CBR has an exclusive look at the first annual Halloween anthology from Dark Horse Comics. The Headless Horseman Halloween Annual was originally published in 2023 and includes five stories by a variety of creators, and you can read through every story in last year’s issue for free right here!

Later this month, Dark Horse will publish the 2024 edition of The Headless Horseman Halloween Annual, collecting five brand-new stories. The 2024 anthology will include tales by David Dastmalchian (Count Crowley), Leah Kilpatrick, Lukas Ketner, Ben Stenbeck, James Asmus, Matt Smith, and Chris Panda. The 56-page horror one-shot will go on sale October 23 for $7.99 from Dark Horse. Pre-order the new anthology now and read last year’s collection of stories exclusively on CBR below.

The 2023 Dark Horse anthology opens up with Entertainment System, a story by Lukas Ketner that begins with a Hero of the Ages awakening from hibernation and going on a quest to defeat the Shadow King. His adventures lead him all throughout the land, but a surprise twist at the end of the story reminds the viewer that everyone is the hero of their own story…and they might just be the villain in someone else’s.

Next, a tale of trick-or-treating titled Some Wander depicts a young girl dressed as Little Red Riding Hood as she is seemingly hunted by a cowboy after becoming separated from her family during Halloween celebrations. All is not as it seems, however, and the tables quickly turn as the hunter becomes the prey in a story that reminds the reader that while some children may wander, others hunt.

The third story in Dark Horse’s Halloween anthology is The Chaperone by Christie Porter and Phillip Sevy. Set on Halloween 1989, The Chaperone depicts the hysteria surrounding stranger danger and the fear of Halloween candy being laced with drugs that was prevalent on the news at the time. As a group of kids goes trick-or-treating, one overprotective mother accompanies the group, much to their dismay. Halfway through their night out, the group realizes the woman who’s been by their side is not who they thought she was, and murder and mayhem quickly ensue.

Olivia Stephens’ story The Muse depicts a writer taking a getaway seeking inspiration and as she sits down at the desk of talented artists before her, she soon discovers a mysterious letter that warns her the forest she’s currently in is more dangerous than it appears. The letter encourages her to find her muse in the forests, but warns her that it comes at a cost.

Lastly, in Horror House by David Dastmalchian, Leah Kilpatrick and Tyler Crook, Dark Horse’s Headless Horseman Halloween Annual anthology wraps up with a humorous story as a group of monsters makes their way through a house of horrors. It’s not exactly what they expected — but might have been even more terrifying as the group soon find themselves running into therapists analyzing traumatic dreams, foodies taking pictures of their meals for social media, and other horrors from the 21st century.

Speaking with CBR last year about the creation of Horror House, Dastmalchian described the themes of the story, saying, “There are good monsters. There are bad monsters, and there’s everything in between. And sometimes what you’d expect to be a monster and what you think doesn’t look like a monster can be an inversion.”

“I think when we were writing it, we were really interested in the points of view of monsters, especially when it comes to Halloween,” Kilpatrick added. “What do monsters do on Halloween? I think that idea was a starting point for the story. We know what humans do. But what do the monsters do? How can we play in that world? From there, we were able to have a lot of fun comedically with what monsters think about.”

The Headless Horseman returns with five new stories in Dark Horse’s 2024 The Headless Horseman Halloween Annual, arriving in comic shops on October 23.

Source: Dark Horse