Even those who don’t own a Netflix subscription are familiar with the show Stranger Things. Many have noticed how the series sparked a wave of intellectual properties that uses the show’s spooky ‘80s nostalgia. Some properties may feel derivative while other properties use the Stranger Things atmosphere to create something that tugs at the heartstrings while serving up pulse-pounding thrills with a generous side of B movie horror that sticks to the ribs like gravy and biscuits. One such book is The Rock Gods of Jackson, Tennessee, written by Rafer Roberts and illustrated by Mike Norton.
One can be forgiven for not having heard of the Rock Gods of Jackson, Tennessee (so as not to confuse them with the other Rock Gods). But they’re an immediately lovable group of rockers, even if they aren’t the coolest. There’s the band’s overeager mouthpiece and emotional center Doug, gentle giant Lenny, and rebel-inside-a-strict-household Jonny. Along with juvenile delinquent Marty, who is by far the coolest of the group, they have a chance to open for world famous Tommi Tungsten and show everyone who thought they were losers that they’re anything but. However, a stampede of mutant pigs capable of destroying their town might upend their rock n’ roll dreams.
Rafer Roberts’s story feels like if Stranger Things took place a little further south and didn’t take itself too seriously. This band’s members might not have the cool factor of Metallica or Mötley Crüe (or even Warrant), but Roberts makes them all immediately relatable. Doug has a surplus of confidence but a dearth of musical talent. Lenny is constantly being misjudged because of his size. Jonny is desperately trying to break free of his religious upbringing. Even Marty, the truly talented one, is enduring a less-than-stellar home life. These are the lovable heroes that are destined to save the day in their heroic but comedic manner.
There is an element of danger, one that is beautifully portrayed with a countdown up to the concert, but the danger is never too dark. Norton’s artwork strays far from any kind of realism, going more for a clean animation style that gives a certain lightness to the book more reminiscent of ‘80s B-horror movies. This book doesn’t skimp on the gory effects. There’s no shortage of mutated pigs (some even have extra heads!) and several characters die seemingly out of nowhere. Even when the book is having the citizens of Jackson, Tennessee be pig food, the story never loses its heart and that’s the friendship that, in this moment of Jackson’s near destruction, binds the Rock Gods of Jackson, Tennessee.
Those who have lived during the ‘80s (or loved ‘80s metal) will love this book as well as horror fans who don’t mind having a few giggles with their gore. The book’s writing and its characters, both past and present, ground this horror book and prevent it from being just another blood-splattered book or Stranger Things knockoff.
The Rock Gods of Jackson, Tennessee By Rafer Roberts Art by Mike Norton Dark Horse Books, 2023 ISBN: 9781506729404
Publisher Age Rating: 13-16 years
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16)
Horror fans can spot each other in a crowd. Sometimes it’s by whether a horror icon like Freddy or Jason adorns their shirt or is plastered on their vehicle’s window in sticker form. Horror fans can also spot each other by what they say, whether it’s discussing the films that make up the horror genre or specific lines from these films. Horror fans who happen to be creators will also let their love for horror slip into their work; some even allow it to permeate in very meta ways. The book Evil Cast, Vol. 1, by writer and podcaster Kyle Stück and artist Enrico Orlandi, is a supernatural romp that serves as a fitting, almost gushing, love letter to the genre.
This is one instance where the writer literally injects himself (and his fellow podcast host) into the story. Kyle and his partner Noah Baslé, in the real world, do the Humming Fools podcast that interviews artists and creatives. In the Evil Cast universe, they host a podcast that is dedicated to debunking supernatural phenomena. Then, Noah starts having dreams which pull both men into a world just beyond our perception. They are both quite familiar with the tropes that make up horror movies, but what happens to all their knowledge when the tropes become real?
Stück’s story attempts to ask that question as the two podcasters find themselves ill-equipped to handle the strangeness they’ve fallen into yet are also the only ones around to deal with it. The comic isn’t necessarily original, but it doesn’t need to be. The entire world that Kyle and Noah occupy is built with the bricks of modern and classic horror references. Even the setup of Kyle and Noah investigating the supernatural feels like an episode of ‘90s hit The X-Files, except there are no FBI agents and both men are the skeptics. The rest of this volume’s story is both men being fish out of water until they slowly realize that the stories they discussed and dismantled on their podcast might have had more truth than they originally thought.
