Halloween is arguably my favorite holiday, even over Christmas, with the decorations and the costumes, the scary movies, and the parties. And what's always been a big part of it for me too, the comic books.
One of the great things growing up in the 70's was what a great period it was for horror and mystery titles in comics. SWAMP THING, HOUSE OF MYSTERY, HOUSE OF SECRETS, FEAR, MAN THING, PHANTOM STRANGER, THE DEMON, GHOSTS, WITCHING HOUR, GHOST RIDER, and many well-written stories with a mystery setting in some of the more mainstream books.
A few of my favorites:
BATMAN 227, "The Demon of Gothos Mansion", by Dennis O'Neil, Irv Novick and Dick Giordano. In a story that walks a fine line between a fanatical religious cult, and the true supernatural, that could be explained as either at story's end.
The Demon 1 and 2, by Jack Kirby. In a story that spans the fall of Camelot in the middle ages, Merlin summoning his demon servant, and the spanning centuries where Camelot slips into legend, until Camelot's ruins are rediscovered, in a resurgence of demons and medeival sorcery.
JIMMY OLSEN 142 and 143, by Jack Kirby. "The man from Transilvane" where in an odd and fun story with some science fiction twists and humor, Jimmy Olsen and Superman are confronted with virtually all the classic monsters of Hollywood.
BIZARRE ADVENTURES 33, with "Dracula" by Steve Perry, Steve Bissette and John Tottleben. A truly horrific re-telling of Dracula's origin, in confrontation with Varnae, king of the vampires, selecting Dracula, as Transylvania is on the edge of conquest by the Ottoman Turks. An exceptionally well-written story, with art by the team who a few months later would bring SWAMP THING to the heights of excellence, in collaboration with Alan Moore.
WONDER WOMAN 195. By Dennis O'Neil and Wallace Wood. A wonderful tale of anonymous travelers brought together in an isolated inn, set upon by ghosts and murder, that all present seek to resolve, before they're picked off one by one.
TWISTED TALES # 1. Stories by Bruce Jones, Richard Corben, and Tim Conrad. In this 10-issue series from 1982-1984 , Bruce Jones resurrected the E.C.-brand of horror. In particular this issue, "All Hallows Eve" by Jones and Conrad, beautifully illustrated, it presents a group of trick-or-treaters who are reaching puberty and a bit too old to pass as children, mixing the mundane trick-or-treating ritual we all participate in with a more terrifying intrusion of a tragic accident, the supernatural, and retribution.
I especially enjoy stories from the seventies up to the mid-80's, although there are many from the modern era I've enjoyed as well.
So what are some of your favorites?
