Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is all the rage right now. As the hype continues, several of my comic book friends can’t help but to jump on the bandwagon with social media posts stating, “if you liked Sinners, then check out my comic.”

However, I find that most of these comparisons miss a crucial element. Sinners was more than just a horror movie; therefore, simple apples to apples comparisons just won’t do.

The core of Sinners lies less in the entertainment value of horror and more in its use of the genre as a vehicle for liberation. With this in mind, I feel it’s important to highlight recent Black horror comics that similarly employ horror to speak truth to power.

After watching the film, five comics and graphic novels immediately came to mind. Some directly address this idea of liberation and freedom, while others share undeniable aesthetic similarities. (And just so you know, Blade isn’t on this list, so don’t bother looking for it.)

Harriet Tubman Demon Slayer

As the title clearly states, David Crownson reimagines Harriet Tubman as a katana-wielding vampire hunter. Like Sinners, this comic book is set in the South, where Harriet leads enslaved people to freedom while decapitating white vampire slave hunters. While the book is action-packed, it also features sentimental moments comparable to the scenes between Smoke and Annie in the film.

Dayblack

Cartoonist Keef Cross’s book might have the most parallels to the movie. The protagonist, Merce, is a modern-day vampire who was turned in the Deep South cotton fields 400 years ago. He also has a twin brother who is also a vampire, mirroring the film. Cross’s artwork, as well as his short film based on the book, has always resonated with me as directly as scenes from Sinners did.

Killadelphia

Similar to Sinners, Rodney Barnes’s urban vampire fantasy explores how vampirism can offer a twisted form of “freedom” to the marginalized, thus blurring the lines between good and evil. In fact, there’s a scene in Sinners that will immediately catch the eye of any Killadelphia fan. I won’t spoil it; you’ll know it when you see it.

Diary of a Mad Black Werewolf

While not about vampires, this comic focuses on a pack of female werewolves whose timeless mission is to avenge Black men and women killed by racists. Micheline Hess’s illustrations possess a power akin to what you witness in Sinners.

Bitter Root

In Sinners, the protagonists fight vampires to liberate the souls of the deceased from a “world of hate,” striving to right wrongs. Similarly, Bitter Root, by David Walker, Chuck Brown and Sanford Greene, features a family of “monster hunters” whose mission involves freeing white folks transformed into monstrous beings by their own hatred and animosity.  In this fashion they are attempting to cure these people rather than kill them.  

So there you have it: five comic books that capture the spirit and themes present in Ryan Coogler’s Sinners. While I’m sure my friends are compiling their own lists, I firmly believe these four titles share the strongest connections. In fact, the similarities are so striking that I could argue some aspects of the film might have drawn inspiration from these comics. (Before dismissing this, remember Michael B. Jordan cited Japanese anime as an inspiration for the fight choreography in Creed 3. Comics aren’t that far removed.)

If you’re a content creator seeking similar inspiration, I invite you to explore our presentation on Black Horror Comics throughout history.

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