After twenty years, BOOM! Studios has become one of the biggest independent publishers in comics. With four successful imprints – BOOM! Studios, BOOM! Box, KaBOOM, and Archaia – BOOM! has turned out a diverse range of comics for demographics all across the board. Whether it is a haunting horror story, an endearing coming-of-age tale, or an action-packed thriller, BOOM! Studios most likely has it.
There are countless BOOM! Studios comics to check out, especially after two decades of publication, but ten stand out among the amazing comics from BOOM! Studios, with plenty of others to check out at local comic book stores. These ten, though, give readers a taste of what BOOM! has to offer, whether they be a long-time horror fan, someone new to comics, or a dark romance reader in need of their next fix.
10
Something Is Killing the Children
Something Is Killing the Children Is One Of BOOM!’s Biggest Ongoing Series
Regarded as one of the best comics from BOOM! Studios, Something Is Killing the Children has dominated local comic shop shelves for over five years. From James Tynion IV, Werther Dell’Edera, and Miquel Muerto, Something Is Killing the Children is about a small town where a number of children have gone missing. For any child who survives, though, they have stories of horrifying monsters, but no one aside from the kids can see these creatures – until Erica Slaughter enters the picture. She is determined to kill whatever is killing the children.
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This horror comic is perfect for fans of monster-hunting shows like Supernatural or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It also features one of the most badass women in comics today, with Erica Slaughter being more than just a monster killer. She has a dark past, a complex moral compass, and a surprisingly endearing way with kids. There is a reason Something Is Killing the Children has led to spin-offs like Book of Butcher, which expands the Slaughterverse to dark new corners. Along with the expanding comic world, for some time, fans have been anticipating the new Netflix adaptation from the creators of Dark.
9
Hello Darkness
Hello Darkness Delivers an Anthology Horror Series Perfect for New Comic Fans
Fans of Something Is Killing the Children do not want to miss out on Hello Darkness, a horror anthology from BOOM! Studios. While most of the stories in Hello Darkness are one and done, there are some ongoing stories in it as well. One of them is a new Something Is Killing the Children story, which is set to go on for the first six issues. The other is an ominous apocalypse tale from The Boys’ writer Garth Ennis and Somna’s co-creator Becky Cloonan, which wraps up with issue #7.
Along with these ongoing stories, there are plenty of one-shot mini-comics in each issue of Hello Darkness. As a result, this anthology is a great way to introduce new readers to the top names in horror comics, as well as some other familiar names for BOOM! Studios. Whether it is something supernatural or a more ground thriller, Hello Darkness has it for readers, along with plenty of other scares.
8
Eat the Rich
Hugo Award-Winning Author Sarah Gailey Cooks Up a Scathing Take-Down of the One Percent
Award-winning writer Sarah Gailey’s first time writing for BOOM! Studios was on their creator-owned series, Eat the Rich. Gailey, Pius Bak, and Roman Titov team up for this not-so subtle, sinfully delicious take down of the upper class. Law student Joey is about to meet her boyfriend’s family for the first time, visiting them in their affluent community. As if she isn’t nervous enough, she soon discovers this rich community and her potential in-laws have a deadly secret.
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On top of a scathing critique of the richest of the rich, Eat the Rich also addresses how inaccessible and unaffordable health care can be for the most vulnerable. Furthermore, it exemplifies how dangerous compliance can be, especially if one is only looking out for themselves and not others. Eat the Rich is up front about its class critique, but it also has many layers. With electric colors, evocative art, and a tasty script, Eat the Rich is a horror series that readers will love to savor.
7
Grim
Harley Quinn Writer and New Mutants Artist Team Up for a Reaper Comic
For a more supernatural horror story, look no further than BOOM! Studios’ ongoing series Grim. From Stephanie Phillips, Flaviano, and Rico Renzi, Grim gives readers a look into the world of the afterlife and what it means to be a Reaper. More specifically, Grim follows Jessica, a Reaper unlike any other, as she has no memory of who or what killed her in her past life.
Turns out, this mystery is just the beginning of the complex lore of Grim. Flaviano and Renzi are firing on all cylinders with the art. Renzi’s red-hot, vibrant colors add a stunning contrast to the dark underworld, and Flaviano delivers a diverse cast of characters, capturing their personality and time-period just from the designs. Meanwhile, Phillips gives these characters their unique voices while also creating a fleshed out world and underworld. Grim is a hard rock look at the afterlife.
6
Sirens of the City
A Punk Rock Take on Urban Fantasy
Sirens of the City by Joanne Starer and Khary Randolph is its punk take on urban fantasy in comic book form. Set in the New York City of the 1980s, Sirens of the City follows Layla, a runaway teen trying her best to survive. However, Layla isn’t just trying to overcome the obstacles of New York. It turns out every supernatural creature that calls New York home has their eyes set on her.
One of the strongest selling points of Sirens of the City is Randolph’s art and colors. Sirens of the City is visually bold, with a monochromatic color scheme made up of blacks, whites, cool and electric blues, and vibrant, hot reds. Plus, Starer delivers a complex, more contemporary fantasy world that is begging for a follow-up series from this dynamic creative team.
