SPOOKTACULER HALLOWEEN COMIC BOOKS

The Halloween season is here and with it comes some terror-ific comic books. I'm always geeked to get into the Halloween spirit with some holiday themed good reads. Here are some spooktaculer stories that will be on comic book shop shelves this October:

STAR TREK: HOLO-WEEN

After enduring an anxiety-ridden passage through a solar storm, Captain Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise take to celebrating Halloween to reset the mood. But while the Earth holiday involves sweet treats and other festivities, they soon learn that fear is in season when crew members begin to go missing one by one. Each week in October leading up to Halloween, a new issue of this limited series by acclaimed writer Chris Sequeira and Eisner-nominated artist Joe Eisma will be rocketing into comic shops. 

DC'S GHOULS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN

An assembly of spine-tingling stories for Halloween. Superman imprisoned by an unfriendly ghost! Man-Bat versus a werewolf! Mary Marvel and Dr. Psycho crashing a Halloween frat party! Plus: the Question faces horrific crimes of fashion; Robotman wrestles a ghostly glitch; Crush helps Lobo find the perfect costume; and Nightwing and Red Hood spend a frightful night in Blüdhaven, co-written by Christopher Sean, the voice of Nightwing from the Gotham Knights video game! The chills will last longer than your candy corn!

ARCHIE HALLOWEEN SPECTACULAR 

Trick and Treat return on Halloween night to harass Archie and Jughead with assorted monsters until Sabrina takes charge. All that plus more scary-fun stories!

CAPWOLF & THE HOWLING COMMANDOS

When Captain America is transformed into a werewolf on the front lines of World War II, he’ll need the help of the Howling Commandos to take down a band of Nazi cultists who intend to use supernatural forces to turn the tide of battle. But can Cap control the skeptical, jaded Commandos when he can barely control himself?

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

As Halloween approaches, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles must face their fears when a powerful and mysterious being challenges them to prove their mettle in a nightmarish test of bravery. Meanwhile, Shredder has an otherworldly encounter of his own when he summons an ancient spirit to gain a greater understanding of the powerful weapon he seeks to reforge... only to discover that some forces are beyond even his control. Don't miss this double-sized, spooky special of Saturday Morning Adventures!

OPERATION SUNSHINE

From the New York Times-bestselling hosts of the hit The Last Podcast on the Left and Black Hammer's David Rubin comes this all-new humorous, horror, and action-packed comic book series that's Near Dark meets Ocean's Eleven. A group of young, alienated vampires known as "bugs" plot to steal a magical object from ancient monstrous vampires to turn themselves back to human. Along the way they uncover a sprawling monster underground, a top-secret plot run by the elder creatures, elite militant vampire slayers, and madness beyond imagining blocking their path to humanity.

BORIS KARLOFF'S GOLD KEY MYSTERIES 

Witness the dawn of new era in horror! When a gothic mansion infested with arcane power appears from the mist, Boris Karloff is the world's last hope against dark forces led by a malevolent government agent bent on harnessing the house's power. Boris Karloff is back with a new ongoing horror anthology.

CRYPT OF SHADOWS

Once more, as All Hallows’ Eve draws nigh, the dust-covered slab that seals shut the crypt, blocking out the sun and casting it forever in shadow, has creaked open to let the darkness loose to prey on the Marvel Universe! Be they mercenary or mage, guided by law or by rage, our heroes will face their terror, and they’d best pray their spines are sturdy enough for the job…or the crypt they find may well be their own!

SPINE-TINGLING SPIDER-MAN

After a fight with Spider-Cide, Spider-Man gets taken on the most frightening ride of his life as he finds himself in the most terrifying haunted house possible. Who took Peter’s powers? Who took Peter’s friends and family? Who stands the best chance at taking Spider-Man down permanently?!

HEADLESS HORSEMAN HALLOWEEN ANNUAL

Boils, ghouls, vampires, monsters, and creatures of all kinds, welcome. Take a seat, go on, fill the aisles, relax your fangs, and sit with us for a while. Join us in a macabre and magical journey through all the haunts and spooks that keep you up at night for here we revel in the darkness and present to you a chilling, nay petrifying experience as the Headless Horseman presents a collection of five terrifying tales to warm up your cold soul.

