by the BoC team and our guests
Here at Bitches on Comics we love horror! We love it so much! And to celebrate our deep love of horror this spooky season, we’ve compiled some of our favorite horror comics–and asked our guests this month to join in the fun! From throwback tales of romance and horror to modern explorations of grief, we’ve gathered the comics that bring thrills and chills!
Grab your favorite pumpkin, put on that Ghostface mask, and settle in for some truly seasonally appropriate comics and graphic novels!
I Walk With Monsters – recommended by Sara Century
Written by Paul Cornell, art and covers by Sally Cantirino, colors by Dearbhla Kelly, and letters by Andworld Design
I Walk With Monsters is a story about healing the monsters that live inside us all. Great writing, great art, great story! Getting deep into how difficult it can be to let go of the worst things that ever happened to us and how we all need to do that to move forward, to be better people. – Sara Century
Black Hole Heart – recommended by Priya Saxena
By Cathy G. Johnson
I love how Black Hole Heart is brief and fairly simple yet haunting. It really captures the feeling of being a teen frustrated at the lack of control you have over your life. Add a confusing female friendship, and mwah! Chef’s kiss! – Priya Saxena
Lucifer – recommended by Hailey Piper
Written by Mike Carey with art by various, including peter Gross, Scott Hampton, Ryan Kelly, Dean Ornston, Chris Weston, and James Hodgkins
Mike Carey’s Lucifer follows DC’s Lucifer, who runs a piano bar in L.A. rather than tormenting sinners, but his commitment to free will causes endless problems. Hard to sum this one up because it’s an EPIC! And those COVERS 😍 – Hailey Piper
Catch the ever-insightful Hailey Piper talking about her new book A Light most Hateful on Bitches on Comics Episode 167: I More Enjoy Messy Characters in Fiction.
Poison Ivy: the Virtuous Cycle – recommended by Sara Century
Written by G. Willow Wilson, art by Marcio Takara, colors by Arif Prianto
Ivy struggles with her own complicated morality while combatting humanity’s destruction of the natural world. Ivy & Harley are IN LOVE & much of Ivy’s narration is a love letter to her. Body horror, ethical questions, all the good stuff. – Sara Century
Return of the Living Deadpool – recommended by S.E. Fleenor
Written by Cullen Bunn, art by Nik Virella, letters by VC’s Joe Sabino
If you ever wondered what Deadpool would do about zombies, then you should read Night of the Living Deadpool. If you’ve read that and/or want to know why zombies are the perfect match for Deadpool, then you must read Return of the Living Deadpool. This wild comic is horror comedy in the truest sense: funny and scary with Deadpool-y violence and beautiful, almost-tragic art. Think Deadpool, zombies, Zombie Deadpool, and Deadpool zombies–what else do you need? – S.E. Fleenor
Destroyer – recommended by Stephanie Williams
Written by Victor LaValle, art by Dietrich Smith, letters by Jim Campbell, Colors by Joana Lafuente
Destroyer starts with the question “What if Frankenstein’s monster was still alive?” and unfolds into a stunning, complex tale of grief and creation.
Make sure to check out Stephanie Williams’ interview where she talks Destroyer, her upcoming book Strange and Unsung All-Stars of the DC Multiverse, and so much more on Bitches on Comics Episode 168: A Good Gory Bloody Time.
A Guest in the House – recommended by Jasmine Walls
By Emily Carroll
One horror book that caught my attention right away is Emily Carroll’s “A Guest in the House”, which has absolutely stunning art, deft writing, and I still find myself occasionally staring off into space thinking about that ending. – Jasmine Walls
Make sure to read our delightful print interview with Jasmine Walls and Teo DuVall where they discuss their new graphic novel Brooms.
Through the Woods – recommended by Teo DuVall
By Emily Carroll
Funnily enough, I was also going to recommend an Emily Carroll book. This one is “Through the Woods,” a collection of stories that are unnerving, foreboding and visually decadent. – Teo DuVall
Check out our insightful print interview with Teo DuVall and Jasmine Walls where they discuss their new graphic novel Brooms.
