Graphic Novels About Demon Hunters

Something is lurking in the woods and killing the children of Archer’s Peak. Most of the children who go missing never return, but the ones who do tell of terrible monsters and creatures that are the stuff of nightmares. The children and parents of Archer’s Peak might be afraid, but it’s the monsters’ turn for fear when Erica Slaughter comes to town. She’s a monster hunter, a demon slayer, and she’s here to do what must be done.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets church camp in this fun YA graphic novel about a reluctant church-going teen who discovers her upbeat youth group leaders are part of a secret demon-slaying organization. Bad enough to know demons are real and people like Meg and Cortland are the ones fighting them, but it turns out Kay is going to have to help fight them, too. She’s unpossessable, a “blight,” which makes her a prime demon target.

In Edo period Japan, a warrior named Jinta knows his life’s purpose without question. He has dedicated his life to protecting a priestess and her shrine in a remote village. When dark forces threaten the shrine, Jinta must venture out beyond the village and into the forest to hunt them down. But what he discovers isn’t a simple answer about the nature of the demons. Instead, he’s sent on a journey, hurtling through time, with only one question on his mind: why is he the one to wield this sword?

Hell-bent (literally) on stopping Harriet Tubman, slave owners enlist the help of vampires, demons, witches, and all manner of supernatural horrors to stop the indomitable conductor of the Underground Railroad. Now, in order to lead people to freedom, Tubman will have to battle not only human evil, but the forces of darkness as well.

When his family is attacked by demons in Taisho-era Japan, Tanjiro Kamado and his little sister Nezuko are the only survivors. But his sister didn’t make it out of the attack unscathed. She’s been turned into a demon herself. In order to save his sister from this ungodly fate, Tanjiro will have to set out to destroy the demon who turned her and ruined his life. But Tanjiro is no demon hunter. A mysterious new boy named Giyu might be able to help him learn, but only if Tanjiro can convince him not to slay his sister first.

Tatsuo Nakano is an idol, at least to 16-year-old Chihiro who wants to follow in her footsteps by becoming a legendary samurai. So when an opportunity arises for Chihiro to prove herself to the Kesi Academy, she jumps on the chance to enlist Tatsuo’s help. Only Tatsuo isn’t exactly the stoic samurai she expected. Actually, she’s kind of drunk…and mean. She’s also given up on samurai life to live as a solitary ronin instead. But Chihiro isn’t about to give up on her dreams just because her hero is a bit of a let down or because the demons they need to take down prove far more dangerous than she ever could’ve imagined. No, she’s determined to slay some demons and prove herself, even if she has to drag her mentor into battle kicking and screaming.

How do you hunt demons when the demons are inside of you? Told out of order and from multiple points of view, Keezy Young’s Hello Sunshine explores what it means to face your demons–both literal and metaphorical–alongside the ones you love. After a very public breakdown, Alex disappeared, leaving behind his twin brother, a secret boyfriend, an extremely loyal dog, and his neighborhood best friends. But is this group of ragtag teens really up to determining which demons can be exorcised and which ones are just part of their friend on their own?

I love how beautifully, respectfully, and horrifyingly this graphic novel deals with mental illness and its (often problematic) crossover with horror. Keezy Young really slayed some publishing demons with this one.