GARGOYLES HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

It's young Gnash's first Halloween in Manhattan, and you're invited to come along as he heads out to find friends on the one night of the year when Gargoyles can roam the city unbothered! Unfortunately, he's about to run afoul of the masked Quarrymen, who are out to hunt down any Gargoyle foolish enough to brave the streets on All Hallow's Eve. That means Brooklyn, Katana, Lexington, Broadway, Angela, and even Goliath are in real danger! Will they survive this cruel trick, or become a treat for the marauding Quarrymen? Find out in this all-new 40-page special featuring a 28-page main story written by Gargoyles creator GREG WEISMAN!

FEAR THE FUNHOUSE PRESENTS ... TOYBOX OF TERROR

In Riverdale, even the toys are terrifying in this anthology one-shot set in the universe of last year's successful Fear the Funhouse comic. Three tales of dolls, robots, and puppets gone awry all thanks to the work of a shadowy toymaker and a young girl intent on revenge, in the vein of the widely successful M3GAN movie and Child's Play franchise.

JUSTICE LEAGUE V GODZILLA V KONG

The cataclysmic crossover event of the year is here as the DC Universe clashes with Legendary’s Monsterverse in Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong. Clark Kent is enjoying a night off with a very important dinner planned with his girlfriend, Lois Lane, when the entire city shudders under the weight of the monstrous Godzilla, who emerges from the bay! What started as a routine clash between the Justice League and the Legion of Doom takes a dangerous turn when the wall between worlds is breached…with Godzilla, Kong, and the Monsterverse emerging on DC’s Earth!

MARVEL ZOMBIES: BLACK, WHITE & BLOOD

The undead plague starts here…and you know it won’t stop until everyone’s in its clutches! This first of four action-packed, utterly original, gloriously gory anthology issues features Daredevil, Spider-Man, Moon Knight and many, many more Marvel heroes and villains beset by ever-growing zombie hordes! In a brutal, bloodstained world, can hope survive? Or will creeping, gnawing, shambling horror win out at last…?

UNIVERSAL MONSTERS DRACULA

THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH creators JAMES TYNION IV and MARTIN SIMMONDS reteam for an extra-length miniseries about the monster who started it all! When Dr. John Seward admits a strange new patient into his asylum, the madman tells stories of a demon who has taken residence next door. But as Dr. Seward attempts to apply logic to the impossible…his surrogate daughter Lucy begins to fall under the spell of the twisted Count Dracula!

SCOOBY DOO HALLOWEEN FUN

I grew up loving watching Mystery Incorporated's cartoon adventures. I'm a big kid at heart when it comes to being a Scooby Doo fan! Always like including Scooby Doo and his meddling kids friends into my family's Halloween festivities. So, I was geeked that this Halloween season that there are two new Scooby Doo adventures to enjoy this year.

THE BATMAN & SCOOBY DOO MYSTERIES

Some of my favorite Scooby Doo cartoon episodes as a kid featured guest appearances by Batman and Robin. In fact, my first exposure to these DC Comics superheroes was seeing the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder included in Scooby-Doo cartoons. It was nice that DC Comics released just before Halloween the first issue of a comic book mini-series teaming up Batman and Scooby Doo to solve some more mysteries together. I couldn't resist picking up this comic book for some fun Halloween time reading.

A strange mystery pulls Batman, Robin, the Batmen of All Nations, Scooby, and the gang into a jet-setting race to some of the most haunted places on Earth. Even scarier, the trail leads straight to Ra’s al Ghul and his League of Assassins! Available at your local comic book shop now for $2.99 this 20 page story also includes an additional 7 page sneak peek at the upcoming graphic novel GREEN LANTERN: ALLIANCE. If you don't have a convenient comic shop near you, I've found that New York-based Midtown Comics has a great shipping service with reasonable prices where you can find a great selection of current released issues and past publications available.

