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9 Spooky Graphic Novels About Dark Magic

I originally posted this list in 2015, but it’s been refreshed and expanded in 2023 after I re-read most of the books here to make sure I was still enthusiastic about recommending them. However, please let me know via my contact form if you find something yikes in a book I recommend.

Farmhand by Rob Guillory, colors by Taylor Wells, lettering by Kody Chamberlain (Amazon / Goodreads)

Four volumes in and I’m still adoring this horror / sci-fi / magic series about a Black family who owns a farm that grows plug-and-play human organs. If you’re in the mood for something off the wall, but with suspense AND creepiness AND emotional layers about parents and children, give Farmhand a try.

“Jedidiah Jenkins is a simple farmer. But his cash crop isn’t corn or soy. He grows fast-healing, highly-customizable human organs. For years, Jed’s organic transplants have brought healing to many, but deep in the soil of the Jenkins Family Farm something sinister has taken root. Today this dark seed will begin to sprout, and the Jenkins family will be the first to taste its bitter fruit.”

Hexed:Omnibus Edition by Michael Alan Nelson, art by Emma Rios and Dan Mora, colors by Chris Peter and Gabriel Cassata, and lettering by Marshall Dillon and Ed Dukeshire (Amazon / Goodreads)

Luci Jenifer Inacio Das Neves, Lucifer for short, is a reformed thief. Val Brisendine is a gallery owner who also deals with magical artifacts, Lucifer’s sometimes boss, and the closest thing to family that Lucifer has. When Lucifer’s past catches up to her and threatens Val’s life, Lucifer has no choice but to tangle with a dark magical world that already owns too big a piece of her. This book made me fall in love with Emma Rios as an artist. Her people are real and interesting and flawed and distinctive. Between the art and Nelson’s storytelling, it’s a magic / horror / found family tale that’s often heavy with regret, but also sparks with hope.

I was worried about the artist switch for the second storyline collected here, The Harlot and the Thief, but Dan Mora and Gabriel Cassata did great. Lucifer starts with a crisp, clean look that goes with her slightly sassier personality, all totally appropriate given the weight that got taken off her shoulders at the end of the first Hexed story. When everything goes sideways, though, they’re more than capable of showing Lucifer’s grief and fury. And all the eviscerated corpses, because, you know, this is Hexed and things like that happen.

The Black Monday Murders by Jonathan Hickman, art by Tomm Coker, colors by Michael Garland, and lettering by Rus Wooton (Amazon / Goodreads)

Jonathan Hickman is all about the complex conspiracies, and here he brings that sensibility to the world of high finance and pacts with dark magic. In Hickman’s version of reality, successful financial institutions are run by families who’ve made intergenerational deals with… something. When a member of one of these families is found ritually murdered, Theo Dumas – a detective who’s always suspected there was more to reality – ends up with the case and decides he wants real answers.

I definitely see how the end of Volume 2 IS an ending, but honestly I wish Hickman had kept going because I think it there was plenty of potential for more if he’d so chosen, especially after all that worldbuilding! Good creepy stuff, lots of cool visual design, very enjoyable.

Beasts of Burden: Animal Rites by Evan Dorkin, art by Jill Thompson, lettering by Jason Arthur and Jill Thompson, and Sarah Dyer cowrote one of the stories (Amazon / Goodreads)

I picked this off the library shelf because of Jill Thompson’s name. She’s well-loved by us for her own kids’ series Magic Trixie and Scary Godmother. I’m so glad it caught my eye! It’s fantastic. Five neighborhood dogs and one cat summon a “Wise Dog” to help a friend in trouble: a dog whose doghouse is haunted. After this first encounter with the supernatural, the six friends become a sort of paranormal detective group under loose supervision by the Wise Dogs. They battle witches and investigate disappearances tied to spooky dark magic and evil forces. They make terrible, soul-crushing mistakes, but they also save lives. It’s more emotional than I would have thought possible from a comic book about animals. Both the storytelling and the art are some of the best I’ve ever seen.

Update:
There are three followup Beasts of Burden books, and I… have gotten a little frustrated with the series, honestly.

