Every human has experienced the feeling of fear at some point in their lives, making the horror genre popular across various types of media. It’s no wonder that so many people love scary stories, particularly in the Fall when the weather cools, leaves start to die, and the darkness creeps in earlier and earlier…
Whether you love scary movies, books, and games or not, you’re very likely to encounter something intentionally eerie in the weeks leading up to Halloween.
My six picks this month represent spine-chillers for a variety of ages, interests, types of horror, and preferred amounts of scariness. Whether you just want a mildly unsettling tale or a nightmare-inducing read, these comics have you covered. And don’t forget to check out even more scary stories in our Spine-chillers and Creepy Tales list!
Middle Grade
The Nightmare Brigade #1 The Case of The Girl from Deja Vu by Franck Thillez and Yomgui Dumont (Papercutz)
Fourteen-year-olds Tristan and Estaban, along with Tristan’s dad, Professor Angus, are The Nightmare Brigade and their mission is to help young people overcome bad dreams. Professor Angus has developed a way for the kids to alter nightmares, which they do by entering the dreams to investigate.
This task is not without danger: Anything that goes wrong inside the nightmares can trap, kill or otherwise negatively impact the Brigade members, not to mention that if a patient wakes up or if a nightmare creature finds the door between worlds, the line between imagination and reality breaks down entirely. When the team helps a young girl named Sarah, much of what they thought they know about Estaban’s past and what they believed of Professor Angus is challenged. Can the team unravel these mysteries, or will they get caught in a nightmare world forever?
Franck Thilliez is a bestselling novelist in his native France, a background which might account for the slightly sophisticated (but age-appropriate) feel of The Nightmare Brigade. Yomgui Dumont differentiates the real world from nightmares through the use of moody backgrounds and shadowy figures throughout the dreams. That doesn’t make real world scenes less impactful, though, with some characters’ closeups being creepier than anything experienced in the nightmare world.
This tale offers kid-friendly creepy with enough mystery and solid characterization to keep readers interested in the continuing series. There are also elements of realism, including Tristan’s experience as a teen who uses a wheelchair and Estaban’s journey of self-discovery, that will be relatable for many readers.
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Teens
Bizenghast Vol #1 by M. Alice Legro (Tokyopop)
After her parents die in a mysterious car crash, Dinah is sent to live with her aunt Jane. The two try to settle in the renovated boys reform school in Bizenghast, MA, which Jane inherited from Dinah’s mother. As Dinah matures, she falls farther into what Jane believes is mental illness but Dinah insists it is being caused by ghosts. After discovering a mysterious cemetery on the school grounds and reading aloud from one of the headstones, an absolute nightmare creature appears and curses Dinah.
Along with her only friend, Vincent, she must either solve the riddles of the various spirits in the cemetery or die a horrible death.
While Legro’s tale is intentionally unsettling, her illustrations — presented in black and white with an ornate Victorian style, although the story takes place in modern times — take it from creepy to nightmare-inducing, particularly if you hate spiders like I do! Appropriate for younger teens, Bizenghast very much reminded me of the more mature Locke & Key series, including the vibe of the scary creatures, the mystery, and tone. Needless to say, fans of that popular series should also enjoy continuing to explore the world of Bizenghast.
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Young Adult
Feral Vol. 1 Tony Fleecs, Trish Forstner, Tone Rodriguez, and Brad Simpson (Image Comics)
We meet Elsie, Lord Fluffy Britches, and Patch as they are flung out of a van that just crashed next to a forest. Struggling to regroup and decide what to do next, they are immediately attacked from all sides by various species of rabid animals. As their terrifying escape through the trees unfolds, we learn through posted signage that these animals were surrendered to animal control while all humans in the area were forced into quarantine. The action and violence is nonstop as every animal fights to survive.
The story of rabid animals told from the animals’ point of view is unique, and while it could easily wear thin fast, the characterization and numerous twists and turns keeps the concept fresh. Extremely fast-paced and heartbreaking at times, it reads as if an animated Disney film was put on a rolling cart headed straight downhill to Hell!
Feral includes harsh language and the previously mentioned violence, and is best suited for older teens. Also, like many a Disney tale, some animals are killed so it’s not one for folks who prefer to avoid those stories. Fans of Feral will also want to check out Stray Dogs, which has a similar concept with a different story and cast of characters.
