Happy Halloween! Well, almost. We're just a couple of days away from the annual event, and with the world now pretty much back to normal, it feels like the spooky seasons of old.
While we're still putting the finishing touches to this year's Holiday/Christmas Gift Guide, we wanted to share some of our essential Halloween must-haves with you ahead of the weekend. Whether you're looking to treat yourself or just an important horror fan in your life, there's something for everyone here.
Most importantly, we've been hands-on with all these items, so rest assured you're getting our honest and in-depth thoughts on what makes all of these so cool...and creepy!
From terrifying comic books to horror box sets and some toys we're sure you'll have a blast with, you can check out our top Halloween must-haves below. Be sure to come back here next month for our full Christmas Gift Guide as that will include products from LEGO, Universal, Funko, Warner Bros., and many more.
Deadly Neighborhood Spider-Man #1
Written by Taboo and B. Earl and drawn by artist Juan Ferreyra, Deadly Neighborhood Spider-Man is a five-issue limited series that delivers a revolutionary dark take on Spider-Man that fans will never forget. The saga kicked off earlier this month with Peter Parker swinging over to Los Angeles, but what he found there definitely weren't angels.
Demons were waiting to prey on Peter’s greatest fears, and when his dark side awakened, it sent the hero spiralling into a waking nightmare where he'll emerge more Deadly Neighborhood than Friendly Neighborhood.
If the first issue in this five-part story is any indication, this is the fresh spin on the wall-crawler we know many of you have been waiting for. Weird, wacky, and definitely scary, it's still early days for this one, but we have a feeling it will go down as something truly...spectacular.
A Disney+ Subscription...For Werewolf By Night, Of Course
There's a lot of fantastic content on Disney+, but as this is a Halloween Gift Guide, there's one show, in particular, we'd like to focus on. Werewolf by Night hit the streamer earlier this month, and is unlike anything we've seen from Marvel Studios before.
"A Halloween horror delight, Werewolf by Night is a mighty impressive, macabre Marvel monster tale that introduces some killer new characters and proves Marvel Studios can still find plenty of ways to surprise us," we said in our review of the first Special Presentation. "More Man-Thing is a must!"
With a TV-14 rating, the black-and-white standalone tale featured heaps of gore and blood, and both Werewolf by Night and Man-Thing are worthy additions to the MCU. Hopefully, this was just the first chapter in a story that leads to the Legion of Monsters and Midnight Suns assembling.
Paranormal Activity: The Ultimate Chills Collection
For the first time in one complete set, all seven terrifying Paranormal Activity movies come together in The Ultimate Chills Collection, now on sale from Paramount Home Entertainment.
The limited-edition, collector’s set also includes the latest chapter on Blu-ray for the first time, Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin, which debuted exclusively on Paramount+. Including 9 Blu-ray discs, along with the out-of-print 3D Blu-ray of The Ghost Dimension, digital codes for each film, and an exclusive "home security sticker," this is a must-have for horror fans.
Yes, there are more "iconic" franchises out there, but based on how the new Halloween trilogy just wrapped up, we think it's worth revisiting this series (especially that spine-chilling opening chapter). Just don't watch them alone in the dark. Or do. It's up to you!
The Nightmare Before Christmas - Jack Skellington Black Light Pocket POP! Keychain
How better to enjoy Halloween - and prepare for the Holiday season - than by watching Tim Burton's classic The Nightmare Before Christmas?
A truly great movie, we'd definitely recommend giving it another watch, but you can also carry the iconic Jack Skellington around in your pocket 365 days a year. This Pocket POP! keychain boasts vibrant colouring that's designed to shine brightly under black light. An eye-catching new range from Funko, this is seriously cool and will make your keys really stand out.
Thanks to Funko, Jack is ready to tag along on any adventure or inspire a spooky atmosphere in your The Nightmare Before Christmas collection. We're in love with this little guy and are sure you will be too after adding him to your collection!
LEGO Hogwarts Express - Collectors' Edition
This 1:32 scale replica of the most iconic vehicle in the Wizarding World is an essential build-and-display project for adult Harry Potter fans, and having got hands-on with this set, we can assure you it's absolutely spellbinding.
So, how has this LEGO set found its way onto our Halloween Gift Guide? Well, among the many scenes you can recreate inside the train is when Professor Lupin saves Harry from the Dementor in The Prisoner of Azkaban! That was by far the scariest book and film, and serves as a good excuse to treat yourself to this epic 5129-piece set.
We can't recommend this one highly enough, and while this LEGO set is definitely on the pricey side, the size, number of Minifigures, and amazing display options make it well worth it. And yes, the Dementor is just as horrifying in Minifigure form as they were on the screen...