The Sixth Gun by Cullen Bunn, illustrated by Brian Hurtt, with some colors by Bill Crabtree and some illustrations by Tyler Crook. Lettering by Hurtt, Douglas E. Sherwood, and Crank! (Amazon / Goodreads)

A gripping, epic, and (finally!) complete series that mashes up post Civil War chaos, dark magic, and the possible end of the world. It centers around six otherworldly guns, each with a supernatural and fairly evil power, and the battle between various factions to possess them. I can’t recommend this highly enough. The worldbuilding and mythology are tremendous. The plot drips with a heavy sense of dread, with the main protagonists fighting against a doom that seems inevitable. Those characters are so real, and I loved them so much that I just about cried when bad things happened to them, even when it was their own fault (grr, human frailty sucks!) or I saw it coming (grr, fate sucks!).

We started reading this series in the giant hardback Deluxe Editions and it was SO satisfying, because you get a giant helping of plot in each book. Unfortunately, only four of these are out so far, covering up through issue 41, leaving 42-50 for a fifth book. (The fourth Deluxe Edition includes one of the spinoff / side story collections to make page count, but I tried two of the four spinoffs in paperback and didn’t care for them.) I recommend reading big helpings of this at once, but you can either start with the Deluxe Editions until you have to jump to the smaller paperback collections if Deluxe Edition 5 isn’t out yet, or just read the whole thing in paperback. See what your library has! SAFETY TIP: At least one of the Deluxe Editions has an intro by another creator that assumes you’ve read the series already and includes spoilers. If you are anti-spoiler, don’t read the introductions!

Courtney Crumrin (Amazon / Goodreads) By Ted Naifeh.

A young adult comic that’s compelling enough for adults. Or at least the adults in this house, who bought all seven full color hardbacks even though they could have read them from the library.

It begins when young Courtney goes to live with her uncle, a wizard, after her daffy parents finally run out of the ability to pretend they have lots of money. Turns out Courtney has some magical gifts of her own, and her uncle may be a much needed emotional connection for Courtney… or just another heartbreak.

These books are dark. Very, very dark. Murder, painful losses, social isolation, and at least one quasi-suicide attempt by a child. So why do I love them? Because (a) those things can make good fiction, and (b) Courtney’s character has a fully developed, unique, interesting personality and a desire for justice that I empathize with. She’s growing up in a world where allies are few and dangers are many, and she has power that she doesn’t yet know how to manage. She takes the initiative when there’s a problem, though sometimes that doesn’t turn out as the right thing to do.

The magic here is creepy as hell, the art is ominous and otherworldy when appropriate, and the consequences for mistakes are appropriately weighty. Definitely track down the color version if you can, but if you can’t, the story is clearly just as good in black and white.

Abbott by Saladin Ahmed, art by Sami Kivelä, colors by Jason Wordie, letters by Jim Campbell (Amazon / Goodreads)

The main character, Elena Abbott, is a bi black woman journalist in 1972 Detroit who also fights the occult forces of evil. Was there a chance I’d skip reading this graphic novel? No. And while I thought the villain was maybe a tiny smidge too cheesy, overall I enjoyed this a lot.

“In the uncertain social and political climate of 1972 Detroit, hard-nosed, chain-smoking tabloid reporter Elena Abbott investigates a series of grisly crimes that the police have ignored. Crimes she knows to be the work of dark occult forces. Forces that took her husband from her. Forces she has sworn to destroy. One woman’s search for the truth that destroyed her family amidst an exploration of the systemic societal constructs that haunt our country to this day.”

Watersnakes by Tony Sandoval (Amazon / Goodreads)

“Mila is a solitary teenager ready to put another boring summer vacation behind her until she meets Agnes, an adventurous girl who turns out to be a ghost. And not just a regular ghost, but one carrying the essence of an ancient fallen king and a mouth full of teeth that used to be his guardian warriors. A wondrous world of secret places and dreamlike magic hidden in the everyday corners of our sleeping imagination.”

If you have anxiety around teeth falling out (I know people who do!) then maybe give this a miss. If not, and you’re cool with a very loose plot, give this one a chance. The artwork is fantastic.

