With Halloween rapidly approaching, now is a great time to dive into some spooky reading. However, rather than turning the pages of a book you’ve read half a dozen times, like Dracula, why not embrace free horror comics found online? There is no shortage of terrifying webcomics out there.
Why webcomics? Well, webcomics are made by passionate creators who want to tell stories outside of a traditional publisher. That means some excellent and original stories, like horror stories, can be added to your reading list.
We’ve scouted dozens of online horror comics and have found 15 in particular that you should check out. Give these terrifying online comics a read.
15. Lies Within
Lies Within is a gorgeously illustrated horror-themed comic by an artist known as @bylacey. With over 300 pages in the substantial archive, there is plenty of story to enjoy.
The comic follows Lysander, who seems to be coasting through life until an attack in his kitchen reveals that monsters are real. Lies Within features a large cast of diverse characters, fantastic art, and creepy supernatural imagery.
You can start reading Lies Within at Lieswithincomic.com.
14. Obelisk
Obelisk is a horror-tinged period piece set in 1908 by creator Ashely McCammon. At just over a hundred pages and a couple of chapters in, now is a great time to start following the comic, which updates weekly.
Set just after the turn of the 20th century in Manhattan, the comic follows Evelyn Reuter, who crosses paths with an enigmatic shopkeeper named Margot. Soon enough, Evelyn and Margot bond, but the complication of Margot’s vampiric nature raises questions.
Obelisk is in the gothic romance sphere of the horror comics on the list and is off to a great start. The artwork is black and white but given depth and texture through ink wash.
You can read Obelisk at obeliskcomic.com.
13. Lunar Blight
Lunar Blight is another horror comic with strong black-and-white artwork that oozes style and just enough gore for the genre. The comic is also relatively new on the scene but has already proven impressive enough to be worth notice. The comic is the work of Studio CARTRIDGE, two Canadian siblings.
The comic follows Jun Ryeo, a knight amongst an order known as the Lunar Guard, who are champions of the Moon. A vampiric threat puts this Lunar Guard on a journey, but revelations have Jun questioning their role. Have they been complicit in a lie for their entire life?
Lunar Blight has a particularly dynamic art style with compelling character designs and grotesque imagery. A rich cast of exciting character dynamics balances the heavy gothic setting.
You can read Lunar Blight at lunarblight.com.
12. Horror Hospital School
Fans of the Giallo works of Dario Argento have a lot to look forward to with Horror Hospital School, a webcomic by Maggie Vicnair. The comic has plenty of references and, in a neat twist, uses different tropes for specific chapters.
Horror Hospital School follows the terrifying events of St. Argento’s School for Unwell Girls and new student Stella King. With missing memories of how she ended up enrolled in the school and the secretive nature of other students, there is much to uncover in this bloody mystery.
The comic has a charming style that leans more toward cartooning, but it suits the storytelling. The comic also uses limited color, mostly sticking with shades of grey with the occasional splash of a signature red.
You can read Horror Hospital School at horrorhospitalschool.com.
11. Elmwych
Elmwych is another gothic horror and romance title with a lovely, full-color art style. The comic is also relatively new, having launched earlier this year. Artist JP Sewell has laid the foundations for a sexy, bloody story that should appeal to most horror fans.
The comic follows David, who founded a paranormal investigation group to seek out answers regarding the disappearance of a friend. However, the mysterious Lydia, one of the club’s newest members, may know more about the strange circumstances of David’s friend’s disappearance than he may realize.
This gothic comic features great artwork with excellent use of shadows. The comic leans more on the erotic side, but the juxtaposition of sex and monsters is nothing unusual for horror fandom.
You can read Elmwych at elmwych.com.
10. Numb
Numb is another great long-form read to carry you through October. At over 400 pages, Numb is the brainchild of the talented Niina Eveliina - this is one great-looking horror mystery story.
The plot of Numb follows the reuniting of two childhood friends, Susan and Levi, and a dreadful accident that threatens to reveal hidden strains. The accident might also connect to something darker.
The comic’s style combines the look of colored pencils and watercolors for a stunning effect. The character designs are also highly expressive to convey the horror and emotion of the surreal experiences in the story. All of this is accomplished on a weekly schedule as well!
You can check out Numb at the website niinaeveliina.com/numb/.
9. Going to Weather
Are you looking for something a little more nautical this October? Something slightly more ghostly? Going to Weather, by Silas Costello, might be just the ticket.
Set aboard a New England whaling ship, the comic spans over 100 pages so far as it is in the early stages of its second act. The story follows rumors surrounding a successful captain with a tragic history and a mysterious passenger with dark intent. What dark and ghastly doings might these whalers endure?
The comic evokes some classic ghost stories combined with 19th-century sailing adventures. Think Henry James meets Herman Melville, with stunning black and white illustrations. The vibes are positively haunting.
You can read Going to Weather at goingtoweather.com.
8. Bodycolor
If you are looking for something as spicy as it is scary, then look no further. Sofzeff’s erotic horror story, Bodycolor, has a fascinating noir vibe. This comic is the newest title on the list, but is already serving up some impressive thrills and has a ton of style.
While still in its early stages, the tension is already high. The comic follows Valerie, a woman with a murderous secret in a quiet town. When her colleague goes missing, the police poke around, and one handsome, mysterious detective focuses firmly on her.
Few comics look quite like Bodycolor, and that unique style is incredibly fitting for the tone and subject of the story. While highly stylized, the art choices are reasonable and enhance the storytelling rather than distract from it. It’s a pleasant, if not sometimes shocking, visual treat.
Bodycolor is available to read on Tapas.
