Somewhere in the world there is a book that will teach you very bad things. You say you don’t want a book like that? But someday you will. I know you will. Award-winning authors Miyuki Miyabe and Hisanori Yoshida present the most terrifyingly bad book in the world.
Way back in the first days of comics, horror was a staple genre. It can sometimes feel like those superheroes have completely taken over the glossies, but horror is still alive and well in comics and manga, particularly when you look outside of the Big Two.
We’ve all heard of The Walking Dead and the seminal works of Junji Ito, but what about other great horror manga and comics? I’m here to tell you that there is so much great horror to be found out there. From the psychological to the extreme, from monstrous to creep-next-door, you’ll find something for any horror lover in this list of horror manga and comics.
Betwixt: A Horror Manga Anthology, edited by Jawn Lau, Mayuko Hirao
Okay, maybe there’s a bit of Junji Ito in this list, but he only contributed the foreword and cover art to this cool anthology. Between these covers, you’ll find short manga horror tales from both Japanese and American creators, teaming up to create six wild and wicked horror stories.
Ghost Hunt by Shiho Inada
This horror manga centers on Mai, a young woman who’s been hired to help clear the haunting of a decrepit old high school. Despite her efforts, no ghosts materialize, but she does meet an unlikely group of ghost hunters, including Kazuya. Together, can they solve the haunting mystery?
Helter Skelter: Fashion Unfriendly by Kyoko Okazaki
This is one of those deeply disturbing, psychological horror stories that just sticks with you. It’s a manga about Ririko, a supermodel who’s been at the top of her industry for a while. But as age and new challenges arise, there are no limits to what she’ll do to her own body to stay on top. Oh yeah, this totally has some body horror in it.
Infidel by Pornsak Pichetshote, Aaron Campbell
Part horror and part political statement, Infidel needs to be on your horror comics radar right now. The main characters is an American Muslim woman. Along with a diverse group of neighbors, they move into an old building that’s filled with spirits that feed off of xenophobia. Real-life xenophobia is horrific enough, but this paranormal twist really puts it over the top.
Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV, Werther Dell’Edera
This one certainly isn’t as under-the-radar as the rest of this list, but it’s probably the best horror comic current running today. In the tiny town of Archer’s Peak, children start disappearing. And nobody believes them when they talk about the monsters in the dark. But one day, Erica Slaughter arrives, and this stranger doesn’t just believe them, she hunts monsters, no matter what it takes.
Stray Dogs by Tony Fleecs, Trish Forstner
I love this little comic partly because it totally doesn’t look the part of horror, but it definitely is. Stray Dogs focus on Sophie, a cute little dog who just can’t remember. Where is she? Who are these other dogs? Where is her lady? As her memories slowly come back, they reveal only terrible, terrible things.
Need more horror comics for spooky season? How about those set in small towns? Or perhaps the best horror comics of the 2020s?
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