Top 13 Scary and (Hopefully) Memorable Comic Book Reads for Spooktober!

Just when I thought there weren’t enough comic book reads for the Halloween season during the past two years, a lot has changed since then. The publishers heard the screams and lamentations from not only myself, but others too. Thus, for this year, they must have upped the game to make sure releases for the spooky season memorable.

Without further ado, I present the best top thirteen titles I recommend checking out this spooktober! What I offer is a mix of both ongoing releases and one-shots.

Alice Cooper (Dynamite)

Oct 11, 2023

In this new ongoing series, Alice Cooper, the Nightmare Lord, has reclaimed the seat of power in his own dark realm. This series started in September, and here, his dreamworld was being invaded. Ever since the release of Welcome to My Nightmare (Amazon link), which came out in 2015, fans like me have been wanting more, and we finally have it! In the October issue, Alice must face-off with the Lord of Hell himself, Lucifer! Joe Harris is the team lead of this series as the writer, with Eman Casallos handling the artistic chores.

Gargoyles Halloween Special #1 (Dynamite)

Oct 18, 2023

Like the episode where Goliath and crew wandered the streets of New York during All Hallow’s Eve, their children now have a chance to experience this city’s life. More people are aware of these creatures’ existence, but when their life is under threat by unsavoury cults, these lads better be fast on their feet!

Fans of this classic series have been enjoying Greg Weisman’s return to writing comic books. I have every issue of what he crafted with Slave Labour Comics, and although the artistic quality wasn’t there back then, what’s offered now is a vast improvement. Also, this creator has learned a lot since then when concerning writing for comic book publishing houses. And when they’re offering him a chance to continue this beloved series, I’m certain he won’t say no to it!

A Call to Cthulhu (Titan Comics)

Oct 25, 2023

Part comic book, part art book, part children’s storybook, A Call To Cthulhu is a fun, irreverent trip through the classic stories of H.P. Lovecraft for kids. That is all anyone considering picking up this release needs to know. Instead of learning about all that’s dark and macabre, one can just work through the pages until all that sanity is lost, and you’re next in line, waiting for a psych evaluation….

The Great Yokai War:
Guardians, Vol 1. (Titan Comics)

Nov 14, 2023

Anyone who has not seen The Great Yokai War movies will be thrilled that there’s a comic book adaptation. I’ve seen the first film, and while its adolescent attempt was more family friendly, I’m hopeful this release will get darker.

Here, Kei must become the next monster slayer. When these spirits tell him he’s the descendent of Watanabe no Tsuna, the last noble warrior, he’ll have to train hard. As a boy, that’s hard to process! He’ll have to deal with a threat terrorising the spirit world. As for whether that story can be covered in one graphic novel or many, it’s likely more volumes are in the works.

Crueler than Dead
Vol 1-2 Comic Book Collection
(Ablaze)

Oct 31, 2023

Tsukasa Saimura’s manga is getting reissued in a collectible set, and it looks awesome! Splashed right in front of it is the art of Kozo Takahashi. And as for why it’ll imprint upon those who don’t know this series, that’s because it’s a timeless tale that’s reverent even today.

From the official plot synopsis: No one knows where it started…but when the world finally realised what was going on, it was already too late. When Maki Akagi wakes up in a lab full of corpses, she learns from a dying soldier that she is a result from a last-ditch experiment to cure humans of a virus turning them into zombies.

Accompanied by a young boy who also miraculously escaped, she will have to get to the very centre of a devastated Tokyo filled with bloodthirsty monsters. The dome located there contains the last survivors of humanity. Their very survival depends solely on a few drops of a miraculous vaccine, which without a doubt requires her blood!

Fear the Funhouse
Toybox of Terror (Archie)

Oct 18, 2023

Ever since Archie Comics decided to bring a slice of terror to America’s most beloved teens, various creative teams have been finding novel ways to deliver more “Chilling Adventures” year after year that fit into this universe. Not every story has to include Sabrina, but in what’s delivered this year sounds toy-ifying!