I was nostalgic that the artwork in THE BATMAN & SCOOBY DOO MYSTERIES limited series from DC Comics is in the same style as the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons. Like in the television episodes, Scooby Doo and his pesky kids encounter haunting paranormal mysteries to solve that turn out to be just scams from scheming criminals; but then they get tangled up dealing with some very dangerous villains led by the mystical Ra's al Ghul. Can Mystery Inc teach the World's Greatest Detective a thing or two about solving mysteries? Will Batman save the day and keep Scooby and Shaggy out of hot water? Zoinks! You'll have to pick up the comic book to find out!

TRICK OR TREAT SCOOBY DOO!

Grab your Scooby Snacks! There is a new Scooby Doo adventure out on Digital and DVD from Warner Bros Home Entertainment this Halloween. TRICK OR TREAT SCOOBY DOO is an all new 72-minute animated movie with the DVD release also including as a bonus three classic Scooby Doo television episodes (El Bandito; Headless Horseman of Halloween; To Switch a Witch). 

In TRICK OR TREAT SCOOBY DOO, Mystery Inc. has cracked the case to top all cases! They've tracked down Coco Diablo, the head of the notorious costume criminal syndicate that colludes The Black Knight, Space Kook and the Ghost Driver. With Coco and her kitty in prison, Mystery Inc. thinks that they can finally enjoy a break. Wrong! Suddenly, menacing doppelganger ghosts of the Scooby crew and favorite classic foes show up in Coolsville to threaten Halloween. Now it's up to the meddling kids -- and their unlikely new partner Coco -- to unmask the latest scoundral and save Halloween! For Shaggy and Scooby Doo with trick-or-treating on the line -- this time it's personal!

Thank you to Warner Bros Home Entertainment for providing ageekdaddy.com with a free DVD of TRICK OR TREAT SCOOBY DOO for my family to enjoy. TRICK OR TREAT SCOOBY DOO can be viewed on Cartoon Network and HBO Max during this year's annual Scoobtober celebration. It became available October 4th on Digital to view and is being released October 18th on DVD.

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HALLOWEEN PULL LIST

Get into the spirit of Halloween with some comic book reading. This year a number of publishers are printing terror-ific stories focused on horror, hauntings and the supernatural. Whether you keep a pull list of cultivated titles at your favorite comic shop or prefer to browse store shelves for books that catch your fancy, here are some suggestions for spooktacular reading this Halloween season:

CRYPT OF SHADOWS (MARVEL COMICS · OCT 19)

The heroes of the Marvel Universe spend most of their time in the bright sun, flying high above it all…but every once in a while, they venture into the darkness that lurks in the hidden corners of the world. There lurk the creatures, the monsters, the vampires…the ones who prey on innocence and goodness. Join some of your favorite heroes, for tales of fangs, claws and silent, stalking swamp creatures to celebrate All Hallows’ Eve!

TERRORS THROUGH TIME (DC COMICS · OCT 11) 

Halloween is almost here! That means it's time for fables of fear, time for stories of suspense, and time for tales of…time? Take a terrifying tour across the ages from some of comics' top talent! Witness zombies menace the JSA in the 1940s. Experience the haunting of the Gotham City Sirens in the 1990s. Watch as Swamp Thing goes up against an irradiated monstrosity in the far future. These are just a taste of the time-hopping terrors in store for you in this fright-filled Halloween anthology!

STUFF OF NIGHTMARES #1 (BOOM! STUDIOS · SEPT 21)

R.L Stine is back-but not for the faint of heart-with a chilling take on an iconic character, perfect for fans of Fear Street and EC Comics horror titles! In the first of Stine's reanimated reimaginings, you're familiar with the classic tale of a mad scientist hell-bent on creating life, but what these two demented brothers have created is something else entirely! Horror lovers won't want to miss the legendary author's return to comics in his first creator-owned single issue series, with art by A.L. Kaplan (Maw, Jim Henson's The Storyteller). 

