2013 was a good year for horror comics. Not only was there as huge resurgence in licensed characters, but the world of creator-owned comics is still expanding and with writers/artists looking to control their creations now more than ever we can expect original and hard hitting comics to continue, just like they did this year. There was a big crop of things to choose from, but I think I've covered all the bases, not just in terms of quality but in the forms of horror on display.
Best Horror Comics of 2013
Shock Till You Drop's Spencer Perry looks at the best horror comics of 2013.
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#10
Cryptozoic Man: As seen on AMC's Comic Book Men, Cryptozoic Man combines some of the most interesting facets of modern conspiracies and myths into one giant trippy tale that leaves more questions than answers, in a good way. Walt Flanagan's art is some of the most bizarre and twisted creations I've seen in a comic this year with little to compete with its disturbing nature.
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#9
God is Dead: When all the gods from history descend on the Earth to lay claim to it all. From the mind of Jonathan Hickman and Mike Costa, God is Dead is told on an epic scale as gods rip other gods to pieces, and the humans try to fight back. Catch up before all hell breaks loose.
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#8
Ten Grand: One of the first comics from J. Michael Straczynski revived “Joe's Comics,” Ten Grand isn't you typical supernatural detective story, a genre that has seen its fair share of comics over the years. Straczynski has managed to make this one of the most moving horror comics of the year while artists Ben Templesmith and CP Smith cemented it as one of the most memorable.
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#7
Grindhouse - Doors Open After Midnight: If you want the best schlock for your buck entertainment, Grindhouse is for you. Written by Alex de Campi, the series presents two issue stories from different artists that each inhabit a perfect throwback to the best kind of B-movies, not to mention the posters for other false movies that bookend the issues.
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#6
The Wake: Even though Scott Snyder's work on Batman is having its praises sung throughout the internet, I think some of his best plotting as a story teller is happening in his Vertigo horror series The Wake. Along with Punk Rock Jesus creator Sean Murphy, the pair have created a monster tale that for its first half feels like John Carpenter's The Thing and for its upcoming second an underwater version of Road Warrior.
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#5
Ash and the Army of Darkness: There are a lot of Army of Darkness comics, and most of them are awful. So when Dynamite announced that “30 Days of Night” creator Steve Niles was working on the next title, I was happy, because he has made it work. Functioning as a direct sequel to Army of Darkness, the new series requires no knowledge of the other comics and feels right at home with Raimi's Evil Dead opus. A must read for fans.
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#4
Hoax Hunters - Case Files: A stand-alone one-shot in one of Image comics best ongoing series, this issue has several different creators telling very quick stories. Set in the world of Hoax Hunters, a group protecting cryptids and monsters disguised as a reality show that debunks cryptids and monsters, the creators tackle some of the best modern urban legends that love to get passed around, like all those Bill Murray stories....
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#3
Swamp Thing: 2013 has been the year of the Swamp Thing. Featuring the end of Scott Snyder's “Rotworld” storyline and jumping into Charles Soule's “The Seeder,” Swamp Thing is not only one of the best comics being published at DC but it is one of the best monster comics of the year.
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#2
Locke & Key: Omega/Alpha - Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez brought us the closing chapters of one of the greatest horror series ever created and as expected there were more surprises than we could have predicted. Start from the beginning to insure a wild ride with the right amounts of wickedness and twisty turns.
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#1
Ghosted: My favorite new comic series of the year. Written by Joshua Williamson with art by Goran Sudzuka, Ghosted tells the story of Jackson T. Winters, a world-renowned thief that assembles a team to take a highly sought after prize: An actual ghost. In a world where John Constantine can no longer swear, this is your best replacement, it's smart, gripping, and well told all around.