7. The Last Halloween
Abby Howard’s The Last Halloween is a charming and creepy tale that evokes some more general-audience-friendly spooks while evoking the mood of Stephen King. The first volume of the comic is complete, and a second is on the way, leaving with a great story hook to come back to.
This stylishly illustrated comic follows 10-year-old Mona, who is having an uneventful Halloween until a monster appears in the middle of her living room! In the chaos of escape, she encounters a new band of friends and helps to solve the sudden rise of monsters everywhere.
If you want even more to read when you finish the current run of The Last Halloween, the creator has a slew of additional horror tales in the portfolio. This author is gruesomely generous.
You can check out The Last Halloween over at last-halloween.com.
6. The Devil’s Trill
The Devil’s Trill is one of the current projects of prolific horror comic author Sarah Nelson. While the comic is only in its second chapter, it is a promising read, especially as a follow-up to the author’s previously completed work, Daniel.
This Victorian-themed horror romance features lavish costume designs and haunting music references. The story follows a socially isolated Miriam Pierce, who struggles with mid-1800s British aristocracy over spurious rumors about a tragic event in her past. However, the arrival of a mysterious French violinist, Florian, provides a social reprieve that grows darker as they spend time together.
The Devil's Trill is a tightly written horror story with plenty of period details and a practiced hand of someone who has worked with the genre for a while. You could do worse than spend a dark evening pouring through these pages.
If you are intrigued by The Devil’s Trill, read it at vermillionworks.com/devilstrill/.
5. Cursed Tales
One of the most exciting genres of webcomics is fan comics, where creators with a passion for an existing story create their work in celebration. For fans of the game Dead By Daylight, ArtAmazon indulges in their fandom with Cursed Tales.
Cursed Tales is a comic that depicts a series of journal entries by survivor Benedict Baker — filled with game references and a narrative spin to inject more story into the survivor’s story. The comic is an excellent accompaniment to the beloved game.
The comic has a fantastic art style that plays on the investigatory theme of the story. Pages appear like collages, and gutter space evokes stacks of documents involved in dark, disturbing research.
If you want to take a foray into a fan comic of an existing horror property, Cursed Tales is a great option to read at globalcomix.com/c/cursed-tales.
4. Hexameron
The duo of Kelheor and Darkstrong unleashed Hexameron in 2021, and though under a hiatus as of this month, the comic still has plenty of merit to add to your horror reads. The comic features thriller and mystery elements that evoke youthful horror stories while presenting some intense, monstrous imagery.
Evoking the classic series Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Hexameron explores the tropes of campfire tales among kids with the conceit that the stories are starting to become real. Now, the kids have to solve a mystery of a stone that seems to be making their worst nightmares a reality.
Built for mobile reading, this is a great comic to indulge in when on a break at work or in line at the bank. Each update also features a song recommendation, resulting in a mixed-media experience.
Are you excited to dive into Hexameron? You can find it on the webcomic platform Tapas.
3. Soul to Call
Soul to Call is a post-apocalyptic horror story running since 2013. Created by Rommie, a Canadian author, the comic features all the sort of gruesome material you might see fit for the Halloween season. Plus, there is some excellent worldbuilding to enjoy as well.
The comic follows a cataclysm known as “The Fall,” resulting in the death of two-thirds of the human population. Even worse, strange creatures wander the lands, and dark magic seems to thrive. Amongst this chaos, a courier named Avril seeks out a creature that may be able to connect her to what little family she has left.
The comic has a richly textured look with gorgeous coloring. The character designs are also striking, able to sell the drama and horror of the setting. The weekly updates are worth following as more of the world and Avril’s journey reveal themselves.
You can start reading Soul to Call at soultocall.com.
2. Monster Soup
Since 2012, Monster Soup has been a fascinating combination of monsters and their agendas revealed over several chapters. The comic is the brainchild of Julie Devin, who has crafted a motley crew of monstrous ner-do-wells and a sinisterly fascinating castle setting.
What do you get when you put a zombie, witch, ghost, werewolf, and vampire under house arrest? Plenty of interpersonal conflicts! The comic follows a group of monsters, all sharing an incompetent lawyer and a judge with an agenda, and their lives in this mysterious castle with equally mysterious support staff.
Monster Soup is a comic that looks better and better, chapter after chapter, and is the culmination of years of work. Great art only gets a comic so far, though, so the compelling mystery and fascinating cast of ghouls are also worth noting.
Give this one a bookmark for later; you’ll be glad you did. Check out Monster Soup at monstersoupcomic.com.
1. Broodhollow
Kris Straub is no stranger to success in the horror genre. Work such as Candle Cove and Local 58 TV are beloved horror projects, but his webcomic Broodhollow should also be in that conversation.
Broodhollow is a serial horror project that follows encyclopedia salesman Wadsworth Zane as he settles into the events and mysteries of the town of Broodhollow. The cartoony and simplistic style of the art complements the Lovecraftian horrors of the story in a strangely compelling way.
While Broodhollow is currently on hiatus as a comic, the story hasn’t entirely concluded, as Straub’s analog horror video series, Local 58 TV, features some heavy connections to the comic's narrative. Indeed, Broodhollow features a comic, but that seems to be only part of a larger whole.
If you want to see why Broodhollow is one of the most influential horror webcomics ever, head over to broodhollow.krisstraub.com.
Want more horror webcomics?
Are you still looking for more free horror comics? You can find all kinds of comics if you know where to look. Websites like Tapas, Webtoon, and The Duck Webcomics provide plenty of options for additional horror reading if this selection doesn’t quite hit the mark for you.
