made big waves in the pool of horror since its premiere a few years ago. The only logical step was to try something new with the comics format and present Nightfall: Double Feature, a series containing two ongoing tales of horror. The series aims to capture the drive-in movie experience. The first story, “The Cemeterians,” is written by New York Times Best-Seller Daniel Kraus with art by Maan House, which explores the mysterious appearance of bones in places they don’t belong. The second story, “Denizen,” is written by Tim Daniel and David Andry with art by Chris Shehan, where a cross-country road trip turns into a nightmare that the whole family can enjoy. The first 2 Issues are available now with the next coming in February.
The Nasty
Everyone had their imaginary friends when they were younger but imagine if your imaginary friend was Jason Voorhees. That is the elevator pitch for The Nasty by writer John Lees and artist George Kambadais. That imaginary friend has now followed the main character Thumper into his teenage years, where he hangs around a group of horror nerds called The Murder Club. The series will explore “video nasties,” which were films that became the target of the British Moral Decency League. Everything changes when the group gets one of these tapes for themselves, causing them to question what is real and what’s imaginary. The Nasty will be available in March from Vault Comics.
Blacula: Return Of The King
Rodney Barnes and Jason Shawn Alexander are well known as the dynamic duo of vampire comics thanks to their series Killadelphia, but they have set their sights on a new series, Blacula: Return of the King. The book is an adaptation and expansion of the classic 1972 blaxploitation film that brings it to the modern day, pushing boundaries with its contemporary setting for the film’s characters. The series follows two characters, one looking for vengeance and the other looking for truth. Neither of them knows they are searching for the same thing — Blacula. The comic is coming from Barnes’ own Zombie Love Studios in February.
Where Monsters Lie
The monster of the week format is something most people have grown to know well within the realm of television but with Kyle Starks and Piotr Kowalski’s Where Monsters Lie, readers will see it from a different angle. The series will follow Connor Hayes, who barely survived a slasher while at a summer camp in his youth. Years later, he once again narrowly escapes another psychopath who builds torture puzzles for his victims. Ever since, Connor has been training to take down those monsters. He is a special agent tasked with hunting down the monsters who nearly killed him and others like them. The comic will be available from Dark Horse Comics in February.
The Neighbors
Writer Jude Ellison S. Doyle teams up with artist Letizia Cadonici to bring a tale of queer horror about the terror that follows queer people trying to have a family in the modern world. Janet and Olive Gowdie move to a small town where their daughter Casey becomes part of a terrible chain of events that reveals the neighbors are not what they seem. It soon becomes clear that one of the neighbors has become a bit too curious about their younger child as well. The story has deep roots in Irish and English folklore and mythology, delivering a world where you never know who is what they say they are. The team hopes to bring a chilling tale about Changelings into the pages of this comic for readers to enjoy. The Neighbors will be available from BOOM! Comics in March.
Harrower
Many fans of horror are obsessed with the grotesque and monsters that many people are too afraid to look at. Those types of things may not exist in our small towns across the United States, but in Harrower, they do. In the small town of Harrower, New York is a killer who is like a real-life incarnation of the boogeyman (dubbed The Harrower) an entity that seems almost unkillable. Jessica Brink, the main character, is a teenage girl obsessed with The Harrower and uncovering his secrets. Justin Jordan and Brahm Revel’s series will examine one person’s obsession with morbidity through the deconstruction of the slasher genre. Harrower will be available from BOOM! Comics in February.
Know Your Station
What happens when Earth’s wealthiest people flee the planet for a private sanctuary in space while leaving everyone else for dead? Nothing good, I can tell you that right now because a murderer is hunting each of them down. Each issue centers on one of the space station employees and features a horrific kill to wrap your mind around. The series is written by Sarah Gailey with art by Liana Kangas and explores a sci-fi horror about some horrors that hit close to home. Liana Kangas’ unique art style brings a colorful flair to the horror genre that will leave readers wanting more. The comic is available from BOOM! Comics. The first two issues are available from BOOM! Comics with the next arriving in Febuary.
Double Walker
Nothing bad could ever happen on a carefree vacation, right? WRONG. Double Walker by Michael Conrad and Noah Bailey follows Cully and Gemma, who want to squeeze in one last getaway before their new baby arrives. They decide on the rainy, magical steeped Scottish Highlands for their romantic getaway. What was supposed to be fun soon turns into a paranoia-soaked violent chain of events that will stick with you long after you put it down. The book is available now in trade from Dark Horse Comics.
All Eight Eyes
Spinning out of last year’s comic horror magazine Razorblades, Steve Foxe and Piotr Kowalski bring you All Eight Eyes, which is a four-issue mini-series featuring plenty of creepy crawly giant spider horror. The series follows college dropout Vin Spencer who’s making his way through life in a drug and party-induced haze until he’s suddenly entangled in a web of war against arachnid horrors. Foxe’s previous work with spiders relied more on Spider-Man and less on spider monsters. Be sure to pick this one up from Dark Horse Comics starting on April 29th!
