The human psyche is a complex thing. Not content with the status quo we fashion for ourselves, we seek to push the limits of our capabilities in the form of self-imposed challenges. This may be something personal, like weight loss, something educational like learning a language, or something elemental like climbing a mountain. Over recent months I have lost a …

Reboots, re-imaginings or just plain old remakes; more than any other genre, horror has been recycling ideas for years now. Sometimes they grow into something to be proud of, other times they turn out to be an utter freakshow, disowned at the first opportunity. As the decade we’ve yet to name breathes its last, it’s time to reflect on the …

Everyone’s entitled to one good read! Or in this case, six. Having previously done a list of personal favourites and then my best horror adaptations, this year I thought I’d jump the line and do a ‘best of 2019’ in time for your Samhain fireside reading. That way when everyone else is compiling their lists in time for Xmas, you …

“Only through a Voorhees can he be reborn… and only a Voorhees can kill him” JASON GOES TO HELL – THE FINAL FRIDAY Considering the pace at which they bashed out Friday the 13th movies, there was a 4 year gap twixt taking Manhattan & going to hell. In that time Jason has found himself ensconced in the early nineties. …

“THOSE DAMN ENCHILADAS!” FRIDAY THE 13TH PART V – A NEW BEGINNING New beginnings eh? Who doesn’t love those. A chance for revitalization and purpose reborn. The problem with new beginnings is they often slip back into old habits and turn out to be a load of false starts and empty promises… So, picking up after the final (definitely not …

As comic publishers trend towards endless reboots and universe redefining events, I think about the long lost movie adaptation. I was hooked by comics at the age of thirteen, and while I loved Mutants and Kryptonians as much as the next guy, it was the adaptations of Child’s Play 2 and Freddy’s Dead: the Final Nightmare, that did the hooking. …

If you’re anything like me, you’ll have spent most of October gorging on horror flicks in the build up to the actual ‘most wonderful time of the year’. Comics have long snuggled up to movies, and whether it’s adaptations or spin offs, they often give iconic characters a rebirth from beyond the screen and onto the spinner rack (yes, let’s …

Comics have long relied on unique selling points to find their audience. There’s a lot of books out there and most of them ain’t cheap, so subject and style count for a lot. Usually it’s just a facile costume change or rebranding, but the horror genre has the ability to push a concept and know the audience will more than …

Children have long been perfect protagonists for horror. Their innate vulnerability is a perfect conduit through which to build that oh so important sense of dread. From Regan, to Danny Torrance and all the way up to the Stranger Things kids, we’ve become used to pre-pubescent horror heroes. Of recent times we’ve seen a different approach, where the kid is …

TALES FROM THE BLACK CIRCLE BY JONATHAN CLODE WRITTEN BY SAM HART ART BY TREVOR “MORBID” MARKWART PUBLISHED BY CORPSE PAINT COMICS I vaguely remember a news feature about a spate of church burnings in Norway linked to a new, underground music scene dubbed ‘Black Metal’. The newsreader recounted the events with the typical disdain I’d come to expect as …

GRAVETRANCERS #1 There was a lot of fuss about 2017 being a bad year for comics. I guess that depends on what you like to read, but I’d argue it questions how far you’re prepared to go looking. 2017 was a great year for horror comics (as my Best Of List can fiercely attest!) and were it not for the …

The last twelve months had their fair share of horrific highs, and it’s been great to see how many of them have come from the good ole comic rack. If you’re looking for something to stuff in the stocking of your most beloved horror nerd, or maybe you just missed out on some of the years sequential stunners, then fear …

Not that we need one, but Halloween season is the annual excuse to gorge on horror. It goes without saying that we’ll revisit the classics, but it’s also the perfect time to search out new scares. When it comes to comics, you’ll doubtless be steered toward the likes of Hellboy and The Walking Dead, and while they’re great, here’s a …

Selling your soul to the devil is arguably a more common trope in comic books than it is any other medium. Despite being fairly fertile ground, finding a fresh take on the Faustian faux pas is not always that easy. As is so often the case, it takes a dip into the world of indie comics to breathe, or in …

Depending on what kind of horror fan you are, you could look at the movie Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter as a missed opportunity.  Released by Hammer Studios in 1974, the film was intended as an alternative to their typical offering. Usually the monster was either the star, Christopher Lee, or both. Intending to flip their usual approach to vampire stories, …