This month there are a bunch of special release that are timed with the season. So many in fact that we decided that they needed a special post. A few publishers are putting out anthology one-shot issue or books to celebrate the Halloween season and some others have just timed the release of their books to coincide nicely.
There is an alphabetical list of these special books below, and don’t forget to check for our PCS NOTES to find out what we just have to tell you about these comics.
There are books on the list from: DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Scout Comics, StormKing Productions, Archie Comics, and OffRegister Press.
Batman: One Bad Day – The Penguin #1
DC Comics
Written by John Ridley
Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli, Cam Smith, & Arif Prianto
Cover Art by Camuncoli
The Penguin’s criminal enterprise and the Iceberg Lounge have been stolen from underneath him by his former associate the Umbrella Man. The Umbrella Man has removed all of the rules for crime in Gotham City that the Penguin put in place, and the city is in chaos. The Penguin is a broken man, and he’ll have to travel through the burning streets of Gotham with a gun and a single bullet putting together a new crew to take back what he’s built. Will Batman help the devil he knows or face the devil he doesn’t in the form of the Umbrella Man? A crime epic from the team behind the critically acclaimed Other History of the DC Universe, John Ridley and Giuseppe Camuncoli–don’t miss it!
Release Date: October 18, 2022
PCS NOTES: This is the next installment in the series of one-shots that focus on one Batman villain at a time. Definitely entertaining.
Crypt of Shadows #1
Marvel Comics
Written by Al Ewing, Christian Cooper, Danny Lore, Chris Condon, Rebecca Roanhorse, & Adam Warren
Art by Warren, Ibrahim Moustafa, Geoff Shaw, & Karen S. Darboe
Cover Art by Leinil Francis Yu & Sunny Gho
The heroes of the Marvel Universe spend most of their time in the bright sun, flying high above it all…but every once in a while, they venture into the darkness that lurks in the hidden corners of the world. There lurk the creatures, the monsters, the vampires…the ones who prey on innocence and goodness. Join us, and some of your favorite heroes, for tales of fangs, claws and silent, stalking swamp creatures to celebrate All Hallows’ Eve!
Release Date: October 19, 2022
PCS NOTES: This is the kind of fun spooky season anthology that we get excited for each October. I am particularly interested in the Chris Cooper story in this book.
DC’s Terrors Through Time #1
DC Comics
Written by Paul Levitz, Jeremy Haun, Tim Seeley, Zac Thompson, & Karla Pacheco
Art by Juan Doe, Kelly Jones, Peter Nguyen, & Andy MacDonald
Cover Art by John McCrea
October is here, and that means it’s time for fables of fear, time for stories of suspense, and time for tales of…time? Join us for a terrifying tour across the ages from some of comics’ top talent! Witness zombies menace the JSA in the 1940s. Experience the haunting of the Gotham City Sirens in the 1990s. Watch as Swamp Thing goes up against an irradiated monstrosity in the far future. These are just a taste of the time-hopping terrors we have in store for you in our fright-filled Halloween anthology!
Release Date: October 11, 2022
PCS NOTES: DC has its own anthology this month. I am pleasantly surprised by the lineup of creators. It marks the return to DC for Paul Levitz and a group of excellent creators that are not the ususal suspects in a DC anthology. Great to see.
Chilling Adventures of Salem #1
Archie Comics
Written by Cullen Bunn
Art by Dan Schoening & Matt Herms
Cover Art by Schoening
Salem the Cat has always been known as Sabrina’s familiar, but what happens when Sabrina’s not around to protect him (or, as is more the case, when he doesn’t have to protect her)? This special one-shot explores a different side of Salem’s life, one in which he acts as an anti-hero enacting vigilante justice on those who hurt others like him… animals, in a horror story that’s equal parts Pet Sematary and Hereditary.
Release Date: October 12, 2022
PCS NOTES: Cullen Bunn writing a Salem the Cat backstory stand alone comic? Yes. Please. Give me some of that!
Filth & Grammar: The Comic Book Editor’s Secret Handbook
OffRegister Press
Written by Shelly Bond
Art by Imogen Mangle, Laura Hole, & Sofie Dodgson
Cover Art by Phillip Bond
Award-winning DC/Vertigo editor Shelly Bond presents her step-by-step approach to making comics informed by a thirty-year career in mainstream and indie publishing. All-star creatives including Neil Gaiman, Jill Thompson, and Grant Morrison offer pro-tips. Originally funded on Kickstarter, this unprecedented, entertaining handbook is peppered with short comics illustrating Bond’s early days as a young editor in New York City. This mass market edition of FILTH & GRAMMAR: THE COMIC BOOK EDITOR’S (SECRET) HANDBOOK includes 8 new pages and an updated cover.
Release Date: October 25, 2022
PCS NOTES: This book was Kickstarted last year and has been delivered to backers. It is now being distributed to comic shops this month. This is an excellent book for anyone interested in how comics get made and what happens behind the scenes. It is highly recommended reading. We spoke to writer Shelly Bond when the Kickstarter was going on and you can check that out here.