As they embark on their odyssey into the unknown, the tone of the book becomes readily apparent, having less to do with the movies referenced in the variant covers expertly drawn by Orlandi. It has more to do with the classic cartoon Scooby-Doo, which featured a group of kids and their talking dog solving mysteries (Admittedly, younger and perhaps hipper fans will probably think of Buffy the Vampire Slayer). The horrors encountered by Kyle and Noah are harrowing but the humor elements keep the terror from becoming too oppressive. The banter of Kyle and Noah is so fast-paced, reading their exchanges sometimes feels like watching a competitive tennis match, but Orlandi’s art style also keeps the story moving. The artwork is similar to what Mike Mignola did for Hellboy, but the brighter colors help the book strike the appropriate balance among comedy, horror, and action-adventure.
To say that this book is for horror fans feels like saying the blood in this book’s pages is red. Librarians looking to cater to the diehard horror hounds among their patrons should give this book a look. Continuing volumes will hopefully flesh out the story that looks to remain a fun dark ride.
Evil Cast Vol. 1 By Kyle Stück Art by Enrico Orlandi Markosia Enterprises, 2023 ISBN: 9781915860132
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: Ecuadorian, Character Representation: Ecuadorian,
If there was a list of rules for what not to do in a horror story, there would be a rule about not using a magical or cursed item, especially one that grants wishes (in such a list, that particular rule would be in the top twenty). To see why this is an important rule, read W. W. Jacobs’s “The Monkey’s Paw” or simply think back to any story that involves wishes magically granted and see how well that works out for someone. Writer David M. Booher looks at the dangers of wishing through glasses colored with ‘80s nostalgia in his latest graphic collection Specs, which is illustrated by Chris Shehan.
In 1987, best friends Kenny and Ted were outcasts in their small Ohio town, but they could be outcasts together. Both were dreaming of a way out of their small town when Kenny receives a special pair of x-ray specs, which allows their wearer to wish for virtually anything. They both enjoy the sudden power they have until Kenny wishes for their bully to disappear. This poorly conceived wish leads to circumstances that threaten to pull the boys apart while giving the specs more opportunities for people to make terrible wishes.
The heart of Booher’s tale isn’t the evil x-ray specs but the relationship between the two protagonists and what makes them outcast. Kenny is struggling with how to come out to everyone, including his best friend Ted, and Ted, the only black kid attending their school who constantly faces the town’s prejudiced views. Having the wish-granting specs doesn’t help that situation, either; in fact, it only makes it worse. One moral of this story is the old adage about being careful what you wish for, but what Kenny and Ted learn through their own individual experiences helps this book stand out from other “bad wish” stories.
The x-ray specs, however, decide the overall tone of the book, along with Shehan’s artwork. Much of the composition and design choices are aesthetically similar to horror comics of earlier decades but in particular to Creepshow, an anthology comic series that had a resurgence thanks to the Creepshow movie by Stephen King and George Romero. The faces are realistic, especially when they are horrified, and the dead things in this book, of which there are a few, do indeed look dead. However, those expecting the violence of a Creepshow might be surprised. There are ghosts and there is the tiniest amount of blood, but there is actually little violence in this book. The scares it does provide are from the creepy atmosphere and the banal evil of the townspeople. Horror graphic novels might find their way into the adult collection but this title definitely skews young adult because of its protagonists and because of the issues the still-relevant social ills it discusses that don’t involve wish-granting specs.
Specs By David M. Booher Art by Chris Shehan BOOM! Studios, 2023 ISBN: 9781684159185
Publisher Age Rating: 13 years and up
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: Gay, Character Representation: Gay,
Indigo can’t sleep. Or rather, something has been haunting her in the waking hours of the night. Is she trapped in a dream, or might something more sinister be lurking in the shadows of her subconscious? A supernatural mystery dripping with eerie undertones invades her angst-ridden life in Seth Christian Martel’s The Mare, a story that blends psychological drama with supernatural realism.
