What’s spookier than a ghost story? One that also has pictures to haunt your dreams. If you’re looking to get into the horror side of graphic novels, look no further than this list to get you started.
Disturbing and hauntingly beautiful, this series follows young Emmy, a simple girl living her life in the country with her father and the townsfolk with Harrow County. She always knew that her home crawled with ghosts, goblins, and zombies. But on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, she learns that she is connected to these creatures—and to the land itself—in a way she never imagined. A true Southern gothic not to be missed.
One of the more interesting exploration of who the real identity of Jack the Ripper really was, this deliciously dark comic depicts many of the actual events that lead to the death of at least five working women in the slums of Whitechapel. Part police procedural, part occult horror, this gritty take on Jack the Ripper will leave you in pieces. This comic also inspired a film that is a must-see.
Chilling Adventuress of Sabrina by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa & Robert Hack
We all know the tale of teenaged witch Sabrina, soft and bubbly and filled with magical hijinks, but what happens when you take this classic and align it with a grittier Greendale? A truly magical exploration of what it would be like to be a half-witch, teetering on joining league with Satan while protecting your non-magical friends from being cannibalized for the church of night. A ghoulish delight.
Being a teen is a drag and when you fall into the trope of sex, drugs and rock and roll you feel like your life might be worth something. But what if all that teenaged angst and sexual expression devolves into a gruesome disease? Well, you bury down your feelings and give it to someone else of course. This allegory for puberty is disturbing and highly relatable for anyone who felt like a monster.
Uzumaki by Junji Ito
This seinen manga from acclaimed horror mangaka Junji Ito is a true masterpiece in terms of terror. Nihilistic and depressing, it explores the small town of Kurôzu-cho where teens Kirie and Shuichi and the rest of the inhabitants are cursed by a supernatural plague of spirals. Not for the faint of heart.
This Florida grown horror is a swampy delight, filled with revenge, blasphemy, and terror. A mysterious and blood thirsty matriarchal force runs the town of Redlands, Florida, and in order to stay on top, sacrifices must be made. Someone is intent on removing these women from the top of the food chain, and he's ready to unleash their darkest secret but has seriously underestimated the lengths the townspeople will go to protect the new order of things.
My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf
You think you know the story of Jeffrey Dahmer, the Minneapolis cannibal killer? How do you think Derf feels, knowing that this childhood friend grew up to be a monster? This gruesome exploration into the teenaged mind of a deeply disturbed man delves into what may have happened that lead to the deaths of over 17 men and the slow burn of a boy left to his own devices. This also inspired a film that is a must see for horror fans.