Warning: This article contains references to murder
Soul Plumber was a comic unlike anything seen from DC in quite some time. Coming straight from the minds of the hosts of The Last Podcast on the Left, the story is a unique blend of comedy, horror, and esoteric elements of the occult.
Whether they are classics like The Invisibles or modern horrors like The Department of Truth, Soul Plumber is another in a long line of great horror comics with interesting twists. Though each is unique in its own way, there are many great comics to enjoy after finishing Soul Plumber.
Coming in as one of the best Image Comics of 2021, That Texas Blood defied all expectations with its unique Neo-western story. The book follows a small town sheriff in Texas, who finds that brutal crimes are a common occurrence throughout the history of his sleepy little hamlet.
The strength of the book is the many different directions that the story goes in. On one hand, it is a Neo-western in the vein of films like No Country for Old Men, but it also brings in elements of the occult as well. Compared to Soul Plumber, That Texas Blood's handling of the occult is rudimentary, but it is still an interesting addition to an otherwise hard-boiled crime story.
Soul Plumber was far from DC's first foray into horror, and Clean Room is a perfect example of their mastery of the genre. A journalist investigates a strange self-help cult after her boyfriend becomes a victim of their odd practices. Determined to bring it down, the journalist soon learns that there is more to the enterprise than she first thought.
Clean Room has a lot to say about the place of religion in modern society, and the effect it could have on people's mental health. Though Soul Plumber was a humorous lampoon of the subject, Clean Room pulls no punches. The mystery elements of the book keep the reader engaged throughout, and the body horror elements are as terrifying as any film.
Powerful demons are a common trope in the comic book world but few books have put as unique a spin on the concept as Locke & Key. The book centers on the Locke family and a series of keys that are forged from metal that is the distilled essence of trapped demons.
Despite its strange premise, the series presents its ideas in a manner that is easy to understand for all readers. While many comics have integrated elements of the occult into their stories, Locke & Key built upon concepts that were conceived exclusively for the story. Similar to Soul Plumber's soul plunger, the keys are one of the most unique devices in comic book history.
Preacher represented the perfect blending of action, humor, and horror in comics during its legendary run. The book follows a preacher named Jesse Custer, who is accidentally possessed by a supernatural creature that is the love-child of an angel and a demon. Imbued with supernatural powers, Jesse travels across the country in search of God, who abandoned heaven.
The series is full of strange and unique characters and the crux of the story is the dualistic battle within Jesse's soul. Torn between good and evil, Jesse essentially represents humankind and the flawed application of morality in general. Like Soul Plumber, Preacher establishes a world that is so unique that few comics have rivaled its creativity.
Introduced as a side character during Alan Moore's run on Swamp Thing, John Constantine soon found himself as the star of his own book. Hellblazer follows the adventures of a streetwise occult detective, who uses underhanded tactics to solve a variety of supernatural mysteries--usually causing more trouble than good in the end.
Constantine is a rare DC hero who is often darker than the villains that he fights, and his morals are questionable at best. Because of this, Hellblazer is a unique blend of superhero action, and occult style mystery stories. Unlike Soul Plumber though, there is little humor, and instead, the stories often have dour endings.
Though many comics rely on over-the-top action or violence to get their story across, Gideon Falls proved that subtlety is also an effective method. The story follows a reclusive conspiracy theorist and a troubled Catholic priest, who stumble across the mysterious Black Barn that has been a dark part of their city's history.
Much like the Black Lodge from Twin Peaks, Gideon Fall's Black Barn is a portal to a world of the occult. Drawing inspiration from actual occult history, Gideon Falls ratchets up the terror through mystery and suspense. While the writers of Soul Plumber are occult experts themselves, Gideon Falls handles its subject matter with more intensity and no humor whatsoever.
While horror anthologies have been around since the terrifying pre-code era of comics, Ice Cream Man managed to breathe new life into the tired motif. Loosely connected horror stories are presided over by a mysterious ice cream man, who manifests a series of strange supernatural powers.
The flexibility of the comic's premise allows for the stories to go in a variety of different directions with each issue. Though more subtle than its contemporary, Soul Plumber, Ice Cream Man is still darkly comical in its presentation and isn't totally devoid of humor. The scariness of the series comes from the twisting of a genuinely likable figure, that being an ice cream salesperson, into a dark villain.
While occult and supernatural elements are a big part of horror comics, Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? showed that true crime can be just as terrifying. The book is a comic representation of the life and crimes of serial killer, Ed Gein, and attempts to explore the inner workings of his strange mind.
Written by legendary true crime author Harold Schechter, the book is reminscent of many of the scariest series from The Last Podcast on the Left. Though true crime is largely absent from Soul Plumber, it is inextricably linked to the comic's creators and their creative process. The book uses its art to subtly bring to life many of the most horrific elements of the true story, and yet, it never becomes distasteful.
Conspiracy theory and the occult are often linked, and in The Department of Truth, the two concepts are blended into a fascinating premise. The book follows a man who is conscripted into a mysterious government organization that is tasked with controlling conspiracy theories in order to stop them from becoming real through the power of belief.
By flatly stating that all conspiracies are both true and untrue simultaneously, The Department of Truth sets the reader down a rabbit hole of esoteric thought. Its flexibility of story is its strongest asset and there is no telling what direction the plot will go in any given month. Though devoid of the humor of Soul Plumber, the books deal with similar concepts, especially about the power of belief.
The concept of magic is nothing new in comics, but by bringing in elements of esoteric magical thought, The Invisibles set itself apart from the rest. The story follows a group of agents from The Invisible College who fight against psychic oppression through various methods, including magic and violence.
Writer Grant Morrison's vision of a world that exists just below the surface was the most fascinating part of The Invisibles. Also, by bringing in elements of actual esoteric thought, the book acts as a conduit between its audience and the belief in magical thinking. Borrowing elements from The Invisibles, Soul Plumber also delves into similar concepts about the power of the individual to influence the world around them.
