Halloween Reading

Some of these comic books are scary, others are cute, and all are memorable reads:

A Peanuts Halloween- I got this for free last year, an ashcan-sized Halloween giveaway that reprinted Charles Schulz’ strip about Linus’ faith in the existence of the Great Pumpkin. He’s never seen him, but he just knows he’ll make an appearance to prove Charlie Brown and Lucy wrong. Of course, Linus waits in vain. Yeah, the analogy is thinly veiled, but it’s funny and I love it.

Marvel Premiere # 28: Legion of Monsters- It’s not really a team, but this standalone story brings together Morbius the Living Vampire, Ghost Rider, Werewolf by Night, and Man-Thing. A mountain appears in Los Angeles, and a benevolent being emerges. Too bad Werewolf attacks him, and the four monsters lose their sole chance of being “cured.” I bought the National Bookstore reprint of this when I was about seven. This issue introduced me to some of Marvel’s horror characters.

The Vampire’s Christmas- Homeless vampire Tobias Esque isn’t a fan of the holidays, but he discovers a different kind of holiday cheer, anyway. In this strangely feelgood story, Esque is reminded of Christmases past, before and after becoming undead.

Sandman # 25- This is a creepy one. During the Season of Mists, young Charles Rowland was left alone in a boarding school, and discovers that some departed students and their headmaster have returned. He also meets Edwin Paine, the friendly young ghost in the attic.

The Cryptics- Cute little monsters Drac, Jackie (and Hyde), Wolfy, and Seaboy are the children of mythic creatures. Their adventures are light, colorful, and fun.

Death Jr. Halloween Special- Like the Cryptics, the kid characters here aren’t exactly normal. There’s DJ (the Grim Reaper’s son), Pandora (who’s obsessed with opening boxes and containers), Stigmartha (whose hands bleed when she’s nervous), Smith and Weston (conjoined twins sharing a big brain), and The Seep (a limbless snarky fetus). In this story, they’re pelted by teenagers with eggs while trick-or-treating. Enter DJ’s dad.

Tales of the Vampire # 3- These are stories that happen in the Buffy universe. One such vampire tale focuses on the series’ version of Dracula, who has become a joke. A group of Slayers confronts him and retrieves his hypnotized new manservant, Xander Harris. It’s a little sad, because the tired old vampire lost his only “friend.”

Star Wars Tales: Planet of the Dead- Han and Chewie land the Millennium Falcon on an eerie planet, where they hear odd sounds and are greeted by zombie-like beings. A native tells them that this was caused by an accident, so Han tries to break the cycle of hauntings by helping the passengers “avoid” their fate.

Donald Duck: The Halloween Huckster- This was among last year’s freebies. Donald meets a weird salesman, Kasper Kanterville, who befriends him and joins him in frightening friends and neighbors during Halloween. It’s bizarre, for a Disney comic, but it’s quite entertaining, too.

Detective Comics # 455- I bought this comic book as a kid, excited by the promise of Batman fighting a vampire. It didn’t disappoint; it was dark and quite scary for a young reader. Now, it’s a little cheesy (the vamp is named Gustav Decobra, too close to Dracula, methinks), but the way Batman defeated his undead opponent is still cool. The art is by Mike Grell, who was obviously inspired by classic horror movies.

Also fun reads: DC Universe Halloween Special 2008, Hector Plasm: Totentanz, and the Courtney Crumrin books. Have a safe and enjoyable Halloween!