Two Valentine’s Horror Anthologies Both Alike in Dignity
… in fair Verona where we lay our scene. Let’s talk about two Valentine’s Day horror anthology comics! Creepshow In Love #1 & Hello Darkness #7.
Valentine’s Day came and went, where countless couples expressed their love over candle lit dinners and big corporations made millions off of cheesy greeting cards and over-priced chocolates. Love really is in the air. And Valentine’s Day is the perfect setting for some great “love” themed tales of terror. You can see the popularity of romantic horror with movies like Heart Eyes and Companion currently in theatres.
From love potions gone wrong to a daring take on an Edgar Allan Poe classic, let’s talk about two horror anthology comics that debuted in celebration of the holiday. The iconic world of Creepshow delivers a captivating three-course one-shot anthology: Creepshow in Love, which includes a terrible-tale from legendary writer-artist Mirka Andolfo. And In the other corner of the ring we have BOOM! Studios’s ongoing horror anthology: Hello Darkness #7. Released late January, this issue is officially referred to as “The Love Issue” featuring some notable names including a NSFW Jenny Frison variant.
Minor spoilers ahead.
Creepshow in Love #1
Yes, that Creepshow! Published by Image Comics x Skybound, this special issue features stories from some very impressive players in the comic industry right now.
It’s easy for horror to become predictable as it is a genre that loves its tropes, which I respect and love analyzing, but Creepshow in Love keeps you on your toes. These stories were weird and even at times out-of-pocket in the best way possible. I was happily surprised and weirded out while devouring each page of this 40-issue anthology. And, admittedly, I’m very unfamiliar with Creepshow, so this is one of my few interactions with the franchise and I absolutely adored the “host”. The Creep expertly weaved together these stories while breaking the fourth wall and talking directly to the readers; he took me on a wild ride and I loved it.
Let’s talk about the guts of this comic.
“Heart to Heart” is the first story in Creepshow in Love, written & illustrated by the one of my favorite creators in the industry: Mirka Andolfo (Sweet Paprika, Blasfamous) with co-colorist Chiara Di Francia (Tragic, Red Sonja) and letterer Pat Brosseau (Uncanny Valley, Sweet Tooth).“Heart to Heart” follows a serial killer obsessed with “love” who is killing couples and trying to Frankenstein (yes, using that as a verb) the perfect specimen of love. He then discovers the “perfect” couple; will they be the thing he needs to complete his gory and gruesome science project? I won’t give away anymore but I will say I loved this one—the ending was perfect.
“Cursed Casanova” is the second story in this action-packed anthology, written & illustrated by IDW horror alumnus Patrick Horvath (Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees) and lettered by Pat Brosseau. “Cursed Casanova” is a thrilling tale of a love potion gone horrifically wrong. We follow a kid named Eugene who convinces a reluctant dealer to sell him a dangerous love potion. Already the moral implications of a love potion lend a lot to be explored in the horror genre, but things take an even darker and unexpected turn. One drop is dangerous enough, but what happens when an entire vile is used? “Cursed Casanova” has some unexpected turns that pack a punch.
“Penguin Avenger” is the third and final story that finishes off Creepshow in Love, showcasing some fresh talent. “Penguin Avenger” is co-written by Yul-Pyeong and co-written & illustrated by Puré, with letters by Pat Brosseau.“Penguin Avenger” is as weird as the name suggests, and I fully respect it. Imagine the movie Poor Things but instead someone puts a human brain in.. well.. a penguin. What would possess a man to prey on lonely women, take them out on dates, and surgically place their brains in the bodies of animals? Driven by delusional love or pure malice? Well, you’ll have to read and find out! I love how truly unexpected this premise was. The Creep really did take us on a wild ride!
Hello Darkness #7
The highly anticipated “Love” issue of BOOM! Studios’s ongoing horror anthology Hello Darkness released late January, though I’m still counting this as Valentine’s Day content. What makes Hello Darkness so successful, in my opinion, is how they highlight established comic creators while simultaneously platforming newer artists and writers. Additionally, I love their decision to have varying lengths of these stories— some stories are as short as one page, some will go on through multiple issues, giving each story the time that they need to thrive.
One of my favorite aspects of horror, as a genre, is the vast variety of stories that can be told— so many subgenres and themes can and are explored in the world of horror. And this issue delivers six vastly different stories including a story inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven”.