The opening pages of this young adult graphic novel features a teenager named Indigo, caught in the midst of a relentless nightmare, spiraling into a dark, empty void. She then awakens and fixes breakfast for her divorced alcoholic father. In zombie-like fashion, she heads out to work at a diner where she buses tables as a server, striving to make ends meet while her life shutters from one problem to the next. Kasia, her closest friend, serves as an anchor for Indigo. After describing the shadowy figures (sleep demons) tormenting her at night, she learns from Kasia that she may be victim to a “Mare”—a supernatural entity seeking solace having been wronged while alive, yet failing to attain peace. The Mare materializes as an electrifying blue light that latches onto Indigo during the wee hours of the night, upturning her room in poltergeist fashion, leaving a chaotic mess. Kasia hatches a series of folk remedies to help Indigo overcome this supernatural force—drinking coffee grounds before bed, placing a broom by the door, sleeping upside down—to no success. One night, after taking sleeping pills, Indigo sleepwalks and awakens to find herself across town in front of her stepmother’s house. Indigo and Kasia strive to uncover the mysterious paranormal incidents that seem to intensify with each encounter.
The plot unfolds through dialogue-driven panels occupied by emotionally charged characters who reinforce the narrative action. Muted, shaded grays punctuated by shimmering streaks and saturated oceanic blues accentuate moments of intensity and conflict with dramatic flair. The rapidly paced story speeds to a climax that leaves room for further questions, though the mounting tension and unraveling of events steering toward the resolution persistently intrigues and tantalizes.
A coming-of-age story infused with themes surrounding finding one’s purpose, child abuse, and self-doubt—undergirded by paranormal activities—The Mare delivers a story where text and images grounded in reality converge with the supernatural to offer a compelling read for young adult collections.
The Mare By Seth C. Martel Graphic Mundi, 2023 ISBN: 9781637790465
Publisher Age Rating: 13+ NFNT Age Recommendation: Teen (13-16)
The name Emily Carroll might conjure up images from her well-received story collection Through the Woods. Critics have praised Carroll not only for her storytelling, but for her artistic style that plays around with composition and colors on the printed page. Carroll brings this unique brand of storytelling to create a profoundly disturbing haunted house story. A Guest in the House showcases Carroll’s signature style of telling a spooky story through a visual medium.
Carroll’s story is told through the eyes of Abby, a woman who’s recently married into a new family, seemingly kind dentist David and his daughter Crystal. They have come to a new town for a fresh start, but the specter of Sheila, David’s first wife and Crystal’s mother looms heavily over the family, particularly Crystal and Abby. Crystal is missing her mother, even claiming that she still sees her. Abby, who has never really met Sheila, starts to see her too, leading Abby to question everything she knows about her family and about love.
Carroll has created a very compelling protagonist in Abby, a woman who seems unsure about being a new wife and stepmother. She also seems unsure about being in a relationship, spending a great deal of time in her head. Meanwhile, David seems to be a caring if absent male figure in the household, which naturally makes him a suspect in Sheila’s disappearance. Coupled with Crystal’s grieving, along with her own odd behavior, Abby very much seems like a woman who is completely unprepared for the fractures she starts to notice in her perfect family’s facade.
Letting readers inside Abby’s head allows Carroll’s artwork to shine. Abby’s world is one where her thoughts wander beyond the borders of panels, where vibrant colors invade the typically drab world she occupies with David and her family. The presence in the house is more than just a pale apparition; it often appears as something full of ethereal beauty, of colors that show up like blood on the printed page, and it also can also look anything but beautiful.
Carroll’s full-length story is a slow burn of a tale that finishes with a brutal gutpunch, meaning it fits into any adult graphic novel collection that needs some scary stories, but it is also an example for graphic novel creators of how colors and layout, how lights and darks, can create a story’s setting and tone.
A Guest in the House Vol. By Emily Carroll Macmillan First Second, 2023 ISBN: 9781250255525
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: Lesbian,
When people think of space adventure, they may think of series like Star Wars, Star Trek, or perhaps Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon. Just like laser guns and faster-than-light travel, storytelling tropes about the exploration of what is out there feel sometimes too familiar, perhaps even cliche, much like the cliche of being stranded on an unknown planet.. That particular trope can seem tired, but Dan McDaid’s science fiction castaway tale Dega attempts to forge its own identity by differentiating itself from such stories, relying more on an unsettling tone instead of whooshing rockets and zipping lasers.
