Witch-themed Horror Comics
Witches are found all over horror history – and the occult is no different. Magic, sorcery and many other supernatural phenomena have been in comics for roughly 80 years. Whether it’s witchcraft, gore or fun portrayals – there’s always something for everyone to dive into. So… here’s 13 Horror Comics about Witches and the Occult. Let’s get stuck in.
#13. Dark Horse Presents… The Wolves of Saint August
The Wolves of Saint August is a four-part story within the Dark Horse Presents anthology series. Hellboy arrives at the town of Griat where all the townspeople have been killed by some sort of animal. But something is different about these killing – and this isn’t your ordinary type of animal. Hellboy eventually faces the creature and rids Griat of the paranormal activity which inflicted the town.
#12. Day of Vengeance
As a tie-in to Infinite Crisis, Day of Vengeance follows a group of magic-wielding heroes who are formed with one aim – to stop The Spectre from destroying magic for good. The team eventually discovers it wasn’t the Spectre in the first place. Instead, it was an even more powerful being behind those heinous crimes.
#11. Justice League: Dark
Unlike the main Justice League team you’re all familiar with, Justice League: Dark strictly deals with unnatural beings of supernatural and occultic origin. Originally coming together to stop Enchantress from her maniacal rampage, Madame Xanadu forces the team to stay together to stop the upcoming dark force that threaten them and their world.
#10. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Sabrina has been in Archie comics since the 1960s – in one form or another – as this slice of life fun witch. The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, however, gives readers a more horrifying take on the infamous teenage witch. Throughout this nine issue series, Sabrina must confront her father’s past and make the biggest decision of her life – become a full witch or stay as a mortal? It’s a perfect read for fans of The CW series starring Kiernan Shipka.
#9. Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose
Tarot is a warrior witch that was born into witchcraft. In this world, the Wiccan Gods are a heavy influence on the battles Tarot must face. Life gets even more complicated when she is asked by the Gods to maintain the balance between mankind and the threats which wield magic and sorcery. Fair warning though – this isn’t a short jaunt – Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose has clocked well over 130 issues to date.
#8. The Invisibles
The Invisibles follows multiple freedom fighters on their quest to fight the evil beings that have invaded their universe. The series includes almost everything occult that you can possibly imagine. The Invisible is, arguably, Grant Morrison at his very best!
#7. The Occultist
Formerly a 2010 one shot, The Occultist ran for three years and follows Robert Baily becoming The Occultist. Unbeknownst to him, his underlying powers help him overcome many foes and challenges that come with the title. This comic book series is a fun ride as it brings together horror, action and comedy in a rather seamless way.
#6. Zatanna
I couldn’t talk about witches without naming one of the most magical and mystic characters in DC Comics. However, despite the fanfare around Zatanna, she’s often under-utilised when you compare her to male and female counterparts. But Paul Dini changed all that – by showing readers just how powerfully she really is. The Zatanna 2010-2011 mini-series follows the magician as she navigates her world and the forces she faces – unaware there’s a sinister bad guy pulling the strings.
#5. The Witching Hour
This DC Comics classic ran from 1968-1978, publishing a massive 85 issues – which was a lot for the time. It included a variety of stories about witches, space, time travel and so much more. Despite the variety of tales, each story stayed relatively grounded in horror or horror adjacent themes – filled with unique and unexpected twists and turns. Every time it came out you never knew what sorts of horrors would await in the pages of The Witching Hour.
#4. Black Magick
Black Magick brings together the best of both worlds – cops and witchcraft. The series follows Rowan, a police officer who happens to practice witchcraft. Everything goes great for her until a man makes it known that he knows her true name. A name which absolutely no one should have any idea about. This threatens her life, her existence and her coven, forcing to investigate how this is happening to her.
#3. Hex Wives
Hex Wives takes us all the way back to the Salem Witch Trials and the countless battles between The Architects and the Witches. However, when one of The Architects is able to get their hands on one of the spells, the witches forget their past selves and become everyday housewives. Basically enslaving them. As the series progresses, the witches slowly piece together their past lives, discovering their husbands aren’t what they seem to be. Sadly, Hex Wives was cancelled prematurely. but it’s still a fantastic read for avid witch lovers.
#2. Joe Golem: Occult Detective
Joe Golem, a man of clay who was turned into flesh and blood, is the Drowning City‘s investigator of all things occult. And if you think that’s a strange sentence then wait until you read this comic book. Joe has terrifying encounters with the undead, witches and all sorts of malformed entities. And while that’s going on, he must confront his own demons while on his quest to protect his dying city. Patric Reynolds’s artwork is brutally detailed especially when talking about Joe Golem’s enemies – which will keep you on your toes.
#1. The Witching
The Witching explores the life of Elsa, an ageless witch, who is looking for her maiden and mother to her crone, to form a trinity. With hopes to successfully tip the balance of power across human civilisation. How she finds the witches she seeks and what sacrifices she makes will have to wait until you read this comic book.
Outro
If you made it this far please like, subscribe and hit that notification bell – so you’ll get more videos just like this one. I’ve always been a fan of the darker sides of comic books and story-telling so I’m glad you’ve joined me on this journey. Are you a fan of the whimsical witchy adventures of Sabrina Spellman? Or does the idea of a man made of clay turned human charged with hunting down witches and beastly villains float your boat? Let me know in the comments. But that’s it for now. I’ll see you guys next time. For the next episode.
