With Halloween only a few days away, it seemed like a good opportunity to introduce three horror comics that are out right now…and they all happen to begin with the letter “C”.

We have talked about Creepy in the past, and this classic horror comic series has been revived by Dark Horse for a quarterly floppy release (and nice big hardback reissues of the 60′s series). Each story in each issue of the new series is by a different writer and artist and they play out like classic Twilight Zone-type horror. It is a lot of fun and each 12-page story is introduced by Uncle Creepy, the sure-inspiration for the Crypt Keeper. Want classic horror in a classic format with a modern style? You’ll die for Creepy. The classic letters-from-fans-answered-by-the-editor is another great touch.

Zombies are a mainstay of horror movies, and in recent years of of Marvel comics, but Avatar is bringing a cinematic-level zombie comic in the 12-ish Crossed. Since it is not treading on particularly original ground, a comic like Crossed (describing the cross-like flesh eating mark that covers the infected’s face) needs to be gnarly, and Crossed is…in spades. Things happen here that couldn’t happen in a Rated-R version of the movie, so if you like it stark, real and raw, Crossed is a comic you are going to want to check out.

Having grown a little tired of C.S.I. and and Law and Order and other episodic procedural dramas, I didn’t expect to enjoy The Cleaners half as much as I have.

This four-issue series (now available in a single volume) introduces a team of likable, but weird crime-scene L.A. clean-up operators. They deal with not only an inordinate amount of blood (and D.N.A.) but also some uncooperative neighbors. I am thankful the printers didn’t run out of red ink.

By Sci-Guy-John