This week’s list of Top Comics to Buy for October 30 hits just one day before Halloween, and as such, a number of intrepid publishers have perfectly-timed spooky releases for the occasion. Yes, from DSTLRY to 2000AD, there’s some good dark and gothic and scary comics out today. You can find my five picks below, along with the other usual set of release lists … enjoy!
Top Comics to Buy for October 30
Acton Comics #1073
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Clayton Henry and Michael Shelfer
Colorist: Matt Herms
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
Publisher: DC Comics
It’s a race against time for Superman and Mon-El to prevent the lethal forces of Xa-Du and Aethyr from converging! But to save the present, the Man of Steel is forced to face the past! It’s the dramatic return of Krypton’s last son to his homeworld as the Man of Tomorrow voyages to the City of Yesterday! Plus, Kara meets the being at the center of her quest! What could they have done to cause the whole universe to unite against them? Find out in the next thrilling chapter of Supergirl!
Why It’s Cool: Okay, so this is the only book on this list that’s not overtly spooky, but I would argue that this weekly story about the denizens of the phantom zone is inherently pretty scary. It’s also really well done, a great classic feeling Superman comic that is going big and moving quickly.
Price: $4.99
Come Find Me: An Autumnal Offering #1
Creators: HamletMachine, Joe Pavelka, Lucas Gattoni, Becky Cloonan, Lee Loughridge, Pat Brosseau, Molly Mendoza, Vanesa R. Del Rey, Andrew Betsch, John Starr, Celine Loup, and E.M. Carroll
Publisher: DSTLRY
NEW 56-PAGE ONE-SHOT from DSTLRY. In COME FIND ME: AN AUTUMNAL OFFERING, auteur Becky Cloonan (SOMNA, Gotham Academy) curates a coven of the most sinister, trailblazing storytellers in sequential art for a haunting collection destined to become a Halloween tradition.
Why It’s Cool: This is a book that has a central thesis that feels like — hey, fall is pretty spooky, huh? And it explores that thesis with some excellent comic book artwork and storytelling. The E.M. Carroll story that concludes this over-sized collection is especially excellent.
Price: $8.99
Dwellings – All Hallow’s Eve Special #1
Writer/Artist/Letterer: Jay Stephens
Publisher: Oni Press
This Halloween, return to the terrifyingly tranquil streets that Dwellings calls home-as seen through the eyes of visitor Wolfgang LeGant! But Wolfgang is no ordinary tourist: He’s convinced he’s actually a seasoned vampire hunter, and this delusion has drawn him to Elwich to drive a stake through the once-unassuming town’s thriving “Saguinarian” goth subculture. But when Wolfgang meets Emmaline Momenta, a young woman similarly possessed by the idea that she’s a real vampire, irrational faith may be the only thing capable of stopping a mass murder in the making . . .
Why It’s Cool: Because you just can’t get enough of Jay Stephens vision for turning cute cartooning into some of the most horrifying comics you’ve ever read. It’s so nice to be back in the world of Dwellings this week.
Price: $5.99
Misty 2024 Special #1
Writers: Gail Simone and Letty Wilson
Artists: Carola Borelli, Aly Fell, Marianna Ignazzi, Letty Wilson
Colorist: Ellie Wright
Letterers: Jonathan Stevenson and Letty Wilson
Publisher: Rebellion
Created by Pat Mills and launched in 1978, Misty was a horror comic like no other. Now, more than two decades later, Misty returns and has been brought into 2024 at the pen of Gail Simone (Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey, Red Sonja). This anthology features three brand-new chilling stories by Simone, with art by Carola Borelli (The Deadliest Bouquet, Spider-Woman), Aly Fell (A Trick of the Light) and Marianna Ignazzi (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
Why It’s Cool: Led by a series of excellent scripts from Gail Simone, this special one-shot revives the classic British horror character Misty. Every story in this book is great, and if I had to pick a must-read Halloween comic, I’d pick this one. Don’t miss it.
Price: $12.50
Poison Ivy / Swamp Thing – Feral Trees #1
Writer: G. Willow Wilson
Artist: Mike Perkins
Colorist: Mike Spicer
Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Publisher: DC Comics
There is something wrong with the trees. A presence screaming out in pain–tearing, gnashing, and gnawing through the very fabric of the Green–calling out for blood. In its wake, a trail of viscera and carnage is left–leading to a mystery that the Parliament of Trees has conscripted Poison Ivy and Swamp Thing to solve. Can the Verdant Villainess and the Avatar of the Green make their way into the heart of this homicidal wilderness and discover the source of this horror, or will they find themselves the next victims of these feral trees? This story, brought to violent life by G. Willow Wilson and Mike Perkins, will answer these questions. But beware, this terrifying tale is not for the weak of heart.
Why It’s Cool: There hasn’t been a single bad issue of Poison Ivy since writer G. Willow Wilson and her collaborators took over this book a couple years ago, and this week’s Swamp Thing team-up is no exception. It’s not just a spooky Halloween week release. This book also advances the themes of the excellent ongoing series it spins out of.
Price: $5.99
Other Books I Enjoyed
Amazing Spider-Man #60- Defenders of the Earth #3
- Feral #7
- Kaya #22
- Lore Remastered #3
- The Nice House By The Sea #4
- Ultimate X-Men #8
- Uncanny Valley #6
- Wolverine Revenge #3
New #1s and One-Shots
- Blood Squad Seven – Strikefile #1 (one-shot)
- Hexiles #1
- It Happened on Hyde Street – Devour #1 (one-shot)
- My Little Pony – Best of Discord #1 (one-shot)
- Penguin Special #1 (one-shot)
- Power Rangers – Across the Morphin’ Grid #1 (one-shot)
- Rick and Morty Finals Week – Old Man Morty #1 (one-shot)
- Sectaurs #1
- Venom War – Fantastic Four #1 (one-shot)
- Wonder Woman Uncovered #1 (one-shot)
Graphic Novels and Trade Collections
- Absolute Batman – Death of the Family HC
- Anfield Road HC
- Best of Godzilla Vol. 2 TP
- Blue Book Vol. 2 TP
- Charred Remains TP
- DC Versus Marvel Omnibus HC
- EC Archives – Vault of Horror Vol. 5 TP
- Godzilla’s 70th Anniversary HC
- Incredible Hulk Vol. 3 – Soul Cages TP
- Jessica Farm HC
- Morning Star TP
- Mortal Terror Vol. 1 HC
- Red Light TP
- Saga Vol. 1 TP New Edition (6X9)
- Silicon Bandits TP
- Something Is Killing the Children Vol. 8 TP
- Star Trek – Year Five Deluxe Edition Vol. 2 HC
- Universal Monsters – Creature From the Black Lagoon Lives HC
Read past editions of the Top Comics to Buy!
