Comic Book Candy

It's the day before Halloween and you don't have a costume yet; you probably aren't planning to hit the town except maybe the local video store to rent horror movies. Not all of us have the desire to dress as our favorite comic book characters, but there is an alternative to enjoying the holiday with comics in mind; seasonal reading of course! Grab a cup of pumpkin spice latte and dig into your bowl of Halloween candy while you read some of these spooky tales. Arkham Asylum Writer: Grant Morrison Artist: Dave McKean Publisher: DC If you like...: David Lynch films, Victorian horror stories, The Shining One cannot have a list of eerie tales without Grant Morrison's Arkham Asylum . The Dave McKean drawn graphic novel is one hell of a creepy story no matter what time of year you pick it up. The book follows two parallel stories about Arkham; a present day Batman entering the madhouse after it has been taken over by the inmates, and a look into the asylum...

Peter Parker / Jimmy Olsen These two are together since they require a lot of the same items. Both are photographers for major newspapers (albeit in different universes), and both are fans of sweater vests. Here’s what you’ll need for either costume:   A camera; doesn’t have to work, but an older 35mm one with a neck strap will look best Khakis  White shirt tucked in, with sleeves rolled up to the elbows Sweater vest For Jimmy Olsen, a bowtie; for Peter Parker a regular tie or none Press pass with newspaper and character name on it (I found a sample of one made for Parker's Daily Bugle) Manila folder containing photos (for Jimmy, blurry shots of Supes flying through the sky, Peter will have better pics of Spidey) These costumes are so simple yet accurate, I’m disappointed there aren’t more of them at Halloween or at the cons. All of the details add up and even people who are vaguely familiar with the characters will enjoy your costume. That's all folks, if you d...

Matt Murdock / Daredevil   This costume is far more comfortable than Daredevil’s tight red leather suit, and is probably less embarrassing considering the general public associates that with the terrible Ben Affleck film. Here’s all you’ll need: Suit, button up shirt, and red tie; nothing too flashy or expensive (he’s a lawyer but not high paid) A pair of red tint sunglasses A walking stick covered in red tape with a white tip (electrical tape will look best) Having waves of ginger-tinged hair will help If anyone asks who you are, just say a blind lawyer. If they don’t get it yet, they probably won’t appreciate it when you tell them you’re Daredevil. It’s also pretty easy to use the same method as the Clark Kent costume , but replacing the Superman logo t-shirt with a scarlet red tee that has “DD” on the chest. Again, a sharpie will do the trick here since his logo is nothing terribly intricate. (More comic book themed costume ideas here , here , here , and here !)...

Scott Pilgrim / Ramona Flowers These costumes require a little more DIY action, but from the number of Scott / Ramona’s I saw at the recent Chicago Comic Con, it’s a pretty easy costume to make. If you plan to wear it this weekend, better set aside an evening to make a trip to your local thrift and drug stores. Instructions for both costumes are after the jump!

Death It’s tough thinking of easy costumes for the ladies. There aren’t a lot of iconic alter ego costumes, and as much as I love Alias , Jessica Jones is obscure, even for comics. If you are a Neil Gaiman fan, there is a 78% chance that you already own a Death costume. Those of us who didn’t go through a Goth phase during high school can still easily come up with the necessary items: All. Black. Clothes Fishnets in some form will help, leggings, sleeves, shirt Heavy black eye make up / lips Black chipped nail polish Messy dark hair (I think making it look like The Cure’s Robert Smith is best) An ankh symbol necklace The ankh charm may be the only thing you’ll have to hunt down, but I think even cutting the shape out of cardboard and painting it black will do just fine. Being pale will also help you with this costume, but with that many black accessories, short of being Jersey-Shore orange you will look the part. People who aren’t familiar with the Sandman comics will ...

Hellblazer  Unless you run in knowledgeably nerdy circles, this costume probably won’t be easily recognized. Random strangers on the street may recognize the name Constantine but they will be confused when they see you don’t look / act like the Keanu Reeves catastrophe. But for the H-Blazer fans that see you on Halloween, this obscure costume is sure to leave a lasting impression. Here’s what you’ll need: A tan trench coat Black pants and suit jacket Black thin tie Pack of cigarettes A cross A small bible Vial of holy water (a clear hotel size shampoo bottle filled with water marked “holy water” will work great) Carefully disheveled hair British accent This costume is all about attitude. No gimmicks, no “ah-ha” moments upon viewing. You simply have to be the character. With the necessary props and a reluctantly badass attitude, once they realize who you are, comic book fans in the know will love you forever. If you have an equally nerdy pal willing to go a...

Not willing to splurge on the $100 Batsuit with utility belt? Want to avoid the embarrassment of going to a party dressed in the same Joker costume as your co-worker? Or are you simply too broke to go for a store bought costume? There are plenty of comic book character costumes you can make from items in your own closet. Keep checking back as I will continue posting ideas until the holiday weekend arrives! Clark Kent It may not be as fun to dress up as Superman’s alter ego, but you’ll certainly get more props for creativity. And let’s be honest, most of us can pull off Clark more easily than Kal-el. Here’s what you’ll need:  Jacket and dress pants A button up dress shirt Red or blue tie you won’t mind parting ways with Some bendable wire, or a thin wire hanger Black rimmed glasses Superman logo t-shirt Two safety pins Most of these items are pretty self-explanatory (glasses, suit) but what makes this an awesome costume is that everyone will know it’s Superman, ...