By Zack Quaintance — I realize that at the time of publication there are only two days left until Halloween, and yet here I am anyway, laying out my picks for the best comiXology sales for Halloween, the third time this month I’ve done that. As always, this is a completely new set of recommendations, all of which are intended to be great reads during the spooky season. And, in my opinion, these will still be great comics after Halloween is over in a day or two.

With all that out of the way, onto the list…enjoy!

Best comiXology Sales: Halloween Part 3

Frankenstein by Junji Ito
Writer: Junji Ito
Artist: Junji Ito
Publisher: Viz Media
Junji Ito meets Mary Shelley! The master of horror manga bends all his skill into bringing the anguished and solitary monster -- and the fouler beast who created him -- to life with the brilliantly detailed chiaroscuro he is known for. Also included are six tales of Oshikiri -- a high school student who lives in a decaying mansion connected to a haunted parallel world. Uncanny doppelgangers, unfortunately murdered friends, and a whole lot more are in store for him. Bonus: Ito's dog! Thrill to the adventures of Non-non Ito, an adorable Maltese!
Why It’s Cool: Simply put, Junji Ito is a master or horror manga, and this story collection delivers readers six tales of a high school student living in a mansion connected to haunted worlds, but first, it also delivers Ito’s striking take on Mary Shelley’s classic story. A disturbing and masterful literary curiosity, this is a must-read comic for those who are unfamiliar this Halloween.
Price: $10.99
Buy It Here: Frankenstein by Junji Ito

Nailbiter Deluxe Edition 1 - 3
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Mike Henderson
Publisher: Image Comics
Buckaroo, Oregon has given birth to sixteen of the vilest serial killers in the world. An obsessed FBI profiler investigating the town has suddenly gone missing, and now an NSA Agent must work with the notorious serial killer Edward "Nailbiter" Warren to find his friend and solve the mystery of "Where do serial killers come from?" "If Josh died I wish he'd leave NAILBITER to me in his will so I could say it was my idea." -Scott Snyder (SEVERED, Batman, American Vampire)
Why It’s Cool: Nailbiter is an underrated and massively clever comic, wherein an FBI profiler goes missing and another agent must work with a notorious serial killer to try to find his friend and also figure out why some of the world’s most famous killers are all coming from the same town (which has the excellent name of Buckaroo, Oregon, btw). Anyway, if you’ve never read these comics, Halloween weekend is a perfect time to change that. I highly recommend this book.
Price: $13.99 each; or $41.97
Buy Them Here: Nailbiter Deluxe Edition Book One; Nailbiter Deluxe Edition Book Two; and Nailbiter Deluxe Edition Book Three

Redlands, Vol. 1 - Vol. 2
Writer: Jordie Bellaire
Artist: Vanesa R. Del Rey
Publisher: Image Comics
A mysterious and bloodthirsty matriarchal force runs the town of Redlands, Florida, and in order to stay on top, sacrifices must be made. Someone is intent on removing these women from the top of the food chain, and he's ready to unleash their darkest secret but has seriously underestimated the lengths the townspeople will go to protect the new order of things. Inspired by the strange complexities of real-world politics and crime, the characters of REDLANDS play victim and villain, attempting to understand themselves and others through murder, magic, and mayhem. Collects REDLANDS #1-6
Why It’s Cool: I read all of these comics a good while back, and the concept and imagery in these books still haunts me, just a little bit. On top of the spookiness factor (it might be the outright scariest pick on this list), these stories are just very well done, driven as they are by a set of strong characters.
Price: $10.98 for both volumes
Buy Them Here: Redlands Vol. 1, and Redlands Vol. 2

Saga of the Swamp Thing, Book One - Book Five
Writer: Alan Moore
Artists: Stephen Bissette and John Totleben
Publisher: DC Comics - Vertigo
Before WATCHMEN, Alan Moore made his debut in the U.S. comic book industry with the revitalization of the horror comic book THE SWAMP THING. His deconstruction of the classic monster stretched the creative boundaries of the medium and became one of the most spectacular series in comic book history.
Why It’s Cool: Regarded by many as both some of the best superhero comics and horror comics of all time, the Saga of the Swamp Thing collections are essentially the comics that helped catapult Alan Moore to fame, or at least to put him in a position to write Watchmen (which will outlive us all). These really are disturbing stories, made so by Moore’s gothic ideas and the eerie aesthetic put forth by Stephen Bissette and John Totleben, with colors by Tatjan Wood. It’s all just so well done, and the first book of this series in particular is a very good read.
Price: $5.99 each; or $29.95 for all five
Buy Them Here: Saga of the Swamp Thing Book One; Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Two; Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Three; Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Four; and Saga of the Swamp Thing Book Five

Werewolf By Night: The Complete Collection, Vol. 1 - Vol. 3
Writers: Gerry Conway, Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, and more
Artists: Mike Ploog, Werner Roth, Tom Sutton, and more
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Jack Russell stars in tales to make you howl, as Marvel's very own Werewolf! Learn how Jack became one of the grooviest ghoulies of the seventies in this classic collection of his earliest adventures! Afflicted with his family's curse, Jack's on a search for answers - could they lie in the terrible tome known as the Darkhold? But Jack's quest is fraught with danger -from mad monks to big game hunters to a traveling freak show! Then there's the terror of Tatterdemalion, the horror of Hangman and the torment of Taboo! But few encounters can compare with Krogg, the lurker from beyond - except, maybe, a Marvel Team-Up with Spider-Man...and a supernatural showdown with Dracula himself!
Why It’s Cool: This is carefree Bronze Age comics pulp at its best, or at least in terms of Big 2 monster comics. You get a Marvel take on the classic werewolf mythos, and then in these same pages you get content related to Darkhold, Spider-Man, and Dracula. And if that weren’t enough, it’s all set in the seventies and described by the solicit text as “groovy”.
Price: $6.99 each, or $20.97
Buy It Here: Werewolf By Night, Vol. 1; Werewolf By Night, Vol. 2; and Werewolf By Night, Vol. 3

See our past top comics to buy here, and check out our reviews archive here.

Zack Quaintance is a tech reporter by day and freelance writer by night/weekend. He Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as Comics Bookcase.