Let’s talk about the guts of this comic.
‘L-O-V-E” is the first story in this chilling anthology, written by Ethan S. Parker & Griffin Sheridan who I first discovered and became a fan of from their debut comic book series from Image Comics called Kill Your Darlings. They are joined by artist Edison Neo (No-Brainer) and colorist Raúl Angulo (Radiant Black, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) with letters by one of my my favorite letterers in the industry: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (Poison Ivy, Two-Face). I l-o-v-e this creative team. “L-O-V-E” follows a serial killer celebrating Valentine's day in the only way he knows how— with guts and blood! How will his valentine react? This anthology consists of shorter stories compared to Creepshow in Love, so won’t give anymore away, but I will say this one is fun and cute, and I absolutely adore the artstyle and colors.
“I Can’t Take You Anywhere” is the second story in Hello Darkness # 7, written & illustrated by Hack (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) which is an ongoing segment in every issue that is exactly one page long. Robert Hack’s stories in Hello Darkness consist of beautifully inked drawings on aged paper-esque backgrounds. His one-pagers focus on the human condition in a horrific slice of life format.
“Nevermore” is the third story, and as the name might suggest is inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem “The Raven”. “Nevermore” is a modern day twist on the classic poem, written by David Hazan (Nottingham, Monomyth), illustrated by Stefano Nesi (Knight Terrors), and colors by Marissa Louise (The Goon, Black Manta) with letters by Lucas Gattoni (Blue Beetle, Catwoman). With a manga-esque visual art style and the introduction of modern technology, this was a wonderfully executed short comic inspired by the classic poem. “Nevermore” explores grief and loss from the point of view of an unreliable narrator, which creates some fun twists and turns.
“Words in the Smoke” is the fourth story, and is by iconic writer-artist: Maria Llovet (Crave, Violent Flowers), who has mastered the blend of supernatural and sexual desire! “Words in the Smoke” is a grief-fueled vampire “lover” story. Llovet’s artwork and colors transport the reader to a truly solemn world full of lust and sorrow. You don’t want to miss out on this Llovet story.
“Excursion” is the penultimate tale of terror in Hello Darkness #7, and is by Chris Gooch (In Utero, Bottled), joined by illustrator Eli Powell (Infernoct, Ravage), with colors by Roman Stevens (James Bond: Origin, Specs), and letters by Becca Carey (The Dead Lucky, Crocodile Black). “Excursion” is a tried and true body horror story with unexplained and shockingly strange horrific visuals that will leave you asking more questions— in a good way!
And finally “The Booth” wraps up this bloody Valentine issue of Hello Darkness with some stunning visuals. Written & drawn by fresh talent Anirudh J with letters by Jeff Eckleberry (Red Sonja, Deadpool). This is set up like a classic detective noir tale with a supernatural twist. The artstyle transports the reader to a dark and mysterious world— brought to life with a black and white color scheme accompanied by captivating splashes of yellow. The last page of this short story I need framed!
Creepshow in Love #1 and Hello Darkness #7 make a great bloody Valentine’s Day double-feature to celebrate love and horror, and your love of horror! Creepshow in Love has only three stories allowing these stories room to breath and time to develop. Hello Darkness #7 brings us some thrilling short stories that pack a punch and leave a lot up to the imagination. These talented creatives explore the theme of “love” in unique and exciting ways— from psychological torment to guts and gore.
Interested in reading these comics but don’t know where to get them? Find a local comic book shop near you! If you don’t have one, you can find any in the country and see if they have an online shop you can support. Online only comic shops are also good opinions. Buying these single issues when they come out really helps support the series— supports art! Another resource is linking up your library card to Hoopla or Libby, which sometimes have new single issue comics. You can also buy digital comics, if an option, wherever you buy your ebooks.
Though I do work with BOOM! Studios on a professional level, this article is independent of my relationship with the publishing company. All opinions are my own, and this is not sponsored content.
Great breakdown of the comics! If you can forgive me for making one tiny correction, though, the host of Creepshow is just called "the Creep." The Crypt Keeper is the host of Tales from the Crypt. By design, they're meant to be very similar since Creepshow started as a tribute film inspired by EC Comics like Tales From the Crypt. But they're actually two different characters!
Great writing. You had me at Poe !