Fans also won't want to miss celebrating this milestone event with a Björn Barends variant signed by R.L. Stine and not one but two extra spooky glow in the dark covers by Francesco Francavilla and original Goosebumps cover artist Tim Jacobus! This issue kicks off an on-going series and isn't Halloween the perfect time to launch a R.L. Stine comic book! Check with your local comic book store about availability as both the basic issue and variants are sure to sell out.

CREEPSHOW #1 & #2 (SKYBOUND · SEPT 21 & OCT 26) 

Another new comic book series debuting just in time for Halloween is CREEPSHOW. Ther first issue comes out in September and the second one comes out the Wednesday before Halloween. A nice treat for horror fans!

The debut issue is a tale of trick or treaters who are taught what happens when you mess with the wrong house. Each issue of CREEPSHOW will feature different creative teams with uniquely horrifying standalone stories.

SGT ROCK VS THE ARMY OF THE DEAD #1 & #2 (DC COMICS · SEPT 27 & OCT 26)

Berlin, 1944. The Nazis are besieged on all fronts by the Allied forces. Defeat is inevitable. But Hitler and his team of evil scientists attempt a last-ditch effort that may turn the tide of the war and rewrite history itself: a serum that resurrects their dead soldiers, stronger than they were in life, and sends them back into the battlefield. 

Now Sgt. Frank Rock and Easy Company have been dispatched into enemy territory to face off against the strangest, most horrific enemies they've ever encountered: Nazi zombies! Horror icon Bruce Campbell and comics legend Eduardo Risso bring you a terror-soaked Sgt. Rock tale like no other! Two issues to read during this season with the second installment being released the last New Comic Book Day before Halloween. I grew up reading Sgt. Rock comic books so I'm very excited about this mini-series!

HALLOWEEN PARTY (IMAGE COMICS · OCT 12) 

It's a scary time in America, and we're not talking about the razors in the candy. When you might get murdered in a mass shooting, the clowns, monsters and other things that go bump in the night have a harder time doing their job. It's a bummer at this year's monster mash. 

LEONIDE THE VAMYR (DARK HORSE COMICS · OCT 5)

A small, coastal village is home to normal people living quiet and simple lives––until a shipwreck brings a small coffin and its smaller occupant into their midst. What begins as a miracle soon takes a turn toward the horrible in this ghostly tale from celebrated Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and artist extraordinaire Rachele Aragno.

SPIDEY AND HIS AMAZING FRIENDS (MARVEL · OCT 29)

Participating comic book shops will be handing out FREE issues to families who stop by on October 29th! In HALLOWEEN TRICK-OR-READ 2022: SPIDEY AND HIS AMAZING FRIENDS #1, swing into adventure with Spidey, Ghost-Spider, and Miles as they face Green Goblin, Doc Ock, and more in this spectacular special filled with all new stories from MY FIRST COMIC READER. This easy-to-read comic book is perfect for young Spidey fans ages 5-7, and even contains some action-packed activity pages! Filled with TRICKS and TREATS, kids will love this not-to-be-missed sampler!

BATMAN & SCOOBY-DOO MYSTERIES #1 (DC COMICS · OCT 11) 

An odd thriller pulls Batman, Robin, the Batmen of All Nations, Scooby, and the gang right into a jet-setting race to among the most haunted locations on Earth. Even scarier, the path leads straight to Ra’s al Ghul and his League of Assassins! This actually has piqued my interest and I might be pulling it for myself...I admit it I'm a Scooby-Doo fan. Scooby Dooby Doo!

REST IN PEACE (SCOUT COMICS · OCT 5)  

Have you ever been overwhelmed by houseguests who won't let you rest in peace? Ghoul has! After a long Halloween night, his monster friends start knocking on his door. He reluctantly allows Dracula in. Then the Werewolf. Next the Mummy, followed by Frankenstein's Monster. Finally, when Blob tries to ooze his way through the door Ghoul loses his cool and kicks them all out into the darkness.

But was his decision too hasty? Only when his conscience-in the form of the Invisible Man-makes him realize that his friends simply wanted to spend more time together does he see the error of his ways.