5
Once Upon a Time at the End of the World
The Mighty Thor’s Jason Aaron Delivers an Apocalypse Romance
In 2024, BOOM! wrapped up its apocalyptic romance Once Upon a Time at the End of the World, which went on for fifteen issues. This is the apocalypse of apocalypses, and writer Jason Aaron, who is also revitalizing Superman for the Absolute Universe, is not holding back in terms of the world building and challenges that lie ahead of the central couple, Maceo and Mezzy. Maceo has been sheltered for most of the apocalypse, and this boy-genius has it made. That is, until extreme survivalist Mezzy enters his life, and the two take on the rest of this wasteland together.
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While it features a radical, apocalyptic world, Once Upon a Time At the End of the World is also a love story, and it takes the time to address relatable romantic issues in a thought-out and patient manner. As a result, the relationship feels genuine. Plus, the chemistry between this incredibly optimistic boy and tough-as-nails girl is on fire. With a compelling story at its heart and stunning art that embraces a world where anything can happen by the likes of Alexandre Tefenkgi, Lee Loughridge, Nick Dragotta, and Rico Renzi, Once Upon a Time at the End of the World is an apocalypse readers won’t want to miss out on.
4
BRZRKR
Keanu Reeves’ Comic Book Debut Sets Up a Bloody Film Adaptation
BRZRKR is an action comic unlike any other by the creative team of Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt, and Ron Garney. Not only is this multi-series comic the comic writing debut of Reeves, but he has also partnered up with legend Kindt for a tale of violence that takes place over centuries. The unnamed Berzerker is part man and part god, and he has spent his endless days consumed by bloodshed and violence until finally settling on a job with the U.S. government in hopes of learning how to end this hellish, bloody life.
Anticipation for the live-action Netflix adaptation of BRZRKR has been abuzz for years. Along with that, the comic series, which is one of BOOM!’s best-selling comics of all time, has been so popular that it has spawned a number of spin-off comics, like Poetry of Madness, A Faceful of Bullets, Bloodlines, Fallen Empire, and The Lost Book of B. For these, readers get to further explore the different time periods the Berzerker has lived through. Anyone looking for an action comic with plenty of books to turn to, the world of BRZRKR has plenty of lore in store for them.
3
Faithless
Brian Azzarello and Maria Llovett Deliver a Sinful Series for Dark Romance Readers
Maria Llovett is one of the best modern Gothic-erotica artists working in comics today. Some of her titles include Luna, Violent Flowers, All The Things We Didn’t Do Last Night, and Crave. She is no stranger to exploring sexuality, as well as other “sinful” subjects, with her erotic and evocative art. Perhaps her most well-known title, though, is Faithless with writer Biran Azzarello, a series told in three parts, with each part consisting of six issues.
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Partnered with Batman: Damned’s Azzarello, the two deliver a steamy comic about art, magic, seduction, and the devil himself. The series stars Faith, a young artist bored with life and dabbling in magic who gives into temptation when two irresistible figures enter her life, bringing with them their own devilish charms. Faithless was published from 2019 to 2022, and it delivered a sinful yet satisfying erotic thriller perfect for Gothic romance and dark romance enthusiasts.
2
Fence
Yuri On Ice Fans Have the Perfect Comic to Turn to Thanks to BOOM! Box
While known for its genre fiction, specifically in the horror genre, BOOM! Studios has an imprint dedicated to YA audiences known as BOOM! Box. This imprint features titles like Lumberjanes, Heavy Vinyl, I Heart Skull Crusher, and more. While many of these YA titles deserve their own spotlight, Fence, which started back in 2017, is a true stand-out.
From the minds of C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad, and Joanna Lafuente, Fence is perfect for fans of sports anime, like Yuri on Ice, which was canceled. As the title indicates, Fence is all about the world of fencing, with the original series focusing on Nicholas, the illegitimate son of a retired champion. He begins school at an elite academy, where he is thrown into the world of fencing, as well as the drama that comes with it during and outside of matches. For a YA romance with an edge, look no further than Fence.
1
The Many Deaths of Laila Starr
Ram V and Filipe Andrade Deliver One of the Best Comics of the 2020s
In The Many Deaths of Laila Starr by Ram V and Filipe Andrade, Death is literally downsized after the birth of a human who will eventually figure out immortality. With Death on the outs, the deity behind it is sent to spend the rest of her days among the humans as Laila Starr, but she is not taking this demotion lightly, determined to stop this human from ever cracking the code of immortality.
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The Many Deaths of Laila Starr is a beautiful meditation on the importance of both life and death. With warm, vibrant colors and ethereal, psychedelic art, Andrade delivers one of the most visually stunning comics of the 2020s. The art alone makes this a must-read, but V’s writing takes it to another level. V’s characterization of Laila Starr makes Death painfully relatable, and he nails how beautiful both life and death can be, even when things look dark. Laila Starr is not just one of BOOM! Studios’ best books, it’s one of the best comics of the early 2020s.
