Comics
5 More Essential Horror Comics You Should Read
It seems as though more and more series and movies are delving into and pulling from the world of horror comics. Some of our most anticipated TV series heading our way this year are based on horror comics. There’s an overwhelming selection to choose from, and thanks to the ongoing trend of superheroes on screen, the world of comic books is still a treasure trove with plenty of stories waiting to be mined. It makes sense, because horror is a very visual form of storytelling, something integral to the comic book format. If you’re looking to get into horror comics, with hundreds to choose from, where do you start? These five essential comics are self-contained within one or two graphic novels (so far), making for an easy entrance into horror comics with minimal commitment.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
With writer/creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa busy with the Netflix series adaptation and also with the Riverdale series on CW, this fantastic comic has quite likely been abandoned. It’s a shame too, because it’s far darker and more gruesome than the Netflix series with great art by Robert Hack. Even better? Salem is much more prominent, who not only talks but is the voice of reason to Sabrina’s impulsiveness. Set in the 1960s, this comic deals with Sabrina’s teen years of balancing high school with Satanic witchery. But, unlike the show, this version is much, much heavier on the cannibalism and gory flesh-eating, and Sabrina’s parentage comes with a bleaker history. Plus, way more Madame Satan.
Severed
Set in 1916, 12-year-old Jack Garron runs away from home to find his biological father. His journey finds him crossing paths with a friendly traveling salesman, one that happens to have rather sharp teeth and an appetite for children. Written by Scott Snyder and illustrated by Attila Futaki, Severed is a self-contained story comprised of 7 issues bound in one graphic novel. Briskly paced, suspenseful, and featuring one of the creepiest serial killers on the prowl, this graphic novel is rendered even creepier, and bloodier, thanks to Futaki’s amazing artwork.
Plastic
If you like your horror with a twisted sense of humor, then Plastic is definitely for you. It follows retired serial killer Edwyn Stoffgruppen as he’s forced back into the serial killing game when his lady love Virginia is kidnapped by the henchmen of a rich Louisiana crime boss. There’s just one catch- Virginia is a sex doll. All five issues rolled into one graphic novel, Plastic was written by Doug Wagner, illustrated by Daniel Hillyard, and colored by Laura Martin. Edwyn toggles the line between endearing and horrifically bloodthirsty, the precise antihero that makes this wacky tale so much fun. You’ll probably never look at donuts the same.
Through the Woods
A collection of five horror stories written and illustrated by Emily Carroll, Through the Woods is a gothic fairy tale-like collection of spooky stories that invokes the same type of unease as Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, in that creepy illustrations combined with stories that effectively induces fear and results in sleeping with the lights on. It’s not graphic or gory, but more unsettling, atmospheric stories of horror. Brooding, morbid, and full of beautiful artwork, Through the Woods is one of the most unique horror comic books.
Ice Cream Man
Launched in June of last year, this genre-defying anthology series is now 8 issues (2 graphic novels) deep. Weaving the tales of addiction, misery, existential horror, sci-fi musical fantasy, an arachnophobe’s worst nightmare, and much more is the bizarre Ice Cream Man, a friend or foe depending on your tastes. He’s got every flavor, too. Surreal, weird, horrific, and more, Ice Cream Man is written by W. Maxwell Prince and illustrated by Martin Morazzo. If you want a lot of variety to your anthology, this is the winner.
Comics
‘You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive’ – IDW Dark’s Next Horror Comic Will Make You Question Reality
Five friends. Four houses. One perfect life. Bloody Disgusting is excited to exclusively announce You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive, a brand new horror comic from IDW Dark.
From Eisner-Nominated writers Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, and rising horror artist Heather Vaughan, You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive is described as a “paranoia-laced, socially-conscious, horror mystery that will leave you questioning reality, and reveal that this crafted world is more of a nightmare than the idealistic dream they were expecting.”
Phoebe Joplin has never questioned the world her parents built: a secluded community where she and her friends were raised to be smarter, stronger, and better than anyone else. No distractions. No dangers. No secrets. Until the night of their graduation.
When one of them dies under impossible circumstances, Phee starts to pull at the edges of her perfect life—and what she finds is something far more terrifying than she ever imagined.
Because this place isn’t a sanctuary. It’s a cage. And no one who discovers the truth ever leaves it alive.
Collin Kelly & Jackson Lanzing (Batman – One Bad Day: Clayface, Star Trek: The Last Starship) co-write the upcoming IDW Dark horror comic, featuring art by Heather Vaughan.
Jackson Lanzing said in a statement to Bloody Disgusting, “You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive is in many ways a spiritual successor to our last creator-owned horror, The Principles of Necromancy – a dive into the promise and consequence of playing god with the blood of innocents. But the Hivemind book this reminds me of most is Clayface: One Bad Day. This is a deeply human story with intensely raw emotions – five best friends and their five mysterious parents, tearing one another apart for the promise of some impossible glory that’s waiting just beyond their darkest actions. We’re thrilled to be bringing this story to life with our long-time partner in crime, editor Heather Antos, at IDW Dark – and we’re particularly excited to give our Clayface fans a new, brutal and emotional horror made just for them.”
Adds Collin Kelly, “We’re deconstructing a feeling that seems universal these days; our elders have a death grip on their power, without any intention of giving it up to the generations that come next. YNLTPA is about growing up with the limitless potential of the future… and realizing how much it’s a lie we’ve been fed to keep us under the yoke of the past. Bringing this brutal experience to life is our artist and co-creator, Heather Vaughan, who brings an incredible amount of humanity to our cast. But it’s in our youthful leads that Heather’s art really shines – you are going to fall in love with these young people, even as they go through the worst experience of their lives. What we’ve all crafted together is going to be tragic, painful, but above all else, sincere – with a future so uncertain, there’s only one thing we can trust: you’ll never leave this place alive.”
“Some horror stories are about monsters in the dark. YNLTPA is about realizing the monsters raised you,” previews Senior Group Editor Heather Antos. “Working with Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly on this series has been a dream in the darkest possible way. They’ve built a story that’s layered, brutal, and deeply emotional, and every issue gives artist Heather Vaughan opportunities to push the art into places that feel both haunting and deeply personal. Some horror comics will keep you up at night…this is one that will stick with you for years to come.”
The first issue of You’ll Never Leave This Place Alive goes on sale October 14, 2026! Make sure to pre-order at your local comic shop by September to guarantee a copy.
Exclusively check out the various covers for Issue #1 down below.
IDW Publishing’s horror imprint IDW DARK features comics like A Quiet Place: Storm Warning, Smile: For the Camera, The Exorcism at 1600 Penn, Beneath The Trees Where Nobody Sees, The Twilight Zone, Event Horizon: Dark Descent & Event Horizon: Inferno, and more.
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