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The Monster Librarian Presents:

Reviews of Horror Related Graphic Novels

There aren't a large number of horror graphic novels out there but those that there are make for excellent additions to any library's graphic novel collection and are wonderful for reaching out to reluctant readers.

List of Graphic Novels by subgenre

Zombies

Vampires

The Unwanted by Diablo, Mark Michaels, Juan Romera, and Jason Arthur*New Review

Diablo Publications, 2008

ISBN: N/A

Availability: Pre-order

            In The Unwanted, a demon is inadvertently released in a juvenile detention center when a staffer brings home an amulet from Tibet.  As the demon proceeds to hunt down the kids, a teacher in the juvenile detention center and a gang of street tough kids team up to try to find a way to defeat the demon before it can kill them.   The plot will be a familiar one to genre fans, but the storytelling, character development, and plot pacing in this graphic novel are excellent. The black and white artwork is effective and will have a strong impact on readers.  The Unwanted is a solid horror graphic novel that both horror fans and those who might not normally read horror graphic novels will enjoy. Recommended for public libraries.

Contains: Violence, gore, language

Note: The review is part of the "Spring into Terror" project, check out other reviews of horror titles available for reading for this Spring at our Spring into Terror project page.

Weirdling by Mike Dubisch

Strange Fear, 2007

ISBN:  978097898113

Available: New

    Anna Mandretta is a crew member on a space ship in the middle of fighting a war against the alien Xax.   She starts dreaming that she is a famous surgeon at Miskatonic Hospital centuries earlier dealing with a child who is supposedly the key to letting the Cthulhu god Azag-Thoth loose into the world.  Anna’s dreams become more frequent, eating away at her sanity, and she must discover what they mean before she completely loses her grip on reality. Dubisch’s black and white drawings are compelling, and the story is an interesting and well-told tale.   Fans of Lovecraft and Cthulhu will enjoy this title.  Weirdling is an excellent combination of both science fiction and Lovecraftian horror that is worth adding to any pubic library collection. Recommended.

Contains: science fiction violence

28 Days Later: The Aftermath by Steve Niles ISBN: 0061236764

Harper Paperbacks, 2007

Availability: New

    28 Days Later: The Aftermath is a graphic novel of the events surrounding the movie 28 Days Later, about a virus released in London that turns the infected into maniac killers.  The graphic novel was issued when the sequel, 28 Weeks Later,  was released, as a bridge between the two films, and is an original work, not a novelization. 28 Days Later: The Aftermath consists of vignettes that illustrate different facets of the zombie plague: the development of the Rage virus, the fate of a family that gets caught up during the outbreak, the story of a loner who is fighting not just the infected but another survivor, and, finally, the internment of the survivors in a quarantine camp by the authorities, who have regained control of London.  Each of these brief stories could have easily been expanded into a full length graphic novel. 28 Days Later: The Aftermath is a visually impressive work with fantastic art.  The depiction of a destroyed London and the degenerating infected is shocking, and zombie lovers will feel right at home.   Recommended for public library collections. Readers advisory note: The images in this book are graphic and gory in nature, and are not appropriate for children or young teens.

Contains: Gore

The Fog by Scott Allie, Todd Herman, Andy Owens, and Dave Stewart

Dark Horse, October, 2005
ISBN: 1593074239

Available: New and Used

    A prequel to the events in John Carpenter's classic movie, "The Fog," this graphic novel tells the tale of a small seaside town where a group of Chinese immigrants have arrived after fleeing their village after a terrible curse that comes in the fog kills many of their residents.   Once the fog arrives, the Americans in the town start to develop red sores all over their bodies. It is up to Richard Blake, the wealthiest member of the town, to end the crisis.  This seems like it was meant to be an origin story of the Fog and its curse, but the cause of the curse is never really revealed. The story needed to be better thought out-  even as a stand-alone graphic novel, there are many unanswered questions that leave the story incomplete.  For example, there is a plot line about a missing Chinese mineworker in the town, but when we finally see the mineworker's corpse, we don't know why he died or what it means.  The Fog had a lot of potential either as a prequel or a stand-alone story, but the finished story disappointed on both counts. Contains: 

30 Days of Night by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith

IDW Publishing, 2004

ISBN 0971977550

Available: New and Used

    Barrow, Alaska is the northernmost inhabited town in North America. The sun doesn't set from May to August, and it doesn't rise from November to December.  It is this November to December time when the town is in total darkness that our story takes place.  A group of vampires decide that Barrow would make a perfect place for 30 days of serious bloodletting and it is up to the town's sheriff and his deputy wife to try to save the populace.   30 Days of Night should be considered a core of any horror graphic novel collection.   It serves as an excellent example of combining strong writing and excellent art work to tell the tale.   Contains Violence and gore.

