October marks the start of the spooky season and what better way to prepare for Halloween than reading some spooky tales from our favorite costumed heroes/villains?
DC has a frightful assortment of new comic books and classic stories for horror fans to enjoy. With several exciting new comics, including the conclusion of the terrifying series The Conjuring: The Lover and the first issue of the hilarious – yet terrifying – Soul Plumber series from the Last Podcast on the Left team. Oh, and we can’t forget about the much anticipated new noir story: Batman: The Long Halloween Special.
What else is there? Read on to find out!
Batman: The Long Halloween Special
It’s been 25 years since we were introduced to Holiday and his year-long murder spree. Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale return for another crime-filled holiday!
A quarter-century has passed since the release of the Eisner Award-winning BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN from writer Jeph Loeb and artist Tim Sale. A classic of the Bat-canon, Loeb and Sale return to continue their story and show that some secrets never stay buried in BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN SPECIAL with a mystery that could destroy Batman, Commissioner Gordon, Two-Face, and…well, that would be telling, wouldn’t it? Releasing just in time for Halloween, Batman: The Long Halloween Special #1 will be available on October 26.
Fans can also enjoy the full, original 13-issue limited series of BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN currently available on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE.
Are You Afraid of Darkseid?
An all-ages anthology special, Are You Afraid of Darkseid? #1 is now available!
DC invites readers to gather ’round the campfire, and indulge in the timeless tradition of sharing scary stories. The Teen Titans guide those brave enough through terrifying tales with a DC twist: Batman and the hidden killer, Superman and Lois Lane and the killer in their back seat, Harley Quinn and Darkseid versus a furious Bloody Mary, and four more stories so hair-raising you’ll call your momma to come pick you up. This collection of stories features the work of writers Jeremy Haun, Ed Brisson, Terry Blas, Elliot Kalan, Kenny Porter, Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly, Calvin Kasulke, and artists Garry Brown, Jesus Hervas, Mike Norton, and Max Dunbar, Chris Mitten, and Dan Hipp.
The Nice House on the Lake
What better time to get into the smash-hit horror series from James Tynion IV and Alvaro Martinez Bueno?
This captivating, stylish title from DC Black Label starts off with that perfect horror set-up: an invitation to an astonishingly beautiful house, for a vacation that seems maybe too good to be true. Everyone who was invited to the house knows Walter—well, they know him a little, anyway. Some met him in childhood; some met him months ago. And Walter’s always been a little…off. But after the hardest year of their lives, nobody was going to turn down Walter’s invitation, even as what was meant to be an idyllic escape starts to take a dark turn.
Check out Issue #5, on sale October 5th, and catch up on Issues #1-4. You’ll never look at an invite from a friend the same way again!
Refrigerator Full of Heads
The horror continues on October 19th when Hill House returns with a trip back to Brody Island!
Writer Rio Youers and artist Tom Fowler bring readers back to bloody Brody Island. At the bottom of the bay, the mysterious axe that unleashed violent pandemonium during the hurricane of ’83 has been waiting… but nothing that powerful stays buried. With a new sheriff, new visitors, and a dangerous Great White Shark spotted off the coast, the pieces are all in place for terror to rise again when vacationing couple Calvin Beringer and Arlene Fields stumble onto the wrong side of Brody’s unsavory elements.
Arkham City: The Order of The World
Gotham City is no stranger to horror, nor will it be immune to the terror this holiday season—this limited series will create an odyssey through the deepest depths and darkest shadows of Gotham City!
The Joker’s attack on Arkham Asylum left the long-standing Gotham establishment in ruin, most of the patients killed or missing, and only a handful of surviving staff—a few nurses, a gravely injured security guard, and one doctor. In the chaos of the assault, it is believed that several of the asylum’s patients escaped and scurried off into the dark nooks and crannies of Gotham City. Now, these Arkhamites walk among us, and it’s up to the Asylum’s one remaining doctor, Jocasta Joy, to round up her former patients.
Task Force Z
From the pages of Detective Comics comes Task Force Z!
Spinning out of back-up stories in Detective Comics comes TASK FORCE Z #1, on sale October 26. The dead are back, and Red Hood is leading a new team of undead Arkham Asylum inmates in Task Force Z. Writer Matthew Rosenberg and artists Eddy Barrows and Eber Ferreira are creating an action-packed story, set in the aftermath of the infamous A-Day attack that left those imprisoned in Arkham dead. With a second chance at life and a mysterious benefactor pulling the strings, Red Hood — who also knows a thing or two about coming back from the dead — will lead the team of Bane, Man-Bat, The Arkham Knight, Sundowner and Mr. Bloom.
The Conjuring: The Lover
Part of DC HORROR, DC’s new 17+ spine-tingling imprint, the last issue of the mini-series has a gut-punch finish!
Something terrifying has been happening to Jessica. She’s returned to her freshman year of college after winter break, bringing with her the anxieties of last semester’s poor grades, the awkwardness of facing a boy she wishes she’d never slept with, and an undeniably unnerving feeling of being watched. She soon comes to realize that something evil made her its target, driving her down into a spiral of paranoia and isolation, centered around a terrifying act of violence she can’t remember.
The must-read series includes back-ups diving into the Warrens’ Haunted Artifact room, expanding The Conjuring universe for fans.
Soul Plumber
The hosts of The Last Podcast on the Left add to the DC HORROR lineup with a new six-issue limited series!
This six-issue series that dives deep into the sewers of the human soul—and dredges up some demons. Edgar Wiggins, a disgraced former seminary student, is desperate to find a way to answer what he believes is his higher calling. He thinks he’s found it in a seminar hosted in a hotel conference room by the Soul Plumbers, who have a machine that could be the secret to delivering souls from Satan. Edgar’s too broke to buy in, but that’s not enough to stop this true devotee: he steals the blueprints and builds a pirated version with what components he can afford on his gas station attendant salary. Then he goes after a demon, misses… and ends up pulling out something much worse.
The first issue of this new horror-comedy series is available on October 5th.
And more horror awaits in the DC Universe, with two new titles hitting shelves on October 21.
DC vs. Vampires
If zombies weren’t enough for you, DC has you covered with more undead fun in DC vs. Vampires!
The undead are also on the attack in DC VS. VAMPIRES #1, a new, terrifying story from writers James Tynion IV and Matthew Rosenberg and featuring the work of artists Otto Schmidt, Jorge Molina, Francesco Mattina, and Ejikure. DC VS. VAMPIRES is a special, standalone twelve-issue limited series, pitting the Justice League against a secret, hidden army of vampires, leaving our heroes unsure of who they can trust.
DC Universe Infinite
Fans may enjoy a selection of classic tales on DC UNIVERSE INFINITE in addition to the new releases in October. Check out the Halloween offerings from DC’s digital subscription platform, which include everything from classics to new releases, including:
Images and Press Release Courtesy of DC Entertainment
Source: DC Comics