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Kick off spooky season with this bundle of horror comics from IDW Publishing to benefit BINC!

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The days are getting colder, the nights are getting longer, and spooky season is officially upon us. Lean into the scary vibes with this Humble Bundle of horror comics and graphic novels from IDW! Explore an idyllic small town of anthropomorphic animals protected by a serial killer bear in the Richard Scarry-esque murder mystery Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees! Follow an all-women crew of inmate firefighters as they stage a heist during a rampaging California wildfire in the first of Scott Snyder’s anthology series Dark Spaces: Wildfire! Discover the truth of a strange sleeping illness in the graphic novel adaptation of Stephen and Owen King’s Sleeping Beauties! Survive the bloody horrors of the vampire-infested Alaska town in the Deluxe Edition of 30 Days of Night! All of these and more are included in this spooky bundle of horror comics, so grab them now at the price of your choosing and support BINC with your purchase!

IDW’s Dark Places & Endless Night Sheer Horror Humble Bundle features 33 items with a retail value of $374. You can get them all for just $18.

Promotional graphic for a comic bundle titled 'Dark Places & Endless Night: Sheer Horror', featuring three comic covers: 'Wildfire', 'Beneath the Trees', and 'Sleeping Beauties'. Includes a supporting logo for the Book Industry Charitable Foundation.

Preview: Operation: Iron Coffin #3

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Operation: Iron Coffin #3

(W) Kenny Porter (A) Tyrell Cannon

Time is running out for Dracula’s mission to stop a horrible vampiric plague from overtaking Europe, and new conflicts stand in the way of completing his redemption mission. The armored warrior known as the Bell will use all his punishing power to pummel Dracula and stop him from getting any farther on the train. And the sinister duo known as Hazel and Ivy will enact their ultimate endgame to sabotage Dracula forever and destroy what remains of his spirit. The epic conclusion to Operation: Iron Coffin is here!

Comic book cover featuring a dramatic character with a sinister expression, surrounded by swirling smoke and blood, titled 'Operation: Iron Coffin'.
A classified document titled 'Operation: Iron' detailing a fictional story set during World War II involving Dracula combating a Nazi train carrying a vampire virus. The document includes information on the writers, artists, and production team.
A comic panel depicting a top-secret Nazi research facility in 1942, with soldiers observing disturbing experiments involving zombies and bloodshed. One officer is horrified by the undead, while a second character discusses their legacy and determination to stop the horrors.
A dynamic comic book page featuring action scenes with explosive effects and intense dialogue. The top panels show a character in distress and a monstrous figure, while the lower panels depict a train and a struggle with powerful visual sound effects.
A comic book page featuring two characters in a dark setting. One character is a monstrous figure suspended in the air, while the other wears armor and has a grim expression. Dialogue boxes convey themes of conflict, mercy, and purpose, with graphic imagery including blood and violence.
Comic page depicting a battle scene in Egypt with a character fighting multiple attacking zombies, showcasing dynamic action and dramatic expressions.

Any Given Smile #1 Delivers Creepy Just in time for Football and Spooky Season

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Any Given Smile #1

January 1995. All eyes are on the American Arena League football championship game in St. Augustine, Florida. The Sharks gear up for the most significant event in the AAL’s 20-year history, and Maximillian Dupree—their sudden-star backup quarterback—is feeling the pressure from his teammates, his fans, and his debts to the city’s gambling underworld. A string of suicides hits the community hard, drawing a desperate sports journalist to examine their connection to the big game. No one can trust anything they see as a mind-bending entity and its frightful visions threaten their payouts, their sanity, and their lives… Any Given Smile #1 mixes the horror franchise with “Sunday’s game” bringing even more horror to football.

I’ve never seen any of the Smile movies or read the previous comic the spun off from it. So coming into Any Given Smile #1, I was a blank slate as far as knowledge and expectations. And after reading the first issue, I want to find out more. Written by Stephanie Williams, the comic mixes horror and football as the issue builds towards the big game.

