ComicsAlliance Presents “Kate or Die,” a series of exclusive comic strips created by one of our favorite cartoonists, Kate Leth! In this episode, Kate has some awesome tips for great spooky comics to get you into a Halloween mood. Buy them for yourself; buy them as gifts for a friend, relative, or local witch; or give them away to the best trick-or-treaters to come to your door.

Scroll down beyond the strip to get a full rundown of Kate's recommendations.

 

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KIDS:

TEENS:

  • Madame Xanadu --- Witches, tarot, romance, knights, and the Phantom Stranger. Amy Reeder's early work, to die for.
  • Buffy The Vampire Slayer Tales --- Short stories from the Buffyverse. Cream o' the crop.
  • Through the Woods --- Emily Carroll's genius work of creepy, folky, nightmarish short stories.
  • Beasts of Burden --- Jill Thompson's art again, on a darker story of pets protecting their neighborhood from dark forces. Bring tissues.
  • Peculia --- All of Richard Sala's works are perfect for fall, but Peculia and the Groon Grove Vampires is especially fitting. Very Gorey-inspired.

ADULTS:

  • Batman: Haunted Knight --- Three Batman stories for Halloween!
  • Saga of the Swamp Thing --- The classic series is fantastic horror, and any time Etrigan appears, it's a win for everyone.
  • Cinema Panopticum --- Like Sala, Thomas Ott's work is spooky, creepy and perfect for fall, but he gets a little darker and more twisted. Gorgeous black & white work that gets inside your head.
  • Wytches --- Rural American witches, a broken family trying to stay together, and pledges that need fulfilling.
  • Locke & Key --- Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez' incomparable work, a six-book horror story filled with magic and drama. My favorite series.
  • American Vampire --- A fresh take on vampire lore, far from sparkles and romance. These creatures will tear you to shreds.
  • Beautiful Darkness --- Not for children! This creepy watercolor homage to classic storybooks is as grotesque as it is gorgeous.
  • Afterlife With Archie --- Riverdale meets zombies, with art from Francesco Francavilla. Deeply twisted, this look at Archie and the gang is best enjoyed by longtime fans, but anyone can (and should) sink their teeth into it.
  • Chilling Adventures of Sabrina --- Another Archie Horror hit, this tale of Sabrina's early years and her aunts' wicked ways is a great companion to Wytches.
  • Pixu --- Lonely tenants of an apartment building find themselves trapped by the horrors within. Drawn by some of the best artists around.
  • Uzumaki --- Junji Ito's terrifying opus of a town driven mad by spirals. Will make you feel sick, then you'll read it again, and again...
  • Absolute Death --- If you're going to go Sandman for the season, go full goth.
  • Hellboy in Hell --- Read all of Hellboy and BPRD? If not, do that, then come back to this latest tale that sees Mike Mignola return to his horned hero.
  • Vampirella --- Hey, I'm biased here, but Nancy Collins' recent run on this bikini-clad vamp is pretty fantastic and filled with monster lore. I loved it.
  • Harrow County --- Last but not least, this new series also deals with small-town American witchcraft, but also history, and a totally different view than Wytches. Highly recommended.

 

Kate Leth is the writer of Boom Studios’ Power UpBravest Warriors, and Adventure Time: Bitter Sweets, IDW’s Edward Scissorhands, Archaia’s Fraggle Rock, and the forthcoming Patsy Walker AKA Hellcat from Marvel. Kate got her start with the frequently autobiographical, always entertaining webcomic Kate Or Die. Published bi-weekly here at ComicsAlliance, Kate uses the strip to address topics germane to the comic book and broader nerd cultures.

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