Last year, Abrams Books blew me away with their The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Ominous Omnibus Vol. 1, collecting hard-to-find Simpsons comics in one massive collection. Featuring a treasure trove of creators, many of whom weren’t even famous yet — like Patton Oswalt — I couldn’t wait to check out the second omnibus this week. This 400-page collection continues the creative, scary, and downright hilarious run of comics initially published by Bongo Entertainment.
When you crack open this collection, you’ll notice how it’s uniquely organized, with comics released in the 1990s to as recently as 2017 fitting within multiple categories. The sections include “The End of the World,” “Fearsome Flora & Freakish Fauna,” “Bodily Oddities,” “From Bad to Curse,” “The Lighter Side of Evil,” and “Historic Horrors.” This allows you to pick the flavor of horror stories while holding up the old and the new side by side. If you’re looking for a story by a specific creator, there’s a handy index. It’s a well-curated collection by its organization.
Similar to the first volume, the packaging is also fabulous. The book comes in a thick slipcase that’s sturdy and well-made. The cover of the book itself is glow-in-the-dark and features a ton of characters, all in ghost form.
If you want to dive in linearly, you’ll start with an introduction by Lisa Simpson herself, who is surrounded by nice cultural references and visual jokes. From there, there are over 50 stories that range from riffs on classic tales like The Metamorphosis and Jaws to original ideas that take things to the disturbed and scary. The originality of these stories is truly impressive, with creativity running rampant no matter what page you start on.
Comics creators like Len Wein, Chuck Dixon, and Gerry Duggan also supply tales. There are a lot of references to comics to be found, like Mike Allred’s Madman or an entire story riffing off Alan Moore’s From Hell. If you’re a comics fan, you’ll find something to love here.
If you’re looking for celebrity tales, Gene Simmons writes the plot of one story by Chris Yambar and Tone Rodriguez. This one has Bart go full KISS mode, complete with makeup. He fights aliens and looks rather badass throughout.
Gnaws, script by Brian Posehn and Gerry Duggan, with art by Hilary Barta, lettering by Karen Bates, and edited by Bill Morrison
It’s worth noting a lot of the tales in this collection are for teens and adults only, with mature themes throughout. Likely most folks will know that since The Simpsons tend to be for the older crowd, but when it comes to horror Matt Groening and his fellow creators don’t hold back.
The story depicted above, “Gnaws,” is a good example of that. It opens with Edna Krabappel running into the ocean fully nude. It’s not graphic nudity, but you can tell she’s naked. She’s running from Moe, who is drunk and chasing her. When a monster under the water inevitably eats her, she admits it’s a better end than Moe touching her. The story gets more outlandish and scary from there.
One standout story is “Murder He Wrote” by Ian Boothby and Nina Matsumoto, which riffs on Death Note. Fans of the Simpsons TV show will note a recent Treehouse of Horror episode also spoofed the famous manga, but this story is completely different. The manga style is well done, with some rather funny kills taking place.
Another highlight story is “Prop, Prop, Whiz, Whiz” by Boothby and Pia Guerra, which riffs off multiple famous movies. We’re talking Evil Dead, Star Wars, and even Star Trek. Similar to the show, this collection reminds us The Simpsons writers and artists truly love pop culture.
The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Ominous Omnibus Vol. 2 has great stories, imaginative ideas, and truly scary sights. This is a great way to celebrate Halloween and comics, which combine into an excellent example of comics at their best.
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
You must be logged in to post a comment.