Underrated Comic Books to Try This Halloween When the leaves turn brown and the nights draw in, comic book readers often reach for the same staples: Alan Moore’s “From Hell” or a classic “Batman: The Long Halloween” reread. While those are masterpieces, the horror comic landscape is vast, dark, and often overlooked. For a truly chilling Halloween season, it pays to dig into the lesser-known, atmospheric, and terrifying titles that haven’t saturated the mainstream market. If you are looking to step outside the mainstream horror box this year, here are some phenomenal, underrated comic books that deserve a spot on your reading list. The Twisted Nostalgia of “Ice Cream Man”
While gaining more traction recently, W. Maxwell Prince and MartÃn Morazzo’s “Ice Cream Man” from Image Comics still feels like a well-kept secret to many casual horror fans. It is an anthology series connected by a sinister, supernatural figure who peddles surreal nightmare scenarios from his truck. Each issue is a self-contained story that explores different flavors of horror—existential dread, cosmic terror, and psychological breakdown. It’s not just about gore; it’s about the lingering, unsettling feeling that reality is fundamentally wrong. Perfect for a quick, high-impact scare on a cold night, it is a masterclass in modern horror storytelling. Atmospheric Dread in “The Empty Man”
Before it was a film, Cullen Bunn and Vanesa R. Del Rey’s “The Empty Man” from BOOM! Studios was a masterclass in building dread. Set in a world plagued by a mysterious, apocalyptic virus that induces mania and violent madness, the narrative follows investigators trying to find the source. What makes this title truly underrated is its oppressive atmosphere. Del Rey’s artwork is gritty, shadows feel thick and suffocating, and the plot focuses heavily on cult activity and the decay of societal structure. It’s a slow-burn experience that leaves the reader feeling unclean, making it perfect for the darker side of Halloween. Gothic Romance and Body Horror in “Coffin Bound”
If your taste runs toward the surreal and chaotic, “Coffin Bound” by Dan Watters and Dani is essential reading. This title, published by Image Comics, follows Izzy Tyburn, a woman trying to erase herself from existence while being pursued by a terrifying killer. It is a punk-rock, philosophical horror story that tackles themes of mortality, memory, and personal identity. Dani’s art is frantic and stylish, perfectly capturing the manic energy of the story. It is visceral, bizarre, and deeply emotional, offering a completely different kind of horror experience. Cosmic Terror in “Through the Woods”
Emily Carroll’s “Through the Woods” is a graphic novel anthology that brings the dread of traditional fairy tales into a stunningly illustrated format. While sometimes categorized as young adult, its eerie, dreamlike atmosphere is legitimately chilling for adults. The stories deal with ghosts, monsters, and the fear of the unknown in the woods. Carroll’s use of color and shadow is exceptional, with sharp contrasts making the frights feel immediate and personal. Its self-contained nature makes it a perfect, quick read for a Halloween evening, proving that you don’t need long-running series to experience true terror. A Haunted Landscape of Underrated Horrors
Halloween is the perfect time to move beyond the blockbuster horror stories and explore the deeper, darker corners of the medium. Whether it is the existential dread found in “Ice Cream Man,” the visceral, psychological horror of “Coffin Bound,” or the atmospheric terror of “The Empty Man,” these underrated titles offer a more personalized and, often, more unsettling experience. By picking up these stories, readers can discover unique artistic styles and narrative approaches that redefine what horror in graphic literature can achieve. This October, skip the standard, well-worn titles and dive into these hidden gems.
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