Horror Movies Are Taking Over Comic Shops. And We're Here for It.

You know what's funny?

For years, we've watched comic books become movies.

Batman.

Spider-Man.

The Avengers.

The Walking Dead.

Invincible.

The list is practically endless.

But now we're seeing something interesting happen in the opposite direction.

Horror movies are becoming comic books.

And not just obscure horror movies that three people remember renting from Blockbuster in 1997.

We're talking about The Purge, M3GAN, and Happy Death Day.

Three recognizable horror franchises.

Three very different approaches to scaring audiences.

And now all three are coming to comic shops through a newly announced partnership between Blumhouse and IDW Publishing.[1]

The announcement came October 9 during New York Comic Con 2026.

And while everybody was talking about superheroes, convention exclusives, and the next enormous crossover, this was one of the announcements that genuinely caught our attention.

Because horror comics are having a moment.

And we think this partnership could be a pretty big deal.

The Purge Is Coming to Comics in Late 2027

Let's start with the first announced series.

The Purge.

If you've watched the movies, you know the premise.

One night every year, nearly all crime becomes legal.

Including murder.

It's an absolutely horrifying concept.

But here's what makes The Purge particularly well suited to comics.

The movies can only show us so much.

A few characters.

A handful of locations.

One particular story.

But what happens everywhere else?

What happens in a small town?

What happens in a wealthy neighborhood where everybody knows everybody?

What happens when somebody decides to settle a 20-year-old grudge?

Those are the kinds of questions a comic series can explore.

And that's apparently exactly what IDW intends to do.

The new series will be written by Dan Watters, with artwork by Juan José Ryp, and is scheduled to launch in late 2027.[1][2]

Watters has worked on Batman: Dark Patterns and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder.

Ryp has worked on Wolverine: Blood Hunt and Ghost Rider: Vengeance Forever.

That's an interesting creative combination.

Watters understands dark, psychologically complicated stories.

Ryp brings an extremely detailed, intense artistic style.

And The Purge is a world where those strengths could work beautifully together.

According to IDW Dark editor Heather Antos, the comic will explore a new town and environment that the films haven't previously visited.[1]

Our take: Of the three announced projects, this has the strongest potential to become a genuinely great horror comic.

The concept is practically built for anthology-style storytelling, even if the first series follows one central narrative.

M3GAN Is Getting Her Own Comic. This Could Get Weird.

Okay.

We have questions.

Because M3GAN might be one of the most entertaining horror characters introduced in recent years.

She's creepy.

She's funny.

She's completely unhinged.

And she's somehow managed to make dancing terrifying.

Now imagine what a talented comic artist could do with that character.

The possibilities are ridiculous.

And we mean that in the best possible way.

The original M3GAN introduced an artificially intelligent doll designed to protect a young girl named Cady.

Naturally, things went horribly wrong.

Because giving an AI-powered doll the ability to make independent decisions about protecting a child seems like an absolutely flawless idea.

What could possibly happen?

The newly announced comic will expand M3GAN's world, although IDW hasn't yet revealed the creative team or release date.[1]

Antos has discussed the possibility of exploring M3GAN's relationship with Cady as Cady gets older.

High school was specifically mentioned as a potential direction.

And apparently, somebody wants to see M3GAN at prom.[3]

We're not going to lie.

We'd read that.

But here's our one concern.

M3GAN works because she's both funny and frightening.

Lean too heavily into the comedy and she becomes a joke.

Lean too heavily into the horror and you lose some of what made the character distinctive.

The right writer and artist could absolutely make this work.

The wrong creative team could turn it into a forgettable licensed comic.

So we're withholding judgment until we see the actual artwork.

Happy Death Day Might Be the Most Interesting Surprise

This is the announcement we didn't see coming.

Happy Death Day is also getting a comic.

And Tim Seeley is writing it.[2]

Now that's a pairing we like.

If you're unfamiliar with the films, Happy Death Day follows a college student who repeatedly relives the day she's murdered.

Think Groundhog Day.

Except somebody keeps trying to kill you.

The original movie mixed slasher horror, mystery, science fiction, and comedy surprisingly well.

And Tim Seeley is a particularly interesting choice because of his work on Hack/Slash.

He understands horror.

He understands ridiculous situations.

And he understands that a slasher story doesn't necessarily need to take itself completely seriously.

Here's another interesting detail.

IDW has reportedly discussed the comic with filmmaker Christopher Landon, including how the story might coexist with ideas for a possible third Happy Death Day movie.[3]

That doesn't mean a third film has been announced.

It hasn't.

But it suggests the comic isn't simply being developed without regard for the larger franchise.

Our take: This could end up being the sleeper hit of the partnership.

And if Seeley gets paired with an artist who can handle expressive characters and strong horror imagery, we're going to be very interested.

