Another year, another treasure trove of incredible horror comics.
I’ll be the first to admit that my quota of seen horror films this year is not as high as it should be, but if there’s one format I’m always up to date on, its comics. This year was especially difficult to pick a top 10 given the sheer amount of comics out therewe’re in the middle of a golden age of creater-owned titlesbut I’m confident I’ve narrowed it down to the cream of the crop, ranging from a wide variety of new and old properties and all the dark corners of the genre.
Top 10 Horror Comics
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#10 Curse
The all star team of writers Michael Moreci and Tim Daniel, and artists Riley Rossmo and Colin Lorimer, bring us one of the most unique and gnarly werewolf tales of recent memory. It's easy for lycanthrope movies to hit a snag in regard to the actual monsters, but these beasts are terrifying yet visually quite stunning. With a unique plot for a monster tale, Curse is worth seeking out for the talents of Rossmo and Lorimer whose styles complement each other while being as different as possible.
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#9 Sabrina
Following the success of Afterlife with Archie, a dark and nasty version of Sabrina was published and boy is it twisted. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa has put together a truly twisted tale that will make fans of the 90s sitcoms shriek. Robert Hack's art style lends itself to the tone, but truly breathes life into the hypnotic, trippy world.
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#8 Hack/Slash: Son of Samhain
Having been a reader of Hack/Slash for a long time I can say with certainty this is the best Hack/Slash story in years. The standalone piece scripted by Michael Moreci and Steve Seeley exemplifies why Cassie Hack is an interesting character and what kind of stories her persona fits best into. Also the monsters from Emilio Laiso's imagination are some of the craziest of this long running series.
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#7 Twilight Zone: Lost Tales
Though J. Michael Straczynski's ongoing Twilight Zone comic is certainly worth reading, the 48-page special with three stories by Mark Rahner is the best thing done with the series since Dynamite picked up the rights. Randy Valiente, Rod Rodolfo, and Edu Menna's art makes each tale feel like they've been plucked directly from the brain of Rod Serling.
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#6 Spread
One part John Carpenter's The Thing and another part The Last of Us, Spread is a near perfect series with equal segments of spectacle action and gut wrenching gore. “Luthor Strode” creator Justin Jordon creates a world no one would choose to live in, but is a fascinating realm for fiction. Meanwhile, Kyle Strahm supports with art seriously not for the squeamish.
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#5 Aliens/Predator/AVP/Prometheus:
Perhaps it's cheating to count four comics as one, but if you read them you'll see the lines of division are blurred. Combining the franchises of Aliens, Predator, Prometheus, and Aliens vs. Predator is no easy task, but the team behind the world of “Fire and Stone” makes it look so. Fans of any of these works will want to see the chaos that is stirring in these pages.
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#4 Nailbiter
The #1 series on my Top 10 of 2013 was Ghosted by Joshua Williamson. Here, he's managed to deliver yet another classic horror comic in the making with Nailbiter. Taking cues from Twin Peaks and Silence of the Lambs, Nailbiter describes one of the main characters, but also what readers will end up doing. It also manages to inject humor, which goes far when presented with things as horrific as you'll find in these pages.
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#3 Wytches
Another repeat: Scott Snyder's The Wake appeared on last year's list, but Wytches is a totally different animal. We're certainly in a “Witch” resurgence following American Horror Story: Coven, the new Sabrina, the TV series “Salem” among others, but Wytches rewrites the entire canon of pop culture's rules of witchcraft and creates a tale of suspense and intrigue that together with Jock's hallucinatory art, makes it an absolute must read.
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#2 The Goon: Occasion of Revenge
Eric Powell's The Goon is one of my favorite comics of all time, but I truly mean it when I say this year's “Occasion of Revenge” is among the best of the series. Powell's artwork has not faltered in his time away from The Goon, and in fact seems better than ever. Coupled with the stunning plot and character piece he's crafted you'll find not only one of the finest horror tales, but best comics of the year.
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#1 Baltimore: Chapel of Bones
Mike Mignola might be best known for the world of Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. but Lord Baltimore the vampire hunter is my favorite. Co-written once again with Christopher Golden, Chapel of Bones is the crescendo the series has been building to since it began. It's got a weighty plot that can be enjoyed by long time fans and newcomers all in a very succinct two issue-story, with action expertly drawn by Ben Stenbeck. Flawless Gothic storytelling that I cannot recommend enough.
