It’s the spooky month! And we can’t let it pass without a look at some horror comics with classic covers. We’ve covered many pre-code horror favorites in the past. But this year we’re going to dive deep into the many creepy covers put out by Atlas Comics in the Golden Age.

Adventures Into Terror

In the 1950s, no publisher put out more comics than Atlas Comics. They were unapologetic copiers of anything else that was selling. They particularly admired and emulated EC Comics – but without the talent or skill to back it up. They did, however, publish some good to great horror covers.

Adventures Into Terror was one of their bigger horror titles, and no cover better exemplifies the series name than that of Adventures Into Terror #22. This Carl Burgos cover has terror written all over this poor man’s face. I’m not sure what has him so frightened, but I don’t want to see it.

Want a copy for yourself? In the low grades, it doesn’t appear to be too highly-priced, as evidenced by the most recent sale – a 4.5 graded copy going for $365 in a fixed price eBay sale on August 6.

Other covers in this series worth checking out: Adventures Into Terror #19, Adventures Into Terror #27, and Adventures Into Terror #30.

Adventures Into Weird Worlds

Another long-running Atlas horror title was Adventures Into Weird Worlds. The Joe Maneely cover of Adventures Into Weird Worlds #9 is a fun one. I know I wouldn’t want to come home to that. The most recent recorded sale was in a September 20 ComicConnect auction, where a 3.0 graded copy sold for $121.

Some other creepy covers in this series: Adventures Into Weird Worlds #23 and Adventures Into Weird Worlds #29.

Astonishing

Starting off as the series Marvel Boy for two issues, Atlas changed the name to Astonishing, and it would last another 60 issues. The best covers in this series are so good they all need to be shared.

First, there’s the Russ Heath cover of Astonishing #8. If you have a fear of drowning, avert your gaze.

This one ain’t cheap. A 7.5 graded copy – the highest grade available – sold for $2,640 in a Heritage auction on July 21.

Next, there’s the Joe Maneely cover for Astonishing #30. As if those eyes don’t look malevolent enough, what they’re doing to that poor man is simply – pardon the pun – astonishing. This is one of the classic Atlas horror covers.

The highest price paid this year was for a 3.5 graded copy, which went for $1,650 in an eBay fixed-price sale on March 17.

Finally, there’s the Joe Maneely cover for Astonishing #34. While the perspective is bizarre, I still wouldn’t want to be that guy.

One of the two highest graded copies – an 8.0 – sold this year and brought in $1,560 in that aforementioned July 21 Heritage auction.

Journey Into Mystery

While it became famous for launching Thor, Journey Into Mystery started life as a horror comic. Journey Into Mystery #9, with a classic Bill Everett cover, shows you just enough of the monster to be very worried.

No graded copy has sold this year, but looking back to 2021 we see a 5.5 selling for $605 and a 6.0 selling for $827. Journey Into Mystery #5 is another classic cover worth a look.

Marvel Tales

Starting off as the grand-daddy of all Marvel superhero books – Marvel Mystery Comics – later issues see a title change to Marvel Tales and a genre shift to horror. There’s some dark humor-tinged fear evident in the Carl Burgos cover for Marvel Tales #119.

The most recent sale was a 3.0 graded copy fetching $130 in a ComicConnect auction on September 23.

Other covers worth consideration include Marvel Tales #106, Marvel Tales #108, Marvel Tales #116, and Marvel Tales #120.

Menace

The Atlas series Menace didn’t last long – only 11 issues – but it gave us some amazing horror covers. My favorite – and it’s not easy to choose – is the Bill Everett cover for Menace #2. There’s just something about that caped skeleton rising from the grave that gives me the chills.

It’s been almost a year since a graded copy sold of this book – November 2021 when a 3.5 went for $317 in an eBay auction.

Other great covers in the series are Menace #5, Menace #7, and Menace #11.

But wait, there’s more…

It wouldn’t be horror without a sequel. So, join us next time for More Creepy Atlas Horror Covers.

Want more horror comics coverage?

Are you a fan of Atlas horror comics? Let us know your favorites below.

*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.