Last year I put together a piece titled, 13 Horror Comics and Graphic Novels You Need to be Reading in 2015. The loyal DCers crawled from the woodwork to pick up some recommendations and offer some insight into a few books that probably should have been included in the original lineup.
I’ve taken some time, and I’ve listened to the voice of DC. Of course that means I’ve done some research, tracked down some stellar books, and, as you may have expected, crafted a new list with a handful of titles that certainly deserve a shine.
If you want to know what you should be reading in 2016 (note that a few of these books actually debuted prior to the year’s arrival), take a gander at 13 insanely slick titles that didn’t find a home on my first breakdown of this nature!
Joe Golem: Occult Detective: I can’t even begin to express my love for this book. A throwback tale equipped with gorgeous vintage cityscapes, hideous monsters and one bad-ass private investigator (who specializes in the “unnatural”) by the name of Joe Golem, it’s practically impossible to put the book down. And every single issue offers some really, really wild sequences, anchored by both action and horror. Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden are responsible for the story (huge respect to these two, as they’ve got something truly special on their hands) while Patric Reynolds gives us a hint of classic illustration style. It’s a genius book and a certified home run for Dark Horse Comics!
Ghosted: There’s something very special about this book. It’s all about a masterful criminal who finds himself busted out of the clink and hired to, get this: capture a ghost! Sounds insane, right? It is, but it’s insane in the best way possible. There’s a very minor hint of 13 Ghosts in the tale, but it’s unique, and the characters are great. Joshua Williamson (who pops up more than once on this list) handles the story while Goran Sudzuka takes care of beautiful business with the pencils. The book has an interesting blend of crime noir (particularly those aesthetics) and modern day ghost-busting.
Nailbiter: A story about small town shenanigans and 16 serial killers. What more need be said? The truth is, after reading the first volume of this book, I was a little disappointed: very few of the conflicts and mysteries had been solved. But as I’ve continued reading, my mind has been changed for the better. This is an engrossing tale, extremely well thought-out by the talented Joshua Williamson and brilliantly illustrated by Mike Henderson. The series is 20 issues deep, so you’ve got plenty of time to catch up on a wild spin on the slasher tale.
Predator: Life and Death: Dan Abnett writes the latest Predator tale, and he gets the ball rolling in impressive fashion. Brian Thies provides solid artwork for what proves to be an insanely action packed book. And that’s not an understatement as issue #1 already sees a group investigating strange occurrences on an unfamiliar planet. Within just a few pages the crew is being hunted and absolutely slaughtered by the feared Predator. But there’s a lot of promise in this one aside from balls-out action. It appears as though both the Xenomorph and the Engineers will be making an appearance. This book already feels like a wonderful extension of Fire and Stone.
Colder: Toss the Bones: Nimble Jack is back – viler than ever – and prepared to make the lives of Declan and Reese more horrifying than we’ve seen through a few stunning story arcs. If you’re familiar with Paul Tobin’s engrossing tale and Juan Ferreyra’s pitch-perfect artwork, you know that this world is one that readers have zero desire to separate themselves from. Such a gloriously dark tale loaded with personalities that are completely relatable, and an alternate world in which nightmares and monsters are birthed, Colder is one of the greatest books on the market, and we’re certainly recommending you take a look!
The Steam Man: Joe R. Lansdale is one of the greatest living genre authors today. Seeing the man continue to craft stunning comic books is a true joy for a dude like me, who adores the man’s novels. It’s nice to say that Lansdale’s work in the comic field is every bit as amazing as his long form prose, but it’s also important to issue credit to Mark Alan Miller, who actually handles the script. The Steam Man – illustrated by Piotr Kowalski – is a magnetic piece about a giant man-operated machine on a mission to rid the world of the mysterious blood sucking Dark Rider and the legion of evil ghouls he’s employed to do his dirty work. A unique story in all ways imaginable, this is one of the best books on the market today.