The debut issue is an interesting one, teasing out what’s going on for new readers while fans of the franchise likely have a better idea of what’s going on. Individuals dealing with sports betting are all dying and all have had a contorted smile on their face. Like a virus spread around, the comic feels like it could deliver solid commentary on the proliferation of online sports betting and the damage it causes to far too many individuals.

While the original film focuses on horror through trauma, this series feels like a spin on that, the horror of virality and addiction. Everyone who dies, or is likely to die, feeds off of the addiction of gambling whether they themselves caught in it or serving others who do. It’s an interesting metaphor through horror, something the genre can excel in.

The art by Pablo Collar creates an unease throughout the issue. With color by Triona Farrell and lettering by Ariana Maher, the comic’s visuals and lettering build the general vibe of the comic with visuals teasing the madness going on. This isn’t horror with gore and violence as the draw, instead it’s visuals you can’t trust of formless beings haunting their prey. It’s a comic that builds its tension throughout leaving readers to guess what’s going on and what images they can trust. The lettering by Maher especially stands out not only emphasizing the haunting sounds individuals hear but also very cool visuals with it as well with dialogue featuring scratches out at points.

Any Given Smile #1 is a solid debut that has me intrigued and wanting to learn more, and see and read, what has previously come out. It’s a horror story that feels like it has something to say, a commentary on the current tech push of online gambling and all of the ills that it can lead to. Overall, one that’s well worth checking out if you want horror with some depth to it.

Story: Stephanie Williams Art: Pablo Collar
Color: Triona Farrell Letters: Ariana Maher
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Preview: Return to Sleepy Hollow

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Return to Sleepy Hollow

Author: Casey Gilly
Illustrator: Savanna Mayer

Based on Tim Burton’s classic Sleepy Hollow (1999) the story continues in this graphic novel: A thrilling tale of buried truths, decaying bodies, and rotting, vengeful gods.

Ichabod Crane is a man of science and, despite his indisputable brush with the supernatural, has built a name for himself debunking claims of the occult across the world. However, when he receives a frantic letter urging him to return to Sleepy Hollow, Ichabod must reunite with his now estranged love, Katrina Van Tassel, to investigate a string of strange, unexplainable murders–—residents who died tangled in roots, decorated in flowers, or blanketed in soil. The pair unearth tales of possessed townsfolk and the Tree of the Dead and together they will uncover the truth of Sleepy Hollow’s origins and the roots that connect them all.

A young man in a dark cape and period clothing stands in front of a gnarled tree, with a mystical atmosphere in a forest setting. The title 'Return to Sleepy Hollow' is prominently displayed at the top.
A comic panel depicting a woman in a vintage dress surrounded by trees and flowers, expressing thoughts of love. She is seen reaching out to touch a tree, with lyrics suggesting a romantic theme. Her expressions convey longing and playfulness as she calls for someone named Doddie.
A comic book page featuring a distressed woman in a forest, holding a basket and looking scared, with surreal elements such as eyes peeking out and hands reaching towards her.
A comic strip depicting a woman preparing breakfast in a cozy room while another woman sings in front of a mirror. Several panels show a dialogue between a constable and a female character discussing a dead body found in the woods, featuring horses and a cart in the background.
A comic book page depicting a dialogue between characters in a forest setting. One character, a woman in a blue dress, is shown interacting with a man in a green hat, while two soldiers carry a figure covered in a cloth. A dialogue bubble indicates a discussion about a deceased woman named Francis. The atmosphere is tense, with dark trees in the background and a somber tone.
A comic book page illustrating a tense scene with a worried woman and a friend, set in a rustic environment. The characters express urgency and distress, with dialogue emphasizing a need for action and a looming threat.
A comic book illustration depicting a supernatural entity emerging from a sheet of paper, surrounded by ominous text and dark imagery. The scene shifts to a conversation between two characters at a desk filled with papers and books, one character gesturing emphatically while the other listens intently.