Archie Comics has gone all in for Halloween with a number of themed issues coming out this season. From campy teen high schooler stories to horror-ibly frightening tales there are some great comic books from this publisher being released in 2022. Whether you are looking for some spooky fun hijinks or being scared to death there is something for everyone when it comes to Halloween themed issues of Archie Comics.

ARCHIE JUMBO COMICS DIGEST #334 (ARCHIE COMICS ·  OCT 12) 

Two brand new stories! First in "A Very Cosmo Halloween!" Cosmo the Merry Martian-or someone who looks an awful lot like Cosmo-crashes the Lodge Halloween Ball. Fortunately, this year it's science fiction-themed! Cosmo tries to warn the teens of an impending invasion-but will they be able to tell them apart from the costumed aliens at the party? 

Then, in "Here Come The Power Pets!" The Superteens battle an evil villain called Snowboy. As Snowboy uses his powers to put the Superteens in a deep freeze, Archie's beloved dog Vegas realizes that he's got to find a way to rescue them. He gathers Vader, Hot Dog and Carmel and convinces them to join him. Our new heroes become the Power Pets, but do they have what it to rescue their humans?

ARCHIE HALLOWEEN SPECTACULAR 2022 (ARCHIE COMICS · OCT 5)

This year's Halloween spectacular kicks off with a BRAND NEW story! In "Spirits of Halloween," meet TWO new characters to the Archie universe: Trick and Treat! This pair of impish magical creatures come around every Halloween to cause chaos wherever they go-and this year, that just so happens to be Riverdale! How much mischief will they cause Archie & the gang while trick or treating? Plus, a collection of hilarious Halloween tales!

WORLD OF BETTY & VERONICA JUMBO COMICS DIGEST #19 (ARCHIE COMICS · OCT 5)

It's Halloween night and Sabrina is on her guard, expecting her foe Amber Nightstone to return. As she heads to a Halloween party, she keeps thinking every red thing she sees is Amber, even though she knows that Amber has already been dealt with. But why does she still have the strangest feeling that Amber's nearby?

WEIRDER MYSTERIES #1 (ARCHIE COMICS · SEPT 21)

Riverdale is known to be a hotbed of strange happenings and paranormal activity... always has been and always will be. Take a look as a few extra-special case files are opened that highlight the weird occurrences that happen in the small, quiet town, in a one-shot anthology that's equal parts The X-Files and Black Mirror. 

CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SALEM #1 (ARCHIE COMICS · OCT 12)

Salem the Cat has always been known as Sabrina's familiar, but what happens when Sabrina's not around to protect him (or, as is more the case, when he doesn't have to protect her)? This special one-shot explores a different side of Salem's life, one in which he acts as an anti-hero enacting vigilante justice on those who hurt others like him... animals, in a horror story that's equal parts Pet Sematary and Hereditary.

RETURN OF CHILLING ADVENTURES IN SORCERY #1 (ARCHIE COMICS · OCT 26)

Madam Satan escaped Hell a fugitive and hated woman by Satan and his thralls. She's now principal of Baxter high and Hell has come to Earth. With each classroom acting as a portal to the different circles in Hell, Madam Satan must recruit similar tortured souls if she has any chance of survival... all leading up to a Madam Satan and her army vs. Satan and his in this highly-anticipated follow-up to last year's hit Chilling Adventures in Sorcery!

FEAR THE FUNHOUSE (ARCHIE COMICS · OCT 19)  

A night camping at their treehouse in the woods leads the pre-teen Archie and his friends to do what any kid their age would do in that scenario: tell scary stories! But each story grows creepier and creepier as the kids realize that maybe, just maybe, there is some truth to these tall tales in an anthology that's equal parts Are You Afraid of the Dark? and Goosebumps.

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: REVENANCE (AMERICAN MYTHOLOGY · OCT 26)

The Dead shall rise...again! The horror comic event of the year begins as we take fans back to the farmhouse that started it all! George Romero's macabre masterpiece shaped the cinematic landscape of horror for the last fifty years! Now, American Mythology has joined forces with Image Ten, the original production company for the film and official license holder, to bring fans a new dose of the dead with a comic series paying homage to the horror classic. 