Criminal Macabre: A Cal McDonald Mystery by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith

Dark Horse Books, 2004

ISBN: 1569719357

Available: New and Used

    Criminal Macabre introduces us to Cal McDonald, a hard-drinking, drug-using detective with a ghoul sidekick by the name of Mo'lock.  McDonald has to uncover who is behind a plot to turn the usual Vampires and Werewolves of Los Angles into super monsters.  I wanted to check out more of Niles/Templesmith's work after reading 30 Days of Night and ran into their Cal McDonald series.  Niles and Templesmith have created a fantastic character in Cal McDonald who takes on dealing with the supernatural bad guys that the rest of society doesn't believe exists.  A recommended read.

Contains: Violence

Last Train to Deadsville: A Cal McDonald Mystery by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith

Dark Horse Books, 2005

ISBN: 1593071078

Available: New and Used

    Cal McDonald thought he would get a chance to recover from a tussle with an angry mummy- instead, a possessed teen and a couple of demons stop by for a visit.   Cal and Mo'lock then have to go and visit the town the teen came from to find  out what havoc has been unleashed.  A continuation of the story of Cal McDonald, a private investigator who specializes in dealing with the supernatural world, this time there is a bit more humor added into Last Train to Deadsville  than Criminal Macabre with some fantastically funny dialog. The art is top notch and I would definately add this to any horror graphic novel collection.  Contains: Violence

Hack/Slash: The First Cut by Tim Seeley, Stefano Caselli,  and Federica Manfredi

Devil's Due Publishing, October 31, 2005

ISBN:   1932796428

Available: New and Used

    A collection  of the first few Hack/Slash stories put out by Devil's Due. Hack and Slash follow the adventures of Cassie Hack the daughter of a Slasher (think Michael Meyer) who has dedicated her life to track down and kill Slashers with her partner Vlad, a huge monster of a man who looks very much like a Slasher himself.  The three episodes included are "Euthanized," where Cassie and Vlad take on a Slasher than can control dead animals, "Girls Gone Dead," which is Spring Break with a nasty slasher, and "Comic Book Carnage." where famous comic book artists are ending up dead.   I sought out  Hack/Slash one I had first heard of the premise, I was expecting something that might be Buffy the Vampire Slayer like and was pleasantly surprised to find something that was a fair bti darker but still with the occasional sense of humor.   Recommended read. Contains violence.

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Vampire Graphic Novels

Anne Rice's The Vampire Lestat: The Graphic Novel by Faye Perozich
Dracula (Graphic Revolve (Graphic Novels)) by Bram Stoker, Michael (RTL) Burgan, and Jose Alfonso Ocampo Ruiz
Baltimore,: Or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire by Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden
 

30 Days of Night by Steve Niles
Dark Days (30 Days of Night, Book 2) by Steve Niles , Ben Templesmith
Return to Barrow (30 Days of Night, Book 3) by Steve Niles
Bloodsucker Tales, Volume 1 (30 Days of Night, Book 4)by Steve Niles , Matt Fraction , Ben Templesmith , Kody Chamberlain
Three Tales (30 Days of Night, Book 5) by Steve Niles
Spreading The Disease (30 Days of Night, Book 6) by Dan Wickline , Alex Sanchez
Eben And Stella (30 Days of Night, Book 7) by Steve Niles , Kelly Sue DeConnick , Justin Randall
Red Snow (30 Days of Night, Book 8) by Ben Templesmith
30 Days of Night: Beyond Barrow (30 Days of Night) by Steve Niles, Bill Sienkiewicz