Marvel’s Halloween Monster Variant Covers Are the Coolest Things Ever

David Gelmini |

Sep 9, 2015

Marvel is celebrating Halloween in a way that only the House of Ideas knows how. As Comics Alliance informs us, throughout October Marvel will release variant covers of its comics, showcasing monsters created by the legendary Jack Kirby. They’ll be drawn by established artists like Dave Johnson, Chris Samnee, and Erica Henderson.

They could very well be the coolest looking things ever. Just look at them! The awesomeness is just oozing.

And as if that weren’t enough, the publisher also has some horror graphic novels lined up for later this year.

Firstly on October 13, we have Monster of Frankenstein Vol. 1, collecting the 1970s series which reimagines Mary Shelley’s creation as a superhero.

Then, on October 20, there’s the Werewolf by Night Omnibus, in which the titular Jack Russell (yes, that really is the character’s name) uses his werewolf powers to serve mankind, battling foes such as Dracula and the Hulk.

Later, on October 27, we have Man-Thing by Steve Gerber: The Complete Collection Vol. 1, in which Marvel’s answer to DC’s Swamp Thing goes up against the other freaks of the Marvel Universe, including Gerber’s other famous creation, Howard the Duck.

Although any self-respecting Marvel fan would instantly recognise those characters, they sadly don’t get much attention these days. They only make infrequent appearances in new comics, and none has appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe or seems likely to anytime soon, although Man-Thing did get his own straight-to-DVD movie from Lionsgate in 2005.

Both Werewolf by Night and Man-Thing were also featured in their own series published by Marvel’s adults-only MAX imprint, allowing for “f” words to be dropped regularly in addition to the usual graphic violence. Check out those series if you can; they’re definitely worth it.

Also later this year we have two more Marvel Zombies graphic novels: Age of Ultron vs. Marvel Zombies on November 24 and Marvel Zombies: Battleworld on December 1, which both tie in to the Battleworld event in which the current Marvel Universe will end in favour of a new one which will presumably resemble their Cinematic Universe. However you feel about that, it’s just great to see that almost ten years after its creation, Robert Kirkman’s Marvel Zombies miniseries is still getting recognition.