Alabaster: The Good, the Bad, and the Bird: A poetic piece about the mysterious Deep South and a pair of abhorrent twins capable of commanding the unspeakable, Alabaster: The Good, the Bad and the Bird is one of the more refreshing titles to hit the market in quite some time. It’s clearly aimed at the mature reader, but the fantastical elements of the story will hold just about anyone’s attention. Caitlín R. Kiernan is an amazing author, and she gets all the help required to turn this into a future classic from the equally impressive Daniel Warren Johnson, who handles the artwork. It’s a wondrous, often violent and always chilling story that fans of comics and graphic novels should cherish.
Outcast: Something of a possession tale with a great number of twists, Outcast isn’t exactly what you’d expect. In fact, it deviates from the norm to such a degree that uncorking the spoiler bottle is all but guaranteed to kill any and all surprises that await viewers. I suppose that could be considered the sign of a fine book. And, if the story doesn’t call out to you, the names of the studly talents involved with the project should definitely pique your interest. The book is written by the great Robert Kirkman and illustrated by super-talent Paul Azaceta. Those two players alone should leave you curious about this top-notch book!
Winterworld: As a huge fan of atypical post-apocalyptic stories, Chuck Dixon’s tale of a few randoms battling to survive a world shrouded in snow is spellbinding. Gusts that never end and a wind so cold as to be life-threatening, hope seems a distant memory. It’s an ice age that sees Scully and the young, vulnerable Wynn trekking across barren lands in search of food, civilization and hope. But finding some degree of happiness is all but impossible in the tale, as there are savages who also scour the lands. They’re not shy, and they’re not exactly against consuming anything to keep them alive, human beings included. Kudos goes out to Butch Guice for giving us some visuals that suck us into this hopeless existence with jarring realism.
The Shrinking Man: An absolutely amazing adaptation of a classic Richard Matheson tale, Ted Adams shines while adapting the timeless classic, and Mark Torres keeps our eyes glued to the page with what can only be described as loyally vintage artwork. Scott’s life spirals out of control after he begins to gradually shrink. It’s playing a vicious game on the man’s psyche, and slowly but surely the ones who cared for the man detach themselves from his life. But that may be the least of his problems. As he shrinks smaller the insects and arachnids of the world (that we once thought little of) suddenly become life-threatening, which only serves to illuminate an entirely unorthodox horror. The book is frightening, frustrating and in the end, calls for a tear or two, mourning the fate of a man who deserved far better.
Postal: Postal isn’t an outright horror story; it’s more of a dark mystery with hints of the classic thriller and a dash of graphic violence. But that doesn’t change the fact that this is one of the finest books on the market (still heavily slept on, sadly) and horror fans are going to eat it up with joy. It’s infectious. It’s different. It’s about a small rural town named Eden and the dark secrets buried there, and it’s about time you checked it out. This is A+ material!
Cry Havoc: A brand new book with an interesting approach to the lycanthrope, Simon Spurrier’s story is off to a strong start. Part of the reason is Ryan Kelly’s impressive artwork, which feels like a perfect fit for Spurrier’s narrative, giving readers a little bit of everything to see with the eye as well as the mind’s eye. From warzones to street musicians, werewolves to mutant powers, Cry Havoc promises to be special. One issue in (at the time of this writing) and things are all smooth sailing. We’ll see what Spurrier and Kelly deliver in the near future.
Wytches: An extremely thought-provoking work, in which witches are obviously on prominent display. And those witches look amazing and act sinister. They deliver the kind of scares a comic fan desires. But the true magic of the story falls on the human side of the fence, where conceivable horrors unravel in abundance, flooding the vulnerable men and women of the story. Author Scott Snyder understands that there are many ways to terrify readers, and with artist Jock bringing his uniquely grim style to the table, Wytches really finds a way to stand out, a far cry from similar concepts, breaking free from the pack and accelerating to further distance this book from fellow genre efforts. A fine book, right here.