Three, Great Horror Comics you can Read Right Now!

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At the beginning of 2021, I did a Google search for the best comics of 2020.   Several websites had similar titles ranked, and Immortal Hulk, Gideon Falls, Ice Cream Man were three choices. There's plenty more I will be showcasing on this blog, these being the first three titles.

These were all thankfully available in some form on Comixology Unlimited.  For $6 per month, the various titles I can read across several publishers are fantastic.   I also enjoy when a comic property has an upcoming movie or TV show, Comixology makes those original stories available on Unlimited.

The only graphic novel on this list currently available through Comixology was Immortal Hulk.  Gideon Falls and Ice Cream Man were their single, first issues.

Here are my impressions of these three titles; there will be spoilers.

Marvel Comics Immortal Hulk Volume One.   I've never read the Hulk comic through this lens.  Bruce Banner is killed multiple times throughout this book, but the Hulk doesn't allow him to die.  A story thread that haunts Banner in this collection.   Once he turns into the Hulk(which during this current evolution happens only at night) and he reverts, Bruce is alive and healthy again.  Artists Joe Bennett, Ruy Jose, and Paul Mounts illustrate the Hulk's face close up, with the green giant having an evil sneer as he dispenses his form of justice.   There's more in this graphic novel to dig into.   It didn't make me feel that I had to go back and read previous Hulk comics.   If anything, after reading this book, I was curious to discover how many versions of the Hulk there have been, and there have been many.

Image Comics Ice Cream Man.  Seeing the cover, I didn't know what to expect.  I didn't read the descriptions for these titles before plowing through them. I wanted to be surprised.  This title is the standout.  The artwork and characters reminded me of another off-beat Image title, Chew.  Martin Morazzo's artwork reminds me of Frank Quitely's'.  A spider, a werewolf, an old lady with a skeleton of her dead cat inside her bag.  Reading Ice Cream Man was like finding a small restaurant that you enjoyed and will be re-visiting when the opportunity presents it.

 

Image Comics Gideon Falls.  Early last year, I read and recommended volumes 1 and 2 of Black Hammer by Jeff Lemire.   This is the second comic series I've read from the acclaimed writer.  The artists he works with to bring these stories to life do not draw in the traditional superhero style I'm accustomed to.   But it works!  He also writes characters with shades of gray and troubled pasts that unravel as Mr. Lemire lays out the story.   Andrea Sorrentino's gritty artwork and drab colors lend to the horror vibe coming off this book.  Simultaneous narratives run together as we're introduced to the two main characters.  Wilfred is a priest and is reluctantly sent to Gideon Falls to replace the pastor who has just died. Norton seems to suffer from OCD, where he collects nails from the garbage.  He senses a dark presence is driving him to do so.  In one of the final panels, a large red, glowing barn appears to Wilfred in a field.  My movie brain tells me to cue the loud, sinister horn at the appearance of this barn.  A ghost, religion, and a mysterious death, I finished the book feeling intrigued and will continue reading if more becomes available on Comixology Unlimited.

These are affiliate links to buying the titles directly or to a Comixology subscription.  I recommend these titles.

Immortal Hulk Vol. 1

Gideon Falls Vol. 1 (more than I've covered in this recommendation)

Ice Cream Man Vol 1 (more than I've covered in this recommendation).

Comixology subscription here https://amzn.to/3c8sSCQ 

Find more of my recommendations here https://bit.ly/3pgdUi2