In a year filled with some of the best comics in recent memory, 2022 has given fans some of the most memorable horror comic debuts. The horror genre has always played a major role in the world of comics. Their popularity in the 1950s with EC Comics anthologies like Tales From the Crypt and Vault of Horror created the controversial Comics Code Authority that severely impacted the industry. Then, after the CCA was revised in the early 1970s, the genre surged in popularity as creators were able to explore the limits that terror could reach on the pages of a comic book. Today, there are countless new and continuing horror comics that have appealed to fans' desires for something scary. Here are the best of the best new horror comics that got their start this year.
The Vineyard - Brian Hawkins & Sami Rivela - AfterShock Comics
While 2022 ended with sad news for AfterShock Comics after they filed for bankruptcy in December, they still published an incredible new horror story. The Vineyard follows a family in Virginia that maintains a winery with a dark secret. In order to keep the harvest going, they must sacrifice four people per year in the name of the god Dionysus. It's a classic tale of sacrifice and murder that made movies like The Wicker Man so popular. But the twist that the conflict comes from within the family, rather than the perspective of an outsider, makes it an engaging tale of fighting toxic traditions. Mixed with just the right amount of terrifying violence and well-written character dynamics, The Vineyard is not to be missed.
Night of the Living Cat - Hawkman & Mecha-Roots - Seven Seas Entertainment
Switching gears to the world of manga, Night of the Living Cat is a fresh twist on the classic zombie apocalypse formula. Zombies are some of the most popular monsters in fiction because of the horrifying mindset that the biggest terrors are those that were once someone's friends and family. This new take on the subgenre though gives it a fluffy twist as the world undergoes a pandemic where people are turned into cats. However, it's not a bite or a scratch that does them in. Merely petting them or being nuzzled by their adorable heads will make them one of the hoard. It's a hilarious way to tackle a classic zombie story that's emphasized by its protagonist Kunagi given he's a man who must fight his every instinct as a cat lover to want to pet the adorable horrors or else become one himself. Fans of zombies don't want to pass this one up.
Creepshow - Paul Dini, Steve Langford, John McCrea and many more - Image Comics
The Creepshow franchise is a series that has experienced multiple iterations on the big and small screen as an homage to classic EC Comics. However, 2022 saw the franchise actually look to its inspirations with a brand-new horror anthology comic under the same name in the hopes of realizing the show's terrifying potential. The result? It's a pitch-perfect adaptation with stories that are worthy of the franchise's name. Boasting an all-star cast of writers and artists to spread the fear, Creepshow's five issue run is loaded with stories that are sure to scare countless fans while maintaining the fun that has made both the movies and TV show so popular.
Sgt. Rock vs. the Army of the Dead - Bruce Campbell & Eduardo Risso - DC Comics
World War II era zombies are some of the most famous forms of the undead as demonstrated through the ever-popular Call of Duty franchise. Wanting to give his own take on this trend, Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell threw his hat in the ring and gave DC fans Sgt. Rock vs. the Army of the Dead. This wildly entertaining zombie story follows a troop of soldiers finding themselves against a deadly new breed of Nazis. Since the end of the war is on the horizon, Adolf Hitler and his associates have begun using a serum to revive their dead in a hope to turn the tide of the war. This leaves Sgt. Rock and his company to fight off their new foes to prevent a Nazi resurgence that could change the world for the worst. This story by Bruce Campbell with art by Eduardo Risso is a comic that knows what's so fun about zombie stories and rolls with it, making it a roller coaster ride that fans will want to get on as soon as possible.
The Army of Darkness vs. Re-Animator: Necronomicon Rising - Erik Burnham & Eman Cassallos - Dynamite Comics
Speaking of Evil Dead's Bruce Campbell, his most famous character Ash Williams made a return this year in an excellent crossover with the Re-Animator. This sequel to the original 2006 mash-up features Ash on the hunt for the Re-Animator when he learns that he's gotten his hands on an ancient evil that could bring the world into a new dark age. Turns out, that evil is none other than Evil Ash from the cult classic Army of Darkness film. This sets up the battle of the decade as Ash faces not just one but two nefarious forces that are out to raise the dead and cause chaos wherever they go. This is a huge event for fans of both Evil Dead and Re-Animator franchises that perfectly encapsulates what made those series so popular as well as adding to their established lore.
Slumber - Tyler Burton Smith & Vanessa Cardinali - Image Comics
This new comic from Image brought a whole new meaning to the term Dream Warrior. The story follows a private detective/dream mercenary named Stetson who runs a business to help people get rid of their nightmares. However, instead of traditional therapy, she runs an experimental program where she goes into the dreams of her clients and literally kills the things that haunt them when they sleep. However, she soon finds herself up against a dream demon that's even scarier than Freddy Krueger as they possess people in reality to sleepwalk and murder for them. Slumber is an impressive horror fantasy series that blends amazing fantasy dream sequences with genuine tension to craft a unique scary story that shouldn't be missed.
These are just a few of the very best that horror had to offer this year. Some of the biggest honorable mentions include Image Comics' other impressive anthology series After School, Juan Doe's Spectro, and the sci-fi horror shake-up Hexware, which just saw its first issue debut in December. 2023 is going to have a lot to live up to following this landmark year for the genre, but if it can even match the quality that came from 2022, horror comics are going to find themselves in the best state they've been in since the 1950s.