Preview: Sleepy Hollow: The Witches of the Western Wood #5

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Sleepy Hollow: The Witches of the Western Wood #5

(W) Delilah S. Dawson (A) Jose Jaro

Revisit the world of Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow in The Witches of the Western Wood!

The Headless Horseman will ride tonight. From the moment Sarah and Mary Archer witnessed the Hessian’s death in the Western Woods, their lives have been shadowed by the demon’s dark presence. And Sarah finally has everything she needs to revive the Horseman and unleash his axe upon the town of Sleepy Hollow—and her own sister. Witness the witch’s rampage and the Headless Horseman’s first ride in this epic conclusion!

Comic book cover featuring a witch holding a skull, riding a black horse under a full moon surrounded by dark trees, titled 'Sleepy Hollow: The Witches of the Western Wood'.
Cover page for 'Sleepy Hollow: The Witches of the Western Wood' featuring title, writer, artist, colorist, letterer, designer, and editor credits, with a brief description of the story.
A graphic novel panel depicting a mysterious character in a dark cloak riding a black horse through a wooded area, with a full moon and fog in the background. Elements of horror and suspense are present, with text snippets suggesting themes of possession and a calling.
A woman in dark clothing holds a lantern and stands near a body on the ground, pondering while goats gather around her. Flames are visible in the background, and she grips an axe in one hand. The scene conveys a sense of contemplation and loss, with dialogue emphasizing themes of cleaning and companionship amid destruction.
A dark scene depicting a figure on horseback in the background, with a cloaked character approaching a small house at night. The house shows a flickering candlelight, and two figures, a man and a girl, stand at the doorway conversing. Flowers are visible in the foreground, along with a full moon illuminating the eerie setting.
A comic page featuring a dark, misty landscape with a large moon, depicting two cloaked figures in the first panel, one carrying a bundle. The second panel shows one figure speaking about starting anew. In the third panel, a character in a cozy room pours something into a cauldron while reflecting on sacrifices. The final panel features handwritten notes and a quill as a character writes a letter.
A dark, atmospheric comic panel depicting a cloaked figure holding an envelope with a wax seal, standing in front of a full moon. Another panel shows the figure on a horse, emphasizing themes of waiting and decisions made.

Event Horizon: Inferno #5 delivers an action focused finale

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Event Horizon: Inferno #5

Daniel Durante thought that he was above the laws of Heaven and Hell. That he could come to this awful place and, as he’d done all his life, take from it what he wanted. Daniel Durante was wrong. Event Horizon: Inferno #5 wraps up the sequel of the tale of a greedy man getting exactly what he wised for!

Event Horizon: Inferno has been an interesting sequel. IDW Publishing has previously given us a prequel to the horror movie Event Horizon with Dark Descent. That prequel comic series shared a lot with the original film in tone and giving us events and answers tied to it. Event Horizon: Inferno as a sequel isn’t as connected, instead focusing on Daniel Durante and his want to getting to the ship and access to hell. In my review of earlier issues, I described the sequel as Aliens to the movie and prequel’s Alien. That sequel was much more action focused as opposed to the original’s more horror leanings. This is similar with Inferno much more of an action oriented story, just set with horrors all around.

Written by Christian Ward, Event Horizon: Inferno #5 keeps that focus as the remaining survivors attempt to make it back to their ship to escape, Durante attempts to get all he desires, and the ship wants to trap everyone to feed itself. The comic really breaks down into two different paths, Durante trying to get what he wants while others scramble and battle their way to safety. It’s a fine ending and works with the previous four issues. On it’s own, it feels a little anticlimactic in some ways with some dialogue falling into the cheese category.

The art by Rob Carey with color by Xenon Honchar and lettering by Alex Ray looks good. Like the story itself, it falls more on the action spectrum of what’s depicted than the horror with the comic mostly featuring red tentacles and a hoard of demons that are a bit hard to really see beyond the blob. This isn’t an issue with the disturbing visuals the property is known for but it’s good overall, doing what it needs to do.