Come along as we follow Johnny and Barbra to the graveyard that changed their lives forever! You thought you knew the story, but get ready for some surprises and unexpected twists along the way as the series explores the lost tales of how our group of wayward travelers, Tom, Judy, Ben, Barbra, Johnny, and the Cooper family, came to find each other at the same fateful farmhouse on one dark and ghoul-filled night! It's timeless terror at its finest!

NIGHTFALL DOUBLE FEATURE #1 (VAULT COMICS · OCT 26)

Grab your popcorn and clamber into your sleeping bag for two tales of terror from the creative teams of The Autumnal, The Plot, and Resonant! 

CEMETERIANS -- After human bones begin growing inside inanimate objects all across the globe, a renegade scientist and brilliant theologian delve into the cemeteries where the bones originated, discovering an otherworldly force tired of being buried in darkness. 

DENIZEN -- A family's cross country road trip goes off the map and into the unforgiving wilds of Joshua Tree National Park, when mom and wife-to-be Helene succumbs to a malevolent force tucked inside an abandoned camping trailer.

GHOST PLANET (SCOUT COMICS · OCT 19)

A family of deep space explorers rushes to solve the mystery of Ghost Planet before their recently dead loved ones return to kill them next! Murder birds, eye stalks and space pigs abound in this 40-page graphic novella. Ghost Planet is a classic sci-fi tale with a horror twist.

THE MARKED: HALLOWEEN SPECIAL (IMAGE COMICS · OCT 12) 

Your favorite tattooed witches return for a very special Halloween one-shot! The Marked are faced with a terrifying once-in-a-century threat. It's Halloween and the town of Holy Mountain Texas has been invaded by a horde of Trickster Demons whose bloody version of trick-or-treat leaves a trail of the maimed and the dead. The Marked are tasked with protecting the locals even though most of them happen to be rabid right-wing bigots. When Bad goes Evil the Good go Ugly!!!

Which of these Halloween themed comics are you most geeked about reading? Share with us which issues you pick up by giving @Geekdad248 a shoutout on Twitter. Send a picture of your Halloween haul of comic book treats and we'll trick it out with a retweet!

RETURN TO VADERS CASTLE

IDW Publishing's STAR WARS ADVENTURES comic book series is filling October again with spooky tales from a galaxy far, far away. Last year the publisher released a limited series of its Middle Grade reading level Star Wars comic book titled TALES FROM VADER'S CASTLE that had a scary vibe to stories that were released each week leading up to Halloween throughout the month of October. Based upon its popularity, this year you can RETURN TO VADER'S CASTLE with more chilling Star Wars stories to add some Sci-Fi fun to your Halloween festivities.

Each week's comic book in the RETURN TO VADER'S CASTLE mini-series will feature a tale featuring a different Star Wars villain. The slate of villains include Asajji Ventress, Darth Maul, Governor Tarkin, Jabba the Hutt, and of course the Dark Lord of the Sith. Each story is narrated by a creepy henchman of Darth Vader as he interrogates a prisoner held in the Lord of the Sith's personal fortress located on the hellish lava world of Mustafar.

The first issue involves the young crew of a scrap hauler who become marooned on a garbage world. While exploring the place they begin to mysteriously disappear one by one. What is lurking amongst the junk that covers this planet-wide trash dump?

It is Darth Maul! The Sith warrior whose body was cut in half by Obi Wan Kenobi in The Phantom Menace. Miraculously his body fell into a garbage heap which was transported here. Maul's strength in the Force kept him alive and he constructed a spider-like robotic body from trash he tinkered with in the dump. What are his plans for the captured crew members? Maybe he is hoping they can help him escape the planet? Or maybe he is just planning on having them for dinner?

While many comic books are written for teen and adult audiences, these STAR WARS ADVENURES stories are written specifically for the Middle Grade reading level of children in third through eighth grade. A perfect intro comic book series for elementary and middle school aged kids! STAR WARS ADVENTURES comic books like this RETURN TO VADER'S CASTLE mini-series are specifically meant to be appealing and age appropriate for young readers. STAR WARS ADVENTURES is a favorite read of my 10 year old twins and as a parent I appreciate never having to be wary of content they may come across in the paces of these comic books.