Writers Timmy Heague, Danielle Paige, and Michael Northrop are teaming up with artists Ryan Caskey, Tango, Ryan Jampole, Ellie Wright, Jack Morelli to deliver some cinematic inspired scares based on toy properties. The publisher promises you’ll find tales inspired by M3GAN and Child’s Play.

Archie Halloween Spectacular (Archie)

Oct 4, 2023

As per tradition, this yearly annual will feature an all new story. In “Monster Mash-Up!” Tom DeFalco writes about how the nefarious Trick and Treat is back to harass Archie and Jughead with assorted monsters. Okay, maybe Sabrina has to get involved, and what she does is worth a read for those who love anything involving Riverdale’s most famous teens.

Horror Pulp Stories
(Alien Books)

Oct 4, 2023

From the official pitch sheet: This one-shot promises to deliver some fond classics illustrated by the master of horror Salvador Sanz, told by Damian Connelly and Matts along with newcomer, Leo Lujan! Their work is something to behold, and what this release offers is to promise 64 pages of everything that made those pulp comics of yesteryear frightening! If the cover art doesn’t sum up what one can find within its pages, then nothing else will.

Boris Karloff’s
Gold Key Mysteries

Oct 18, 2023

At long last, all those Gold Key comics I read in the past featuring this iconic master of terror have a new chapter! In this all new series, something is creeping upon the mansion where Karloff lives.

From the official press summary: When a gothic mansion infested with arcane power appears from the mist, Boris is the world’s last hope against dark forces led by a malevolent government agent bent on harnessing the house’s power. Boris Karloff is back with a new ongoing horror anthology.

The Cat From the Kimono (Humanoids)

Oct 31, 2023

Nancy Peña is an artist who rose to prominence with Madame Cat, a graphic novel about this feline who thinks she owns the place. No, this isn’t a rehash of Garfield, but it’s a lot more mysterious and hilarious as readers learn why this cat is a cat.

Although she has other works published in France, just why they haven’t gotten international notice is still a mystery, and perhaps this latest work will change all that. By the title alone, I think this narrative deserves an animated take too!

Here, the protagonist is a cat who yearns to reunite with her owner. She’s lost this kitty who was once impressed upon her kimono. This work is a tale readers should consider during a very spiritual month because it’s said spirits can occupy anything. And just what this cat must mean for this lady must mean more than meets the eye to its origins in this interesting tale.

A Haunting on Mars
(Scout Comics)

Oct 25, 2023

Not a lot is known about this comic book created by Zach Chapman (writer), Ruairi Coleman (artist) and Hugo Petrus (colourist). Here, what readers discover is that the planet Mars has become a wasteland. It’s a dead colony whose founder is also dead. However, what he has been hiding within its capsule walls is something that Echo Team must deal with, and although the movie Doom crossed my mind, I’m sure what’s presented here isn’t about shooting down strange aliens.

In this group is a hacker, a telepath, an empath, a soldier, and no spy! But if they’re to survive, they must work together or die trying.

Victor Crowley’s Hatchet
Halloween Tales V
(American Mythology)

Oct 25, 2023

With this comic book anthology, I’m ready to spend Halloween with three creepy tales from Honey Island Swamp! Novelist S.A. Check delivers the doomed destiny of a circus troupe attempting to add Victor Crowley to their freak show. In “Following,” writer Jason Pell shows us that heartbreak can lead to a fatal outcome. And in “Patchwork,” horror author James Kuhoric delivers a Halloween monster mash of bloody revenge. Plus—a horrific bonus—enjoy several holidays themed pages to give horror fabs a bloody bit of holiday entertainment in the gory Hatchet vein!

Whisper of the Woods Original Graphic Novel (Mad Cave)

Oct 24, 2023

In search of his missing friend, Adam travels to the heart of Romania’s most supernatural forest, Hoia Baciu. Disregarding the local’s warnings of Iele hunting the men in the vicinity, and the witch’s premonition of his impending death, he remains steadfast in his decision to find his friend. Though with every passing night, it becomes impossible to ignore the happenings around him…