Dega follows the story of the survivor (no name given) of a crashed ship on an alien planet. Her only companion is a small droid who monitors how the planet is changing her. There is a dark secret beneath the planet, one that could help her get home, but will she discover that secret before it’s too late?
Dega is not a long work, but it is an atmospheric one. This is, in part, to McDaid making his protagonist virtually alone. It forces the survivor to carry most of the narrative through her internal monologue and earlier memories. Even the droid’s purpose is merely to provide a sort of countdown (any further details could spoil some major plot points). The story mostly consists of the survivor trying to find her way off planet while avoiding marauding aliens and her own body betraying her.
McDaid’s artwork, which shows some nods to Frank Miller and DC’s Vertigo titles, showcases the bizarre landscape and aliens the survivor encounters and even manages to reveal some of the unreality in the survivor’s experience. Mostly, McDaid uses warmer tans and reds for the desert look of the planet, but he then makes the confusing choice of doing some pages in black and white, which can be a disservice to his imaginative designs, along with their details. McDaid has done art for such sci-fi comics as Doctor Who, Judge Dredd, and Firefly, and the brilliance of that resume shows in these pages.
As to whether libraries should have this particular book in their collection, it might depend on how many of that library’s patrons are hardcore science-fiction fans. It has some beautiful artwork, and it tells a solid mind-bending story, but its short page count means it sacrifices a deeper story for a shallow yet still creepy atmosphere.
Dega Vol. By Dan McDaid Oni Press, 2023 ISBN: 9781637151969
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18)
Communications technology has created a world where the concept of privacy has changed. There’s a distinct possibility that someone is looking at us right now. Our selfies and photographed memories are on social media for everyone to peruse. Sites like Youtube and Tiktok can capture snippets or whole moments, perhaps even the entirety of our lives. If there’s an anxiety that stems from our ever-changing society, then there’s bound to be a horror story inspired by it. Blink, by Christopher Sebela and Hayden Sherman, is a descent into an underground world where an all-seeing camera is both god and devil.
Our Virgil in this digital underworld is Wren Booker, a journalist who spent her career chronicling the stories of others while knowing next to nothing about her own. Discovered at three years old covered in blood on New York’s streets, she only remembers fragments and nightmares that she can’t make sense of. Then she discovers the website showing several live feeds from an abandoned building, and she remembers a little more. Searching for answers, she breaks into the building to discover the bizarre social experiment known as Blink and the impact it’s had on her life.
Sebela’s story has the claustrophobic tension of looking over a rat’s shoulder as it navigates a maze while the promise of escape gets farther and farther away. Once Wren and her urban spelunker guide go beyond where sunlight can touch them, they enter a whole other world, one where creatures that can barely be called human thrive in the shadows, while all their actions are recorded by an all-seeing yet unfeeling eye. The book’s main theme, as well as the source of most of its terror, is the constant question of who is watching.
Sherman’s artwork really hammers this feeling home. Blink is found footage horror told through a print medium. Sherman relies on dizzying camera angles and distorted perspectives to give the entire project a funhouse feel. Not only is the reader watching Wren try to make it to daylight, they’re watching the underground world she is in unravel and mutate in ways that would make Escher dizzy. Sherman’s art, in fact, does the lionshare of moving the plot forward, or at least generating unease in the reader as they join in her descent.
Blink is an interesting take on found footage horror. It’s even an original one. That said, Blink might not be for everyone. Readers who might enjoy Wren’s trip into the digital underworld, captured in multiple angles, will be readers who don’t mind mind-bending, psychedelic visuals. Some readers will like how Blink explores our degradation of privacy along with our rigid views of reality as revealed through our senses. Others might get a headache.
Blink By Christopher Sebela Art by Hayden Sherman Oni Press, 2023 ISBN: 9781637152010
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18)
People love amusement parks, or at least enough people love them to make them a multimillion dollar business. What’s not to love? The gravity-defying rides! The thrilling attractions! The greasy food that will quickly leave your body thanks to the earlier mentioned gravity-defying rides! Horror fans, whether they hate or love amusement parks, should find something thrilling in Dark Ride, Vol. 1 by Joshua Williamson, along with art by Andrei Bressan and Adriano Lucas.