I Hate This Place by Kyle Starks, art by Arytom Topilin, colors by Lee Loughridge, letters by Pat Brosseau (Amazon / Goodreads)

“After inheriting a farmhouse, Trudy and Gabby are ready to start the next chapter of their lives together…except it’s already home to a mysterious force that’s attracted ghosts, aliens, and all kinds of supernatural beings for decades. Now, Gabby and Trudy must play by the ‘house rules’ in order to survive living amongst the most frightening creatures on Earth…”

Interracial sapphic couple moves to a haunted farm & fights murder ghosts? Yes! So glad this is a series starter! Kyle Starks goes more grim and gory here than in his books I’ve previously loved (Kill Them All and The Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton) but the plot is so preposterously over-the-top and Topilin’s art is cartoony enough that I’m rolling with it. Given the events near the end of this collection that foreshadow a whole different kind of bad to come, I’m already impatient for the next volume.

And that’s the list!

Recommend occult/urban fantasy comics/fiction (1 Viewer)

I'm looking mostly for comics. I think I have the fiction down, but if you have any occult fiction (as opposed to urban fantasy) suggestions, I'll take them too.

I've decided to give UA comics a try. Haven't tried Constantine, both because the sheer opus is daunting, and because I've been told Constantine doesn't really cast spells as much as just outsmart the others. I'll give it a pass. Tried Gravel. Ugh. Such a Mary Sue. Not once I felt he was ever in any danger. Tried Criminal Macabre, which had better stories but was very much like Constantine--no magic, all brawn/brain. Not what I'm really looking for.

What else would you recommend for occult/UA comics?

And what about occult fiction? As opposed to UA. The difference would be that I'd categorize Tim Power as occult (historical) fiction, whereas as Dresden Files is firmly UA.

DoctorDogGirl

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jcaan

Validated User

I meant UF (urb fant)

DoctorDogGirl

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I recommend the following:

1. Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs: THE werewolf series is a series for both men and women with the protagonist being a Skinchanging Coyote.

2. The Hollows by Kim Harrison: A great comedic series where a girl and her half-vampire partner become Runners (PIs basically) in a post-Virus world where supernaturals are ubiquitous and not that dissimilar from humans. It sort of peters out toward the end but is quite enjoyable for the first five or six volumes.

3. Anita Blake by Laurel K. Hamilton: Everything up to Obsidian Butterfly is a solid supernatural series. The transformation into hardcore pornography sort of took everyone by surprise and means its kind of hard to recommend the series up until then.

4. The Nightside by Simon R. Green: I confess, this is YET ANOTHER low-powered hero who may as well be John Constantine. The Nightside, itself, is a character that defies description though. It's funny and tragic in equal places and about one of the few series I enjoy equal to the Dresden Files.

5. The Laundry by Charles Strauss: Our hero is actually a reasonably powerful spellcaster, it's just he's playing Delta Green so that means relatively shit when compared to the monsters.

1. Dresden has two original Graphic Novel series.

Copper and Chrome

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Comic Book Collecting, Speculation, and Appreciation

Pretty Deadly & Ten Grand: Occult Comics Done Right and Wrong

For awhile there, back in the summer of 2013, Ten Grand was one of my favourite comic books. The first offering from J. Michael Straczynski’s Joe’s Comics label over at Image, Ten Grand was a film noir story with a supernatural twist.

Now, from the get-go, Ten Grand was derivative. Joe Fitzgerald is a mob enforcer. When he and his girlfriend, Laura, are brutally murdered, she goes to heaven and he goes to hell. Except that an angel intervenes and offers Joe a deal: work for the forces of good and every time he dies in a righteous cause he’ll get to see his beloved again for five minutes. The five minute thing is weirdly specific, but whatever.

So, mix together Hellblazer, The Crow, and Spawn and you kind of get Ten Grand. But early on, the mixture worked.

It worked in part because of imaginative little details. Joe had a variety of talismans and gimmicks he used to ward off and take down demons. There were a few clever and creepy confrontations with otherworldly creatures. And there was a cool hardboiled vibe to the comic; Joe was trying to solve the mystery and that gave the series a natural narrative drive.

