Before you read any further, there are many spoilers on this list. You’ve been warned! With Halloween just around the corner, I started to have dark thoughts, thoughts of what would be the scariest moments in comic books. They could be moments of fear & despair or disturbing moments or even moments of pure shock value. This was a challenge coming up with a top 10 list, it would’ve been easier to write a list of horror movie moments, because movies have sound, music and jump scares to really give you a fright. Terrifying moments in comics force you to use your imagination, make you work for it, as they are imprinted unto your brain forever. But this a top 10 list about comic books, so my dear ghosts & goblins, let the terror begin…

#10) Batman has a breakdown because of addiction: After picking up yet another bottle of Venom pills to feed his addiction, Batman breaks down in tears and begs Alfred for his help. Not only is this moment horrifying, but it’s incredibly sad as well. The great & proud Batman brought to his knees by the evils of addiction.

#9) Rorschach kills the child killer: Rorschach (from Watchmen) is one messed up individual, he tells a psychiatrist that one day he was looking for a little kidnapped girl that was held for ransom. Extracting information by local scumbags by breaking fingers & faces, he eventually finds the apartment of a man with blood stained little girl clothing in his furnace & human remains that were eaten by the man’s dogs. That’s all the evidence a psycho like Rorschach needs, he kills the dogs and hurtles them at the owner and then proceeds to pour kerosene on this butcher and lights a match. Barbecue time. Watchmen style.

#8) Odin Quincannon’s mystery meat barn: You need to look no further for moments of shocking horror than the Preacher series from Vertigo Comics. Its chuck full of creepy moments, one in particular involves a ruthless little businessman called Odin Quincannon. Odin’s got a very tight noose around the town of Salvation, but he didn’t count on old reverend Jesse Custer to become the new sheriff and stand up for the people of the community. For several issues, whenever Odin had a bad day, he would retreat in his secret barn to do god knows what in private. Writer Garth Ennis would never show the reader exactly what Odin was up to, until lo and behold… Jesse walks in to see Odin with his pants down to his ankles, getting his rocks off by spooning a meat sculpture shaped like a woman in some weird Oedipus moment. Trust me you have to see it to believe it.

#7) The Joker murders Robin: A Death in the Family rocked the comic book universe when The Joker takes a crowbar and proceeds to beat the living hell out of Jason Todd, the second young man to don the mantle of Robin. A bomb eventually goes off, killing him instantly and Batman carries his mutilated body in a full page silent moment of pure shock value & sadness.

#6) Kraven the Hunter blows his brains out: This Spider-Man story is not your ordinary Spidey story, it’s a full blown horror story. Kraven has always been a two-bit villain that got his ass handed to him by Spider-Man time after time. That all changes when Kraven hunts him down, drugs him, traps him, buries him alive and takes his place as Spider-Man. As terrifying as that may be, it’s nothing compared to what happens next. Kraven takes his shotgun, opens his mouth and ka-blooey, blows his head off and proceeds to fall into a coffin. Probably the darkest Spider-Man story to have been published.

#5) Mr. Hyde has his way with the Invisible Man: Nobody messes with Mr. Hyde. As a valued member of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Hyde is the muscle & brute force of the team with a soft spot for Miss Mina Murray. When Hawley Griffin, the Invisible Man gives Miss Murray the beating of her life, Hyde confronts him. Thinking that Mr. Hyde cannot see him, Hyde grabs him and gives him what the British call a “buggering” and eventually tears him apart limb to limb. These moments are hidden because of Griffin’s invisibility and later that evening Hyde dines with Captain Nemo and the chauffeur and as Griffin dies, his blood suddenly reappears all over Mr. Hyde’s body. Like I said, you don’t really see much, but the moment speaks volumes of pure horror.

#4) The Joker terrorizes, shoots & molests Barbara Gordon: The Joker escapes Arkham Asylum, as he’s done a thousand times before. This time he busts into police officer Jim Gordon’s home, beats him up, shoots his daughter Barbara in the stomach, the bullet goes through her spine & paralyzes her for life. To add insult to injury, he then proceeds to strip her naked and take pictures of her while she’s bleeding & suffering in a pile of broken glass. When this book came out, it shocked Batman fans everywhere and to this day, still shocks me every time I reread it.

#3) The Crossed catch up to Joel and his family: You could argue that picking one moment of pure terror in the Crossed series is pointless, since there are countless moments of horror in this twisted series. Crossed is the story of a disease that ravaged the population and turns it’s carriers into the most vicious & depraved human beings on earth, as they seek to rape & murder anything that breathes or moves. A group of human survivors make their way up a hill, as they are being chased by a pack of crossed. Among them is Joel, his wife and young daughter. Joel believes that salt is a weapon that can be used against the Crossed, or at least some kind of repellent. When the Crossed are practically nipping at their heels, Joel stops & pours the contents of the bag of salt around his family into a circle, thinking it will protect them fro harm. What happens next is too graphic to explain.

#2) Lori & the baby get shot & killed : This one gets the number 9 spot, but almost got the number 10. As the Governor and his goons siege Rick & the gang’s prison fortress, Lori, with her baby safely clutched in her arms, both get a blast of bullets, killing them instantly. I shared the same look of shock and horror as Rick did, which is the reason this series is so good… you never know which characters will live and which will die.

#1) Michonne tortures the Governor : Fewer comics have gut wrenching & horrifying moments quite like The Walking Dead. After suffering several brutal rapings & beatings at the hands of the sadistic Governor, the sword wielding Michonne gets a chance to escape. But not before she has her way with the Governor, revenge has never been so sweet & sickly. These images of pain & torture are burned into my brain forever.

Well there you have it kiddies, hope you enjoyed this creepy list. Have a nice & safe Halloween dressed as your favourite hero or villain. Don’t forget to post your pictures of your costumes right here.

-Luc