For fans of horror and amusement parks, Devil Land is the one-stop vacation spot. Picture an amusement park designed by Tim Burton but located in Freddy Krueger’s dreamland. This land that somehow combines a Tunnel of Love with buckets of blood is the brainchild of elusive genius Arthur Dante. Many feel Arthur is close to finally passing the keys to this malicious, magic kingdom to one of his children. Will it be divorced dad Samhein (or Sammy), desperate to prove to his father that he deserves to be in charge? Or party girl influencer Halloween (Hallie), able to be seen practically anytime she wants? When a worker disappears within the park, people start investigating and the park shows that it doesn’t have to amuse anyone.
This is volume one of the series, so writer Williamson (author of horror comics Ghosted and Nailbiter) spends most of this book setting up plot threads and introducing characters. From the sister investigating her brother’s disappearance to the Dante children themselves, particularly Samhain, Williamson shows a lot of surprising depth in the more down-to-earth sibling, showing him at least trying to be a good dad to his daughter but ultimately being distracted by the needs of the park. Setting up the more grounded characters is important if readers are going to explore a place like Devil Land alone.
Williamson may have had the contents of Devil Land in his head, but Bressan and Lucas’s art make them seem real. From the rides that look very close to medieval torture devices to mascots that look like they crawled off the shelf of an abandoned Hot Topic, Devil Land as a living, breathing, money-making amusement park is fully realized. Devil Land actually looks like a place gorehounds and amusement park enthusiasts will want to visit. They might even buy season passes.
Dark Ride as a series looks promising, especially for those librarians whose patrons love horror, particularly the kind of horror that’s more schlock than terrifying. However, it could be ready to deliver a different kind of horror once readers are fully strapped in and the ride really begins.
Dark Ride, Vol. 1 By Joshua Williamson Art by Andrew Bressen, Adriano Lucas Image, 2023 ISBN: 9781534325272
Publisher Age Rating: 16+ NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18)
Some people like their horror subtle: the creak of a floorboard, the howl of something in the distance, or a breath on the back of one’s neck. There’s also the kind of horror that doesn’t mind not just making readers nervous but leaving them nauseous. These works are often painted with the most vibrant, yet stomach-churning colors: blood red, intestine pink, and empty eye socket black. Some of Jonas Scharf’s artwork in Basilisk, Vol. 3 definitely fits into the latter category. Throughout the book, Scharf demonstrates how he has no qualms coloring with a gory palette. However, Cullen Bunn’s story helps keep the more insane elements grounded in a simply brutal revenge tale.
In volume 3, Hannah’s vengeance against the Chimera is nearly complete, but the battle has clearly cost her and those unfortunate enough to be around her when the Chimera or their faithful are near. Hannah and Regan, a Chimera whose gaze is lethal, are nearing the end of their individual journeys: Regan will soon find out about her missing memories and the Chimera’s true nature while Hannah will finally kill those who took everything from her. However, as members of the Chimera have died, their powers are split up among the survivors. This means that one person could end up with all five abilities to unleash upon the world
If volume 1 was about introducing readers to the terrifying Chimera, five people with terrifying powers related to the five senses, and volume 2 was about flipping readers’ expectations and setting up the conclusion, then volume 3 is the epic final battle that could potentially decide the fate of the world. Bunn’s final chapter reveals what the Chimera truly are, but it also keeps a tight focus on normal human Hannah and her quest to kill those who killed her family. The flashbacks Bunn peppers throughout this volume not only reveals why she attacks these beings with godlike powers, but Hannah’s tragic tale propels this story to its epic conclusion while its resolution might break readers’ hearts.
Scharf once again shows no hesitancy to display the visceral and sometimes explosive deaths throughout this book, but he also shows skills that have nothing to do with depicting what might be on a slaughterhouse’s floor. The book liberally switches between past and present and Scarf changes up his art style to clearly show where (or when) the story is taking place. This is a skill that goes beyond just drawing bodies in various states of death.
Now that the series has concluded, librarians might be tempted to get all three books in order to have the complete story, or they could wait to see if the publisher produces an omnibus or similar collection. Some factors that might influence this decision for librarians is if they have fans of gory horror among their patrons as well as patrons whose tastes oscillate between superheroes and horror.