While TALES FROM VADER'S CASTLE and RETURN TO VADER'S CASTLE are targeted to young audiences, this Star Wars fan dad blogger enjoyed reading these Halloween themed comics himself. So all ages can appreciate and enjoy flipping through the pages of these Star Wars comic books.

I'll absolutely be swinging by my local comic book shop each week this month to pick up a copy of each newly released story in the RETURN TO VADER'S CASTLE limited series. IDW Publishing's STAR WARS ADVENTURES: RETURN TO VADER'S CASTLE has earned a geek daddy nod of approval for providing some spooky fun for Star Wars fans tied into Halloween. Interesting stories that are kid appropriate complimented by great artwork make these comic books a wonderful addition to Halloween festivities. I hope producing these comic books becomes an annual tradition for IDW Publishing because this dad blogger's family really enjoys them.

Also remember to stop by a local comic book shop on Saturday, October 26, 2019 for Halloween ComicFest. Participating locations will be giving away a selection of FREE comic books with a variety of titles suitable for young readers. They will also be some comic books distributed aimed for teens and adults as well. So Halloween ComicFest will have something for everyone in your family to enjoy.

HALLOWEEN COMICS FEST

Don't miss out on swinging by a comic book shop for some Halloween fun. Saturday, October 26, 2019 is Halloween ComicFest. Participating retailers will be giving away a variety of free comic books for the occasion.

There will be 19 full comic books and 9 mini comics available for visiting trick or treaters to pick up for FREE. Many of these free Halloween ComicFest edition comic books will have a Halloween theme to them. There will be something for the whole family to enjoy as some of these comic books will be for young readers, others for teens and some focused for adult only audiences too.

YOUNG READERS

Full sized comics suitable for all ages include House of Fear (Dark Horse Comics), Junior High Horrors: Halloween Special (keenspot), The Adventures of Cthulhu Jr. & Dastardly Dirk (Source Point Press), Swamp Kid (DC) and Doodleville Aster (Random House Children's Books).

There are also 9 mini-comics being handed out that are mostly for kids: Spook House, Usagi Yojimbo, Loud House, Under Dog, Archie's Mad House Magic, Blastosaurus, Super Hero Girls, Pokémon, and R.L. Stine's Just Beyond. In addition to these being handed out on an individual basis for free during Halloween ComicsFest, you can also purchase a 25-pack of these mini-comics for $4.99 to give out yourself to trick or treaters that stop by your house.

This dad blogger's kids have food allergies that really limits the candy they can eat so understanding there are other trick or treaters out there struggling with this same medical condition my wife and I are always on the look out for safe treats that anyone would enjoy to hand out at our doorstep. These mini-comics are a great non-food item to give out on Halloween that trick or treaters are sure to appreciate whether or not they have a food allergy. Supplies may be limited of packs you can purchase on Halloween ComicFest so I'd encourage you contact your local comic shop in advance to inquire about making mini-comic pack purchases.

TEENS

Marvel has Ghost Rider, Iron Man and Spider-Man comic books rated for Teen readers that are being given out at Halloween Comic Fest. DC is also giving out a scary DCEASED story about super heroes dealing with a scary end of the world apocalypse. There is also a Battlecats issue from Mad Cave Studios that has some impressive artwork to check out.

ADULTS

Dark Red from Aftershock Comics has a MATURE rating meaning it is only meant to be read by those over 18 years old. Lady Mechanika provides some spooky wild west action. Plus Marvel is also providing a one-shot story of my favorite Star Wars character, Boba Fett, for Halloween ComicsFest that many dads and moms will appreciate reading just as much as their kids will.

For more information about this event, go to halloweencomicsfest.com 

TALES FROM VADERS CASTLE

Based upon the orthodontics that are just getting put into place on my kids teeth combined with their food allergies there isn't a whole lot of candy that my son and daughter can actually eat from trick or treating this Halloween. So I've been gathering goodies to give them that they can trade in their trick or treat candy for.  These have included some Halloween themed Star Wars comic books from IDW Publishing.