Event Horizon: Inferno #5 feels like a bit of a whimper of an ending but overall it’s good and wraps things up well while leaving things open for more horror to come. There’s a lot of interesting concepts in the series and the finale does a good job of giving its definitive thoughts on some of them. For those into the horror series, it’s one to check out.

Story: Christian Ward Art: Rob Carey
Color: Xenon Honchar Letters: Alex Ray
Story: 7.5 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.5 Recommendation: Read

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Fixation #1 is an interesting look at toxic fandom

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Fixation #1

When superfan Taylor Van Owens wins a contest to stay in the legendary Mallard house—the most iconic filming location for the hit vampire book turned movie Blood Mountain—she and her best friend Karrah arrive in Vail expecting to sink their fangs into a weekend straight from a fangirl’s dream. The cast has reunited for a tenth-anniversary celebration, devotees have descended on the small town, and nostalgia hangs thick in the air. But shortly before their arrival, a young woman is found dead inside the Mallard house. The death is quickly brushed off as an unstable fan taking her fantasies too far, but rumors swirl as the police quietly open a murder investigation. With cameras rolling and ravenous Blood Mountain buffs to appease, production works overtime to keep the story from leaking, insisting the fandom is “one big family,” but unease spreads through the town. Resentful locals, jealous superfans, sensitive actors, and desperate producers overwhelm Taylor as she moves in a haze through meet-and-greets, vigils, and book signings. Every interaction feels loaded. Every corner holds a potential threat. Every vampire has a taste for blood. And the killer isn’t finished. They’ll stain the town red to ensure they go down in Blood Mountain history. This isn’t just a random act of violence—it’s a crime of passion a decade in the making. Fixation #1 kicks off an interesting concept that feels like it’s a bit of Scream mixed with Twilight and a focus on toxic fandoms.

Written by Amy Chase, Fixation #1 is a pretty solid start introducing the key characters and teasing the killer threatening a fan celebration for a popular book and movie franchise. The comic, and story, feels like it has a few influences and things it’s playing off of, but it all comes together for a nice horror franchise of its own. A superfan wins a contest to stay at the home of the popular film, but a murderer is stalking the town and has some connection, or beef, with the film and its stars.

Fixation #1 could easily just come off as the start of a horror story but Chase delivers interesting moments and plot points that make the debut a nice commentary on entertainment. A cover up by the studio would be enough but the lack of care about how the fandom is treating each other, as well as a shift in attitude when a star is threatened, feels like there’s more that’s being said. It’s a comic that can be enjoyed on multiple levels, from the slasher enthusiast to those looking for something a little more elevated and meta in their horror.

The art by Savanna Mayer is good. The style fits the genre well but there’s a roughness to it that doesn’t quite click for me. When it comes to the art, there’s nothing necessarily negative but overall it doesn’t play with its concept enough. We see the killer far too often, instead of teasing it out. The “scares” don’t really deliver as much as they should or could. It’s a lot more forward with cards on the table as far as what it reveals instead of teasing things and letting the tension build. Mayer is joined by James Fenner on color and Sandy Tanaka on letters and the trio deliver a comic that’s visually good but doesn’t really stand out from the pack.

Fixation #1 is a solid debut that shows off a lot of potential and interesting aspects. It has a little more to say than being a simple slasher and I want to find out more as to what’s going on. Overall, it’s a good start and fans of horror definitely should check it out.

Story: Amy Chase Art: Savanna Mayer
Color: James Fenner Letters: Sandy Tanaka
Story: 7.75 Art: 7.25 Overall: 7.6 Recommendation: Red

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Preview: Operation: Iron Coffin #2

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Operation: Iron Coffin #2

(W) Kenny Porter (A) Tyrell Cannon

Discover the deal Dracula made with Quincy Harker that led to him assisting the Allied forces in stopping the deadly Nazi train that contains a deadly vampire virus! Dracula continues to fight his way through the train and now must face down the three augmented soldiers who follow Hazel and Ivy’s every command. He has a great deal of power, but can he combat the power of the Spear, the Gunner, and the Bell?! And how much more of Dracula’s history is about to catch up to him?