Basilisk, vol. 3 By Cullen Bunn Art by Jonas Scharf BOOM! Studios, 2023 ISBN: 9781684158881
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18)
A mage awakens in a mysterious field surrounded by sweeping landscapes and crumbling relics. His purpose unknown, he embarks on a journey with stunning magic in tow, meeting a faithful companion or two along the way. Though this is the set up for many a fanciful tale, the mage soon realizes that this world is not kind to wanton adventurers. There are monsters with abyssal maws that can swallow beings whole, creatures that maul and mutilate for their own cryptic ends, and a corrupted force that seeks to end the mage’s wanderings permanently. Death and carnage rule this land, thrusting unrelenting horror and pain onto the mage at every opportunity. It will take all of the mage’s magic, strength, and perseverance to abate the darkness, but seldom does one attempt such a feat and come out unscathed.
Mage and the Endless Unknown delivers a horror fantasy both memorable and unnerving, its mysteries culminating in a narrative readers will want to revisit more than once to see if they can truly decipher them all. The story is conveyed mostly through images without much clarifying text. As a result, an ominous silence follows our protagonists, encouraging a sense of unease as they encounter peril after peril. Readers looking for a story with a clearly defined plot and explanations for its more abstract elements may be somewhat disappointed, but Miller still creates a sort of dreamlike cohesion during its progression. The reader shares the mage’s lack of knowledge about this strange place, which instills a greater sense of empathy for him as he meets creatures that become more frightening and deadly as the journey continues.
Ultimately, the graphic novel’s aloof and ambiguous tone makes it rife with interpretation, leaving the reader with the task of deciding what it means to them. Though Miller gives some context towards the story’s end, there are still questions one may have towards its meaning and purpose. For me, the process almost became somewhat existential, thinking about certain themes like the pains that inevitably come from living, the weight of trauma and fighting to survive, about how, through all of that suffering, one can still achieve a sense of peace and rest. Despite the constant darkness the mage faces, there is a light of hope at the end, one that reassures and soothes old wounds. Mage and the Endless Unknown has a good amount of layers to it, some of them terrifying, some of them uncomfortable, even some wondrous, but at its core there is something that encourages reflection, whether regarding the mage’s tale or our own.
With an art style that incorporates influences from manga and Western comics, Miller exhibits a great knack for illustrating the uncanny and grotesque. The creatures are drawn with such rigid, realistic detail, providing a stark contrast to our more rounded, charming, and cartoonish-looking mage. Some of their designs defy explanation other than as eldritch-inspired horrors, one sporting a long, wormlike body and tendrils made to literally get under your skin, another a large flying beast with a single gazing eye and a leechlike mouth, the opening of which taking up an entire page. Their designs and presentation have a Junji Ito-esque aesthetic about them, mainly in their bold outlining and how startling they come across when one’s guard is down. While these monstrosities are abundant throughout the graphic novel, Miller balances their presence with a natural world that appears genuinely captivating. Dark forests may appear intimidating with trees that loom and close in all around, but also include gentle waterfalls that house ethereal jellyfish creatures that seem more benign than some of its other residents. Giant mushrooms provide a safe napping space for the mage, while lush, intricate flowers are a source of small comfort. Here, beauty thrives even among such malevolence, which could either be a small reassurance or an opportunity to garner a false sense of security. The backgrounds, with all their enigmatic structures and ruins, hold more secrets of this world, prompting readers to spend time to soak in each page rather than rushing through to get to the next one.
Mage and the Endless Unknown will likely appeal to those interested in a manga-like style combined with darker elements and a vague mode of storytelling. There is a good amount of disturbing imagery in this comic, coming from its inclusion of body horror, gore, and violence, so this title will fare better with an older audience. The publisher has designated the comic as a Teen/Young Adult title, which I believe is apt considering its content. Librarians and educators looking for original graphic novels with unique presentations, memorable visuals, and an engaging mystery should consider purchasing this title.