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Bad Dreams in the Night by Adam Ellis (Andrews McMeel)
If you never want to be able to look at corn the same way again, Bad Dreams in the Night has eleven short, scary, and unsettling stories for you. While I tried to decide which was a standout, several stuck with me well after reading.
It opens with “Me and Evangeline at the Farm,” a story about young Adam Ellis visiting his grandmother’s farm and watching the horror films she saved for him on VHS tapes. Each of the stories includes a short explanation of its inspiration, and “Evangeline” was inspired by Ellis watching too many adult horror movies at too young of an age. While that’s an intriguing opener, Ellis moves on to showcase his talent across a range of themes, including creature features, scary kids, unsettling mysteries, body horror, and modern takes on already terrifying folk tales.
Ellis was a popular social media personality before that was a more common occurrence, such as the Dear David ghost story that captivated Twitter back in 2017-2018 and led to the way less creepy 2023 horror film of the same name. To-date, Ellis insists his Dear David story is true, despite the ending fizzling out… because he was possessed? Because he now had a movie deal that would complete the tale? We may never know! True or not, Ellis clearly can capture an audience with his talent for writing horror, and that is showcased in this anthology.
Bad Dreams in the Night includes some mature language, crude jokes, and of course a bit of gooey gore, so although it’s appropriate for older teens, I’m curious how the Millennial references and jokes land with them. Check it out if you like being “bothered” by creepy tales!
- Comics Plus Collection(s): High School, Teen Public Library, All-Access for Schools, Full Collection
Adult
The Confessional by Paige Hender (Silver Sprocket)
Cora Velasquez lives with her sister in a speakeasy run by a coven of ladies of the night who, of course, are vampires. Struggling to bear the weight of her damned soul, she turns to Father Orville Thibodeaux for solace through confession. When Cora is caught by the priest while feeding on a man, she confesses that she is both a vampire and in love with him. Rather than be repelled, Father Thibodeaux seizes the opportunity to use the girl’s struggle to his advantage. Despite the reservations of her coven, he convinces Cora to feed on and kill men he believes are criminals based on their confessions, or just his own judgement. The two enter in a relationship where he uses her hunger, lust, and desperation to be absolved against her.
The setting of 1922 New Orleans is rich even without the interesting characters, and makes a perfect backdrop for this tale of judgement, abuse of power, and secrets within the church. The element of fear is not primarily derived from the presence of vampires but instead by the manipulation from those in power. Paige Hender’s artwork feels authentic to the time period, and everything is in shades of pink and blue, except for the vampires’ red eyes. The end has a “Blue & Pink Book” of character illustrations for each of the La Chauve-Souris ladies, which is a tongue-and-cheek catalog for their various talents and services.
Due to the violence, erotic scenes, and overall themes, this is one for mature readers.
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The Devil that Wears My Face by David Pepose and Alex Cormack (Mad Cave)
Father Vieri is suffering a crisis of faith, upsetting fellow clergymen with his rebellious attitude by day, while wandering the bordello district by night searching for answers about his wayward mother. The Church generally deems his background in exorcism unnecessary until a nobleman contacts them for help with his possessed son, Hugo. Seeing a chance to gain financial support, they send Father Vieri to help. He is almost immediately overcome by the demon who literally leaves wearing the Father’s face.
Vieri meanwhile is stuck in a dank cell, inhabiting Hugo’s body, while the demon Legion impersonates Vieri and wreaks havoc on the Church. Legion is on a rampage, murdering priests so that he can become Pope and completely desecrate the house of God once and for all. Can the real Vieri stop Legion and save the Church from the demon’s path?
The creators of The Devil that Wears My Face are industry veterans with a large catalog of titles across multiple comics publishers. Writer David Pepose brings his flair for action into this one, while Alex Cormack adds his characteristic attention to detail, with every panel rendered with grotesque and painstaking detail.
While it should be obvious from the premise, this is a mature read. It’s also not for anyone who shy away from carnage as each page is practically dripping in blood. Bloodshed aside, it’s also a twisty, mysterious, and devilishly fun read for those who enjoy demon possession stories that don’t pull any punches. It’s also a story about faith and redemption, ending with a hint that there might be more demons to battle in the future.
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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. In 2025, she was named a Library Journal Mover & Shaker. Moni 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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