Operation: Iron Coffin #2

Killer Influences #2 Keeps Things Tense as it Comments on Influencer Culture

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Killer Influences #2

Kylie and Melvin made a deal. Kylie would use her expertise in the world of serial killers and murder to give Melvin an identity, a mythology, a serial killer persona that would make him “famous.” She turned him into the Caddyshack Killer. The story took the country by storm, and she led that storm on her podcast, which brought her a great deal of fame and success. However, it didn’t bring Melvin what he wanted. He still feels empty. He feels unfulfilled. He feels violent. And he’s going to challenge Kylie for getting what she wanted while he got nothing. Killer Influences #2 shares the success of Kylie and Melvin’s deal but also its failures as well.

Written by Joey Esposito, Killer Influences #2 is an interesting comic that can be enjoyed at its surface level but when you go a bit deeper, that comic has a lot to say.

In the debut, the comic felt like it was a bit of a spin on the popular “true crime podcast” genre. There’s been a few recent comics that dipped into that space, but Killer Influences #2 was a little different in that it presented a deal between a wannabe influencer and the killer. The former would provide branding and coverage as long as the latter provided the content in kills. Fourteen months have gone by since that deals was struck and things aren’t balanced in who has gained in that deal.

Killer Influences #2 makes clear the commentary on the exploitation and gain some influencers have been accused of at the expense of those who have suffered. People have died but Kylie just gains fame and money by covering it without showing sympathy. The issue goes further that shows the disconnect between Kylie and the victims when she declares a fundraiser for her missing brother and accused of only caring when something directly impacts her. It adds a bit more depth to the concept of the series than just a podcaster helping a killer.

The art by Valeria Burzo is good. With color by Iñaki Azpiazu and lettering by Alex Ray, the characters all have a very unique look at personality and the comic’s art helps add to some of the tension. Throughout the issue, there’s a nice build that makes you wonder when a body might show up. The art really conveys that without resorting to cheesy jumps. Burzo also does a solid job of adding detail to give a lot of information as to where Kylie and Melvin are in their lives. Art around Kylie shows off stardom and Melvin shows a life a bit more disheveled. The comic also does a solid job of presenting some violence and gore but not letting it be distracting. As shown, you wince and can “feel” the pain but at the same time, it’s not so over the top it might turn off readers and get them to tune out.

Killer Influences #2 is a solid second issue that shifts the focus to the fallout from the debut issue but also the negative of influencers and fame at the cost of others. It’s a series that has a bit more depth than its concept and one that clearly has something to say. A solid second issue that has us intrigued as to where this all might go.

Story: Joey Esposito Art: Valeria Burzo
Color: Iñaki Azpiazu Letterer: Alex Ray
Story: 8.0 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.85 Recommendation: Read

IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle

Preview: Event Horizon: Dark Descent

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Event Horizon: Dark Descent

By Christian Ward
Illustrated by Tristan Jones
July 28, 2026

Discover what happened to the original crew of the Event Horizon in this all-new cosmic horror graphic novel set in the universe of the terrifying cult-classic film!

This original comic series serves as an official prequel to the film! The Event Horizon was a revolutionary spaceship designed for one mission: faster-than-light travel with a top-secret, experimental gravity drive. But upon activating the device, the ship journeyed across the borders of Hell itself. In a nightmarish realm of torments beyond imagining, Captain Kilpack and the crew of the Event Horizon must resist all manner of demonic forces—including Paimon, the eyeless King of Hell, and their own descents into madness and bloodlust—if they’ve any chance of escaping back to their own world.

Event Horizon: Dark Descent
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