Spooky stories have a special place within the human experience. In a world that often feels threatening and beyond our control, spine-tingling tales allow us to safely experience chills and thrills without dangerous consequences.
The ability to flirt with danger yet remain unharmed is one reason why the horror genre has steadily grown in recent years, and comics are no exception. While there’s no shortage of new and backlist scaries available on Comics Plus, it can be hard to pair the right scare with the right reader.
Whether your readers want quick chills, thought-provoking dread, or jump scares and lasting nightmares, our Spooky Season list features age-appropriate titles that offer a variety of thrilling experiences, and I’ve picked six I think work well for specific tastes and age ranges.
I’m Undead and Hungry by Shannon Knudsen and Chiara Buccheri (Lerner)
Finally, the “truth about zombies” is exposed! I’m Undead and Hungry delves into fascinating zombie folklore from around the world and throughout human history. While this title won’t be for the most sensitive children, it’s a great starter title for those who want to begin examining the world of ghouls.
It’s a standout within the Monster Buddies series, and a great entry into exploring creatures, cryptids, and the undead. In addition to introducing creature folklore and history, each title includes writing and comprehension activities, a glossary of terms, and an index, making them ideal for incorporation into Fall classroom lessons and library book club discussions.
Beach Nightmare by Steve Foxe and Alan Brown (Capstone)
Beach Nightmare is also part of a series, Scary Graphics, and is a great leveling up opportunity for readers who have graduated from Monster Buddies. Young Emma is bored on her family beach vacation and ventures off to the tidepools to photograph her discoveries. She gets way more than she bargained for, however, when she drops the phone into the ocean only to have it returned to the hotel lost and found with an added photo of a ghoulish hand. Steve Foxe ramps up the fright factor as Emma begins receiving late night phone calls whispering their insistence that she return to the beach. The waking nightmare escalates as she unravels the mystery, using her library’s resources, but — spoiler! — is ultimately unable to escape the ghost’s wrath.
Alan Brown’s genuinely creepy illustrations and an unsettling ending are paired with kid-friendly lettering and a relatable main character, which balances out to deliver the right level of scaries for younger readers. Backmatter includes discussion questions to help facilitate critical thinking and a glossary of terms.
Cthulhu is Hard to Spell by Various (Wannabe Press)
While Cthulhu is indeed hard to spell, the Cthulhu is Hard to Spell anthology of Lovecraft-inspired short stories is anything but hard to read. Contributing writers were tasked with choosing a Lovecraft god to craft a tale around, and the results do not disappoint, ranging from funny to profound to creepy, ensuring every thrill seeker is satisfied.
Standout stories include The Summoning of Brkthruslpk, a darkly humorous tale of teenage spirit-summoning rituals gone awry; Ashes to Ashes, a chilling tale about an elder god who pays a very high price to truly understand humanity; and The Call of Stone, a dream-like short that leaves readers with an unsettling sense of melancholy.
Where short stories in comics anthologies can be uneven at times, the assembled talent combined with good editing ensures each unique story is engaging on its own. Middle-grade readers who enjoy Edgar Allen Poe (Eureka Classics) but aren’t ready for the intensity of Shook (Dark Horse) and Razorblades (Image Comics) will appreciate this accessible introduction to Lovecraft.
Hairball by Matt Kindt, Tyler Jenkins, and Hilary Jenkins (Dark Horse)
Something insidious is lurking in the shadowed corners of Anna’s life. In Hairball, the negativity that haunts Anna goes beyond the constant fighting of her adoptive parents and her lonely existence. Her cat Bestie showed up on the doorstep the same day Anna was brought home, and ever since, both Bestie and her slimy slug, hairballs, have suspiciously been present for increasingly scary incidents around the home.
The narrative continues from Anna’s point of view as she begins to see Bestie as more than a cat companion, and responds with increasing hysteria that ranges from murderous fever to cat-worshiping fervor. Best-selling, multi-award nominated author Matt Kindt delivers mounting suspense as Anna’s paranoia builds into psychotic behavior. Older teens and adults will be hooked as the narrative flips in the final act and they are left to decide whether Bestie is a demon or a god.
Tyler and Hilary Jenkins’ art and colors feature visually stunning panels against black backgrounds, bringing nuances like body language and emotion to the forefront. An overall thrilling read that will excite readers who like the scaries but don’t want to go hardcore horror. Fans of Stephen King’s Cat’s Eye or Edgar Allen Poe’s The Black Cat will enjoy this examination of mental health struggles and feline chaos.
A Haunted Girl by Ethan Sacks, Naomi Sacks, and Marco Lorenzana (Image Comics)
What if the demons in your head manifested physically, but nobody believed you? While A Haunted Girl is a raw tale about severe depression that examines the demons of mental illness, the combination of psychological horror and actual demon possession is a chilling one. Cleo is a teenager trying to reintegrate into high school following a two-month hospital stay. While she struggles with the daily horrors of depression, stigma from peers, and clueless adults, Cleo also begins having terrifying nightmares. Eventually, a ghost-boy appears, and though a thoroughly traumatized Cleo tries to avoid it, only she can stop more ghosts from returning and possessing every living human. A mysterious Japanese ancestral background is also in the mix, as her father struggles to support Cleo’s daily needs while grappling with family secrets.
Psychological horror is popular for a reason. Father-daughter duo and debut authors Ethan and Naomi Sacks bravely took inspiration from their real-life journey through Naomi’s mental health struggles, and the realism resonates. While the third act is somewhat rushed, the nuances of Cleo’s daily inner struggles are the real standout of the story. Marco Lorenzana’s artwork does justice to both character’s emotions and the clever creature designs.
Teen horror fans should check out A Haunted Girl for both the spooky vibes and the assurance that they are not alone in facing inner demons. However unwilling she is and unfair her situation becomes, Cleo finds her will to live and is an everyday hero with whom readers can relate. Back matter include valuable suicide awareness and prevention resources.
Carmilla: The First Vampire by Amy Chu and Soo Lee (Dark Horse)
Inspired by the original gothic tale, Carmilla: The First Vampire is a deliciously complex layering of Chinese folklore and contemporary characters. It’s Lunar New Year in 1990s New York, and runaways keep turning up dead in garbage bags. Idealistic social worker Athena already has a history of picking up stray cats and lost humans, and quickly descends into obsession with finding the killer. Unable to accept that at-risk women are being discarded like literal trash, Athena pursues the truth despite the cost to her personal life, and finds herself circling the same spiral as the murder victims. Her investigation uncovers dark family secrets, and soon Athena’s life and soul are at stake when all roads lead back to the mysterious Carmilla and her ancient evil. More horrifying than the vampires is how the story examines the everyday horrors faced by marginalized populations.
Writer Amy Chu and artist Soo Lee are the perfect team to bring this gothic horror-inspired re-imagining to life through compelling characterization, interwoven Chinese folklore, and stunning artwork. As a protagonist, Athena is the right mix of flawed and sympathetic to keep readers interested. Gore and sexual situations make this appropriate for adult audiences, but it will appeal equally to horror fans, vampire enthusiasts, and mystery readers.
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Moni Barrette, MLIS is the Director, Collection Development for LibraryPass, as well as former President of American Library Association’s Graphic Novel & Comics Round Table, and co-founder of the nonprofit Creators, Assemble! Inc. As a former public library manager, Moni won the California Library Association PRExcellence Award (2018 & 2019) for library events aimed at underserved adult library users, and has proven success using comics to increase library circulation. She is a frequent panelist at San Diego and New York Comic Con, San Diego Comic Fest and Wonder-Con, hosting industry networking events and providing instruction to educators and librarians.
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