IDW Dark Has Been Building Toward This

Here's something worth understanding.

This isn't IDW suddenly deciding horror comics might be profitable.

The publisher has been building its IDW Dark imprint for a while.

And the lineup is becoming increasingly impressive.

Recent and upcoming projects include:

• Smile: For the Camera
• Smile: Any Given Smile
• A Quiet Place: Storm Warning
• A Quiet Place: Rising Tides
• Event Horizon: Inferno
• Sleepy Hollow: The Witches of the Western Wood

There are also original horror projects and new stories connected to The Twilight Zone.[4][5]

That's a pretty interesting lineup.

And it's worth noting that these aren't simply comic-book versions of movies we've already watched.

Smile: For the Camera, for example, explores the Smile Entity in the world of fashion modeling.

A Quiet Place: Rising Tides takes the franchise's sound-sensitive monsters to the Florida Keys, with a hurricane adding another layer of danger.[4]

Those are good ideas.

They're using the existing franchises as starting points rather than simply retelling the movies.

That's exactly what we want.

Why Horror Works So Well in Comics

Here's our theory.

Horror comics can do something movies struggle with.

They let the reader control the timing.

Think about that.

In a movie, the director decides when the monster appears.

The music gets louder.

The camera moves.

Something jumps out.

You react.

But in a comic?

You turn the page.

You decide when to look.

You can sit with a disturbing image for as long as you want.

And a great artist can make a single panel more unsettling than an entire five-minute movie sequence.

That's why artists matter so much in horror comics.

The shadows.

The expressions.

The composition.

The things you can barely see.

Those details create tension.

And it's why we're especially interested in seeing who IDW selects to illustrate M3GAN and Happy Death Day.

The artwork will make or break those books.

Something Is Killing the Children Proves Horror Comics Have an Audience

We don't have to look very far for evidence that readers love horror comics.

Something Is Killing the Children just reached issue #50.

James Tynion IV and Werther Dell'Edera have built one of the most recognizable modern horror properties in comics.

And Blumhouse itself is developing live-action and animated adaptations of that franchise.[1]

Think about how interesting that is.

Blumhouse is taking horror comics to Hollywood.

And now it's bringing Hollywood horror franchises into comics.

That's a pretty good indication that the relationship between these two industries is getting stronger.

At ATL Comics & Cards, we've been particularly excited about the response to Something Is Killing the Children.

Our SIKTC #50 exclusive featuring a Jason Flowers wraparound cover is exactly the kind of project we love.

Great horror artwork.

A recognizable title.

And a cover that feels like it belongs to the story rather than simply existing because somebody wanted another variant.

That's what we'd love to see from the new Blumhouse books.

What About Exclusive Covers?

You knew we'd get here eventually.

Because when recognizable horror characters enter the comic market, retailer-exclusive covers tend to follow.

Will there be M3GAN virgin variants?

Possibly.

Could The Purge produce some absolutely brutal cover artwork?

Definitely.

Would we love to see a talented horror artist take on Happy Death Day?

Absolutely.

But let's be clear.

No specific retailer-exclusive programs or print runs have been confirmed for these newly announced series.

And we wouldn't recommend preordering anything based on rumors.

Wait for the actual solicitations.

Wait for the artwork.

Then decide.

A good exclusive should make you want the comic before somebody tells you how limited it is.

That's always been our philosophy.

When Can You Buy the New Blumhouse Comics?

Here's what's confirmed as of October 12, 2026.

The Purge: Scheduled for late 2027, written by Dan Watters with art by Juan José Ryp.

M3GAN: Announced, but no confirmed release date or creative team.

Happy Death Day: Announced with Tim Seeley writing; additional creative details and release timing haven't been confirmed.[1][2]

So don't expect these books to arrive next Wednesday.

We're still early.

But the announcement gives horror readers something worth watching over the next year.

And we'll be following the official cover reveals and preorder information as they become available.

Our Take: This Is Good for Comic Shops

We love Batman.

We love Spider-Man.

We love the Absolute Universe.

But comic shops need more than superheroes.

They need horror readers.

Science-fiction fans.

People who love movies but haven't picked up a comic in years.

Somebody who loves M3GAN might walk into a comic shop for the first time because of this announcement.

And maybe they leave with Something Is Killing the Children.

Or The Department of Truth.

Or another horror comic they never knew existed.

That's how you grow readership.

One great story leads to another.

And another.

So yes, we're excited about Blumhouse and IDW Dark.

Not because every movie needs a comic-book adaptation.

Most don't.

But because these particular properties have enough unexplored territory to justify new stories.

Now the creators need to deliver.

Give us great artwork. Give us genuinely frightening stories. And please, don't make every cover a foil just because you can.

Do that, and we'll happily make room for more horror comics on the shelves.

Where Comics Live.