STAR WARS ADVENTURES are Middle Grade Reading Level comic books that are written to be appealing and age appropriate to elementary school aged kids. These are perfect for my 9 year old twins!  During the month of October, IDW has been releasing a new issue each Wednesday for a 5-part mini-series which concludes on October 31st (Halloween) that tells spooky stories filled with ghosts and monsters titled TALES FROM VADER'S CASTLE.

When a group of Rebels crash-land near Darth Vader's imposing fortress on the lava scorched planet of Mustafar, the hell-like appearance of the world gets the crew sharing spooky "campfire stories" about other creepy places and experiences they've had within the Star Wars universe.  Readers of TALES FROM VADER'S CASTLE are treated to the main story of the group's escape from Vader's Castle along with an assortment of chilling short stories. Examples of some of these tales include a young Han Solo being ensnared by plants that suck people's lifeforce, the spaceship Ghost from the Star Wars: Rebels animated television series becoming possessed by an evil spirit, and a Clone Wars adventure that finds Ben Kenobi facing off against a vampire adversary that can transform someone into a bat-like monster slave.

While the stories presented in STAR WARS ADVENTURES: TALES FROM VADER'S CASTLE are spooky they aren't overly scary making these fun comic books for the whole family to enjoy for some Halloween fun. Each issue is 32 pages long and rated for all-ages reading. You can pick up print editions of these comic books from your local comic book store or they are also available digitally from Amazon, Comixology, Google Play and iBooks.

Halloween ComicFest 2017

Add a trip to your local comic shop into your planned Halloween festivities this year.  Participating locations will be giving out FREE comic books to trick-or-treaters who stop by for Halloween ComicFest 2017.  Don't miss out on this spook-tacular comic book promotion!

Not every comic book retailer participates so check the event's shop locator to find participating locations.  Then call ahead to see what the shop's plans are because some are handing out the freebies on Saturday, September 28 and others are distributing the them actually on Halloween.  Also rules vary from location to location.  Some spots require costumes to be worn by everyone who wants a free full sized comic while others are only giving out mini-comics to children.  One location may allow people who stop by to grab one of each of the Halloween ComicFest selection of comics while another may allow someone to select just one item to take home.

This year's Halloween ComicFest giveaways include 18 full sized comic books that are meant to be read by a variety of ages ranging from young kid-friendly to mature for adults only.  Baby Teeth from Aftershock is one of those titles absolutely not meant for children.  It tells the story of a pregnant 16 year old who is giving birth to the Antichrist that will unleash eternal suffering upon all humankind.  A horror story for those folks out there who like scary things for Halloween.  Archie Comics also has a Sabrina the Teenage Witch issue with content that is more like a horror movie than the silly sitcom that aired on television.

Teens will appreciate the Ghostbusters comic book from IDW they are giving away during Halloween ComicFest.  Dark Horse has also provided a Teen rated Hell Boy story that involves two of the most horrible figures from British folklore ... Rawhead Rex and Bloody Bones. DC also is throwing in Batman: Night of the Monster Men into the mix while with a new Thor movie from Marvel expect to find something featuring the God of Thunder as well when trick or treating at a local comic shop during Halloween ComicFest.

For younger readers, Aspen Comics is providing an all-ages choose your own adventure story featuring some zany animals.  There is also a DC Super Hero Girls comic that little girls will be delighted to read being handed out during Halloween ComicsFest.

Children and kids at heart will enjoy the twelve mini-comics that are also being given away during Halloween ComicsFest 2017.  These mini-comics feature content that families will love to read but parents won't be afraid of their kids seeing.  Titles include Archie's Madhouse, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Donald Duck Halloween Scream, Hotel Transylvania, and Pokemon. These mini-comics can also be purchased in 25 packs if you are interested in giving them out at your own doorstep on Halloween.

My family makes an effort to join in the Halloween ComicFest fun every year and my kids always enjoyed the treats they bring home with them. Don't miss out on having a terror-fic time yourselves!