Comic book collectors are always on the lookout for “key” issues or first appearances of their favorite characters. Many of our favorite horror characters and franchises have made their way into comics.
First appearances in horror comics and across all genres can be debatable, such as whether it’s a cameo or a full appearance, or which was published first. You, as the collector, can decide.
They’re Coming to Get Barbara in Comic Form
Night of the Living Dead: Prelude
Written by Tom Skulan and Eric Stanway
Art by Carlos Kastro and Eric Meheu
Published by Fantaco, January 1991
Night of the Living Dead: Prelude is a black-and-white adaptation of George Romero’s classic. The series spanned five issues and followed the film’s characters before the outbreak spread.
Pumpkinhead Rises in Comics
Pumpkinhead: The Rites of Exorcism #1
Written by Gary Gerani
Art by Shawn McManus and Jim McDermott
Published by Dark Horse Comics, January 1991
David, the son of the town doctor, is deeply in love with Mariah, a young woman born in the backwoods. They plan to run away together, but Mariah was promised at birth to the hideous Haggis as her apprentice. Tragedy and revenge hang in the air, and it won’t be long before Pumpkinhead is summoned!
Pumpkinhead: The Rites of Exorcism was intended as a four-issue miniseries, but only the first two issues were published.
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Find Out What Happens to The Thing’s MacReady and Childs
The Thing from Another World #1
Written by Chuck Pfarrar
Art by John Higgins
Published by Dark Horse Comics, January 1991
Picking up where John Carpenter’s film left off, MacReady is certain he’s going to die. But he doesn’t care as long as he can destroy the frozen remains of the Thing before he freezes to death. That shouldn’t be too much of a problem, should it?
The Thing from Another World was a two-issue series, with two additional mini-series following.
The Tall Man Shares the Far Future of the Phantasm Universe
Phantasm #1
Written by Stephen Romano
Art by Michael Broom
Published by Xmachina, October 2002
The comic begins several hundred years in the future, with Mike having been kept on ice in a high-tech compound for ages. It’s revealed that our young hero can manifest different versions of reality in his dreams, and he’s not the only one capable of this feat. In fact, he’s far from it.
The Phantasm comics were intended to be a four-issue series, but only the first issue was published.
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