Mage and the Endless Unknown By SJ Miller Iron Circus, 2023 ISBN: 9781638991199
Publisher Age Rating: Teen/Young Adult NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16) Creator Representation: Nonbinary
sparked a wave of intellectual properties that uses the show’s spooky ‘80s nostalgia. Some properties may feel derivative while other properties use the Stranger Things atmosphere to create something that tugs at the heartstrings while serving up pulse-pounding thrills with a generous side of B movie horror that sticks to the ribs like gravy and biscuits. One such book is The Rock Gods of Jackson, Tennessee, written by Rafer Roberts and illustrated by Mike Norton.
is plastered on their vehicle’s window in sticker form. Horror fans can also spot each other by what they say, whether it’s discussing the films that make up the horror genre or specific lines from these films. Horror fans who happen to be creators will also let their love for horror slip into their work; some even allow it to permeate in very meta ways. The book Evil Cast, Vol. 1, by writer and podcaster Kyle Stück and artist Enrico Orlandi, is a supernatural romp that serves as a fitting, almost gushing, love letter to the genre.
especially one that grants wishes (in such a list, that particular rule would be in the top twenty). To see why this is an important rule, read W. W. Jacobs’s “The Monkey’s Paw” or simply think back to any story that involves wishes magically granted and see how well that works out for someone. Writer David M. Booher looks at the dangers of wishing through glasses colored with ‘80s nostalgia in his latest graphic collection Specs, which is illustrated by Chris Shehan.
Indigo can’t sleep. Or rather, something has been haunting her in the waking hours of the night. Is she trapped in a dream, or might something more sinister be lurking in the shadows of her subconscious? A supernatural mystery dripping with eerie undertones invades her angst-ridden life in Seth Christian Martel’s The Mare, a story that blends psychological drama with supernatural realism.
praised Carroll not only for her storytelling, but for her artistic style that plays around with composition and colors on the printed page. Carroll brings this unique brand of storytelling to create a profoundly disturbing haunted house story. A Guest in the House showcases Carroll’s signature style of telling a spooky story through a visual medium.
When people think of space adventure, they may think of series like Star Wars, Star Trek, or perhaps Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon. Just like laser guns and faster-than-light travel, storytelling tropes about the exploration of what is out there feel sometimes too familiar, perhaps even cliche, much like the cliche of being stranded on an unknown planet.. That particular trope can seem tired, but Dan McDaid’s science fiction castaway tale Dega attempts to forge its own identity by differentiating itself from such stories, relying more on an unsettling tone instead of whooshing rockets and zipping lasers.
Communications technology has created a world where the concept of privacy has changed. There’s a distinct possibility that someone is looking at us right now. Our selfies and photographed memories are on social media for everyone to peruse. Sites like Youtube and Tiktok can capture snippets or whole moments, perhaps even the entirety of our lives. If there’s an anxiety that stems from our ever-changing society, then there’s bound to be a horror story inspired by it. 
People love amusement parks, or at least enough people love them to make them a multimillion dollar business. What’s not to love? The gravity-defying rides! The thrilling attractions! The greasy food that will quickly leave your body thanks to the earlier mentioned gravity-defying rides! Horror fans, whether they hate or love amusement parks, should find something thrilling in
Some people like their horror subtle: the creak of a floorboard, the howl of something in the distance, or a breath on the back of one’s neck. There’s also the kind of horror that doesn’t mind not just making readers nervous but leaving them nauseous. These works are often painted with the most vibrant, yet stomach-churning colors: blood red, intestine pink, and empty eye socket black. Some of Jonas Scharf’s artwork in Basilisk, Vol. 3 definitely fits into the latter category. Throughout the book, Scharf demonstrates how he has no qualms coloring with a gory palette. However, Cullen Bunn’s story helps keep the more insane elements grounded in a simply brutal revenge tale.
A mage awakens in a mysterious field surrounded by sweeping landscapes and crumbling relics. His purpose unknown, he embarks on a journey with stunning magic in tow, meeting a faithful companion or two along the way. Though this is the set up for many a fanciful tale, the mage soon realizes that this world is not kind to wanton adventurers. There are monsters with abyssal maws that can swallow beings whole, creatures that maul and mutilate for their own cryptic ends, and a corrupted force that seeks to end the mage’s wanderings permanently. Death and carnage rule this land, thrusting unrelenting horror and pain onto the mage at every opportunity. It will take all of the mage’s magic, strength, and perseverance to abate the darkness, but seldom does one attempt such a feat and come out unscathed.