A Gift for a Ghost – recommended by Sara Century
By Borja González
A Gift for a Ghost deserves way more hype. It’s about the parallel lives of two groups of teen girls in different time periods (AND GHOSTS). A Gift for a Ghost is one of the most hauntingly beautiful comics I own. Bought it for its aesthetic and never looked back. – Sara Century
The Low, Low Woods – recommended by S.E. Fleenor
Written by Carmen Maria Machado, art by Dani, colors by Tamra Bonvillain, letters by Steve Wands
With stunning visuals and gritty, surreal colors, The Low, Low Woods is the kind of horror that makes you wonder what’s happening underneath the ground you walk on–and why exactly you should be afraid of the forest. Scary, sweet, queer as all get out, and not to be missed! – S.E. Fleenor
Make sure to catch Carmen Maria Machado talking The Low, Low Woods and everything else on Bitches on Comics Episode 131: The filter of non-realism.
Tokyo Babylon – recommended by K-Ming Chang
By Clamp
We asked for horror recs for our listeners and K-Ming Chang cited Tokyo Babylon by CLAMP. Couldn’t agree more! Gorgeous manga about siblings fighting to save Japan from supernatural threats. A real must-read! – Sara Century for K-Ming Chang
Don’t miss our insightful conversation with K-Ming Change where we talk about Wuthering Heights, Dracula, and her new book Organ Meats on Bitches on Comics Episode 169: Vampire season.
Parasyte – recommended by Sara Century
By Hitoshi Iwaaki
Parasyte is VERY well-known but I found it via the gorgeous hardcover reprints. Philosophical and gruesome, Shinichi and the alien parasite that has infected his hand, Migi, fight other parasites and debate the complexity of perspective. Migi is a symbiotic predator but as such asks some pretty salient questions about humanity along the way. Great! – Sara Century
Hellboy – recommended by Teo DuVall
Written and illustrated by Mike Mignola, colors by James Sinclair, letters by Pat Brosseau
A classic Hellboy read, “The Wolves of St August,” is one of my favorites to re-read during the spooky season. – Teo DuVall
Check out our super fun print interview with Teo DuVall and Jasmine Walls where they discuss their new graphic novel Brooms.
Abbott 1973 – recommended by S.E. Fleenor
Written by Saladin Ahmed, art by Sami Kivelä, colors by Mattia Iacono, letters by Jim Campbell
Abbott 1973 picks up right after Abbott left off. Our intrepid reporter Elena Abbott has defeated one villain, only to feel others rising in his place. A detective comic where the cops aren’t the good guys, body horror, 70s aesthetic, spooky art, and the very cool inclusion of excerpts from Elena’s articles make this one you don’t want to miss! – S.E. Fleenor
Wonder Woman: The Circle – recommended by K-Ming Chang
Written by Gail Simone, pencils by Terry Dodson, Bernard Chang, and Ron Randall, inks by Rachel Dodson, Bernard Chang, Ron Randall, and Jon Holdridge, colors by Alex Sinclair, I.L.L., Lee Loughridge, Pete Pantazis, letters by Rob Leigh, Travis Lanham, John J. Hill
Another horror comic recommendation from our guest K-Ming Chang: Gail Simone’s Wonder Woman: The Circle! It’s not considered a “horror comic” by most but we beg to differ! Any story where Cheetah or Circe appears is a horror comic tbh. It’s one of the great runs on the book and there’s a lot to dive into, so if you haven’t read it, you gotta! – Sara Century for K-Ming Chang
Don’t miss our insightful conversation with K-Ming Change where we talk about all things horror including her new book Organ Meats on Bitches on Comics Episode 169: Vampire season.
Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion – recommended by Sara Century
By Various Creative Teams
Didja know that DC Comics did a couple of gothic romance anthologies inspired by Dark Shadows in the 70s? Well, I’m here to tell you they did, they’re awesome, and you can read them on the DC Infinite app: Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion. As with everything from the 1970s, there are some implicit trigger warnings implied here, but the gorgeous art and off-kilter romance/horror stories are worth the jaunt through treacherous territory if you’re a fan of 70s genre comics. – Sara Century
Saga of the Swamp Thing – recommended by S.E. Fleenor
Written by Alan Moore, pencils by Stephen Bissette, inks by John Totleben, colors by Tatjana Wood, letters by John Costanza and Todd Klein
Saga of the Swamp Thing is one of those comic runs you just have to read. The story of the being who once was the man Alec Holland is one of body horror, self acceptance, and sex tubers told in remarkable, harrowing, creepy art. This run revolutionized the way we think of Swamp Thing and firmly situated them in my heart. – S.E. Fleenor
Don’t miss the very first episode of Bitches on Comics where we made Saga of the Swamp Thing our comic of the week.
Happy reading, comic nerds! We hope you get all the tricks and treats you desire!