Ben Templesmith’s art on those early issues was also something to behold. Templesmith created a compelling urban landscape, it was sooty and greasy. It had a really distinctive style, something really special. Templesmith left the book after issue #5. It was a weird situation. Apparently, Templesmith was having trouble getting the work done, and Straczynski decided to make a change… or maybe it was Templesmith’s decision. It’s all a little murky.

I appreciate the desire to get books out on time, but looking back, Stracynski should have done whatever he had to do to keep Templesmith. No offence to C. P. Smith, Templesmith’s replacement, but the book hasn’t been the same since he took over.

However, the decline of Ten Grand isn’t all about the art. In the second half of the series, the main character, Joe goes on an adventure in the afterlife. The whole trajectory of the series changes. Instead of a cool supernatural crime story we get watered-down, warmed-over Milton. The whole series is heading towards a climactic battle between heaven and hell that really doesn’t feel very climatic. Ten Grand is the story of a once promising comic that went terribly wrong.

Image’s supernatural western series, Pretty Deadly, has followed a different path. I was a little skeptical of Pretty Deadly at first, a little worried it was more hype than substance, but the series is starting to come together.

There isn’t anything else like Pretty Deadly out there. For that reason, the first few issues were actually a little disorienting. The main character of Kelly Sue DeConnick’s comic is Death’s daughter. Her name is Ginny and her story is narrated by a butterfly and a rabbit skeleton. (Yes, that is a thing you just read). Ginny’s world is populated by half a dozen other wanders and gunslingers all of whom seem to have mysterious, shadowy pasts.

It wasn’t until issue #4 that the relationships between some of the characters were clarified and things started to come together. That’s a long time to wait for a new series to pay off, but Pretty Deadly has something – an it factor. It’s been compared to Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, and those comparisons aren’t too far off the mark. Obviously Pretty Deadly has a long way to go before it matches one of the greatest comic book series of all time, but the magic and the mood and the kooky narrative framework do remind one of Gaiman’s work.

Emma Rios’ art is mostly gorgeous. There are some moments where it’s hard to tell what’s happening. The violent fight scenes can be hard to follow, and characters are occasionally hard to distinguish from one another. That said, there’s a vivid and eerie visual atmosphere to this book. It doesn’t look like anything else on the shelves.

I’m not a TPB reader, but those who are might appreciate reading Pretty Deadly in trade form. The first arc will come off best if read all at once. And I’d recommend you do check out Pretty Deadly; it’s fresh and different. I used to feel the same way about Ten Grand, but sadly, that series has failed to deliver on its initial promise.

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Reviews for "The Rituals and Incantations of Black Magic Tomes"

1. John - Rating: 2/5

I was really disappointed with "Black Magic Tomato". The plot was confusing and hard to follow, and I couldn't connect with any of the characters. The pacing was off, with long stretches of boredom followed by rushed action scenes. The writing itself felt amateurish, with awkward dialogue and repetitive descriptions. Overall, I found this book to be a letdown and wouldn't recommend it.

2. Emily - Rating: 1/5

I couldn't even finish "Black Magic Tomato". The story felt disjointed and lacked any real depth. The characters were one-dimensional and their actions didn't make sense. The dialogue was cringe-worthy, and the writing style was full of clichés. It felt like the author was trying too hard to be edgy and mysterious, but it just came across as forced and unconvincing. I regret wasting my time on this book.

3. Sarah - Rating: 2/5

"Black Magic Tomato" had an interesting premise, but it fell flat for me. The pacing was extremely slow, and the plot meandered without any clear direction. The characters were underdeveloped, and it was difficult to care about their actions or motivations. The writing style was also lackluster, with uninspired descriptions and a lack of engaging prose. Overall, I found this book to be quite boring and would not recommend it to others.

4. Mark - Rating: 1/5

I cannot understand the hype around "Black Magic Tomato". The story felt like a jumbled mess, with no coherent plot or resolution. The characters were forgettable and lacked any depth. The dialogue was unrealistic and seemed forced. I struggled to get through this book, hoping for some redeeming qualities, but I was left disappointed. I would not recommend wasting your time on this poorly executed novel.

Black Magic and the Law: Is it Legal to Practice?