Ghost Planet #1
Scout Comics
Written by Jeffrey Burandt
Art by Sean Von Gorman
Cover Art by Von Gorman
A family of deep space explorers rushes to solve the mystery of Ghost Planet before their recently dead loved ones return to kill them next! Murder birds, eye stalks and space pigs abound in this 40-page graphic novella. Ghost Planet is a classic sci-fi tale with a body horror twist
Release Date: October 19, 2022
PCS NOTES: We have been excited about this book for a while now. It is a fantastic little story that will capture your imagination. You can check out our review and interview with the creators, here.
Hack/Slash: Hot Shorts #1
Image Comics
Written by Tim Seeley
Art by Seeley, Daniel Leister, & Jim Terry
Cover Art by Seeley
Slasher hunters Cassie Hack and Vlad are back with a one-shot collecting the all-new short stories from the HACK/SLASH DELUXE EDITION HARDCOVERS. Our heroes battle bloodstains in “Slice of Life,” written and drawn by SEELEY, while a new kind of monster slayer stalks the backroads of America in “Highwayman to Heaven” and Cassie meets up with the baddest bad girl in the multiverse in “I Will Destroy You All.” Also contains all-new pin-ups! The perfect celebration of the slasher season!
Release Date: October 12, 2022
PCS NOTES: I am a big fan of Cassie Hack and love seeing this collection of shorts by Tim Seeley in the list of books coming this October.
John Carpenter’s Tales for a HalloweeNight Vol. 8
StormKing Productions
Creators: John Carpenter, Sandy King, Jaime Carrillo, Elena Carrillo, Luis Guaragna, Sian Mandrake, Alec Worley, Tom Foster, Frank Tieri, Cat Staggs, Kealan Patrick Burke, Tom Mandrake, Jack Mandrake, Sean Sobczak, Conor Boyle, Sara Richard, Neo Edmund, Jason Felix, Amanda Deibert, David J. Schow, Andres Esparza, Jennie Wood, Richard P. Clark, Michael Moreci, Scott Hampton, Duane Swierczynski, Heather Vaughan, Trevor Denham, Ryan Winn, Tim Bradstreet, Nick Percival and Andy Price.
From the mind of John Carpenter, the man who brought you the classic horror film Halloween and all of the scares beyond, and the heart of writer, editor, and producer Sandy King, comes a whopping 14 brand new twisted tales of terror, tricks, and treats. In volume 8 of the award-winning graphic novel series, Carpenter and King bring together the best storytellers from movies, novels, and comics for another spine-tingling collection of stories that will haunt you. Each story is a standalone surprise that captures the essence of the best night of the year. We dare you to read it all the way to the end. If you get too scared, remember, it’s only a comic. It’s only a comic… or is it? Happy Halloween!
Release Date: October 5, 2022
PCS NOTES: This book is a staple for every Autumn. StormKing assembles a fantastic lineup of amazing creators and lets them play in the horror genre. This is the book you grab and settle in to read on a dark and stormy night this fall.
Killchella #1
Scout Comics
Written by Mario Candelaria
Art by Serg Acuna
Cover Art by Sean Von Gorman
A group of friends drive up from Los Angeles to attend an ultra-trendy music festival in the Coachella Valley desert. They soon face a bloody night of terror when a reclusive pop star making her big return after five years recruits her most fanatical devotees to assist in a massive human sacrifice ritual.
Release Date: October 19, 2022
PCS NOTES: This book has been a long time coming and we are excited to get our hands on it. It is another example of the publishing schedule and calendar synching up perfectly.
Leonide the Vampyr: Miracle at the Crow’s Head #1
Dark Horse Comics
Written by Mike Mignola
Art by Rachel Aragno & Dave Stewart
Cover Art by Aragno
A small, coastal village is home to normal people living quiet and simple lives––until a shipwreck brings a small coffin and its smaller occupant into their midst. What begins as a miracle soon takes a turn toward the horrible in this ghostly tale from celebrated Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and artist extraordinaire Rachele Aragno (Mel the Chosen)!
The first issue of a new series of stories, Leonide the Vampyr is shiveringly spectacular.
Release Date: October 5, 2022
PCS NOTES: What Halloween season is complete with out a spooky story from Mike Mignola?
The Return of Chilling Adventures in Sorcery #1
Archie Comics
Written by Sina Grace, Eliot Rahal, & Casey Gilly
Art by Vincenzo Federici, Corin Howell, & Liana Kangas
Cover Art by Julius Ohta
Madam Satan escaped Hell a fugitive and hated woman by Satan and his thralls. She’s now principal of Baxter high and Hell has come to Earth. With each classroom acting as a portal to the different circles in Hell, Madam Satan must recruit similar tortured souls if she has any chance of survival… all leading up to a Madam Satan and her army vs. Satan and his in this highly-anticipated follow-up to last year’s hit Chilling Adventures in Sorcery!
Release Date: October 26, 2022
PCS NOTES: Archie Comics does not disappoint. This “Chilling” anthology has a great lineup of creators and we are excited to see what they have to share with us.
