Shiver SuspenStories 3 #1 Brings EC Comics Holiday Horror Back for Another Blood-Soaked Season
EC Comics is making the holidays horrifying again.
Shiver SuspenStories 3 #1 arrives this December from Oni Press and William M. Gaines Agent, Inc., bringing back EC’s annual holiday horror tradition for a third straight year. This giant-sized one-shot delivers 56 pages of head-lopping holiday terror, twisted winter nightmares, and classic EC-style cruelty from a stacked lineup of modern horror creators.
The new issue goes on sale December 9, 2026, with stories by John Arcudi, Sarah Gailey, Jay Stephens, and Allen Wu, and art by Ryan Kelly, Sami Kivelä, David Lapham, and Leomacs.
For horror readers, anthology fans, and collectors who love the EC revival, Shiver SuspenStories 3 #1 looks like one of the season’s nastiest stocking stuffers.
EC Comics Turns Christmas Into Carnage
The pitch for Shiver SuspenStories 3 #1 is pure EC holiday madness: make a list, check it twice, and prepare for heads to roll whether the victims are naughty or nice.
This year’s one-shot promises holiday party greed, wintertime madness, Santa’s “Naughty List,” and enough gruesome seasonal punishment to make the issue feel like a full horror event. Instead of warm holiday cheer, readers are getting murderous intent, flaming hearth terror, and X-mas anarchy wrapped in vintage EC attitude.
That is exactly what makes this series work. Shiver SuspenStories takes the cozy imagery of the holiday season and turns it inside out. Santa suits, snow, gifts, ornaments, office parties, and winter traditions become fuel for suspense, dread, revenge, and dark comedy.
A Giant-Sized Holiday Horror One-Shot
At 56 pages, Shiver SuspenStories 3 #1 gives readers a larger-than-standard dose of horror. The issue is designed as a giant-sized seasonal special, which makes sense for an EC anthology release.
The format allows multiple creators to deliver their own nightmares under one holiday banner. That gives the book variety, which is one of the strongest parts of the EC tradition. One story can lean into gore. Another can twist into psychological suspense. Another can deliver grim irony, punishment, or pitch-black humor.
Readers can also check out Daily Dead’s exclusive reveal for another look at the holiday horror announcement.
The Creator Lineup
The issue brings together a strong group of writers and artists.
Writers: John Arcudi, Sarah Gailey, Jay Stephens, Allen Wu
Artists: Ryan Kelly, Sami Kivelä, David Lapham, Leomacs
That roster gives Shiver SuspenStories 3 #1 a lot of range. John Arcudi brings decades of horror and action experience. Sarah Gailey adds sharp genre instincts. Jay Stephens brings a strong cartoonist’s eye for creepy storytelling. Allen Wu joins the lineup as part of the issue’s new holiday horror assault.
On the art side, Ryan Kelly, Sami Kivelä, David Lapham, and Leomacs give the special a strong mix of visual styles. For an anthology, that matters. EC horror works best when each story feels like its own trap.
A Restored EC Classic From the Vault
Alongside the all-new stories, Shiver SuspenStories 3 #1 also includes a restored and remastered EC classic from the Vault-Keeper’s lair.
That archival element is important because it connects the modern EC revival to the original comic book tradition. New stories carry the format forward, but the restored classic gives readers a direct link back to the source material that helped define horror comics.
For longtime fans, that makes the one-shot more than just a new release. It becomes a bridge between old EC and new EC.
Cover A by Dustin Weaver
The main cover for Shiver SuspenStories 3 #1 comes from Dustin Weaver, and it immediately sells the holiday horror hook.
Cover A features a monstrous holiday figure tearing through a crowded bar full of terrified Santa-costumed partygoers. The image is chaotic, funny, violent, and perfectly in line with the EC promise of “last call” holiday terror.
It is the kind of cover that works instantly on a comic shop shelf. Even before opening the issue, readers know they are getting a twisted Christmas horror anthology with a nasty sense of humor.
Killer Variant Covers
The issue also comes with a strong variant lineup.
Cover A: Dustin Weaver
Cover B: Steve Lieber
EC Homage Variant 1:10: Shawn McManus
B&W Artist Edition Variant 1:20: Steve Lieber
Archive Edition 1:50: Rian Hughes
The Steve Lieber cover shows a Santa figure restrained in a chair while two men prepare tools nearby, giving the book a grim and unsettling interrogation-room feel. The Shawn McManus EC Homage Variant leans into a frozen meat-locker nightmare, while the Rian Hughes Archive Edition presents the issue like a collectible EC artifact with holiday horror iconography.
Collectors looking for the issue can also follow retailer listings such as Midtown Comics as release information becomes available.
Why Shiver SuspenStories Works
Shiver SuspenStories works because holiday horror has a built-in contradiction.
Christmas imagery is supposed to be warm, bright, generous, and nostalgic. EC horror is cruel, ironic, grotesque, and moralistic in the nastiest way possible. Put those two together, and the result is instantly readable.
The holidays become a setup. The horror becomes the punchline.
That combination gives Shiver SuspenStories 3 #1 its personality. It is not just horror with snow in the background. It is horror built around the idea that seasonal cheer can hide greed, violence, resentment, and punishment.
Oni Press Keeps the EC Revival Rolling
Oni Press has been building a strong modern EC Comics line, and Shiver SuspenStories 3 #1 continues that momentum with another seasonal one-shot.
The appeal is clear: classic anthology structure, modern creators, sharp covers, and a tone that embraces the macabre fun of EC’s legacy. For readers who want horror comics that are stylish, nasty, and self-contained, this is exactly the kind of release that belongs on the pull list.
The one-shot also works well for casual horror fans. Since it is a standalone anthology special, readers do not need to be caught up on a long series. They can jump in, get several stories, enjoy the restored EC classic, and leave with a stocking full of nightmares.
Release Details
Title: Shiver SuspenStories 3 #1
Publisher: Oni Press / EC Comics / William M. Gaines Agent, Inc.
Format: One-Shot
On Sale Date: December 9, 2026
FOC: November 2, 2026
Price: $8.99
Page Count: 56 pages
Color: Full Color
Genre: Horror / Holiday Horror / Anthology
Creative Team
Writers: John Arcudi, Sarah Gailey, Jay Stephens, Allen Wu
Artists: Ryan Kelly, Sami Kivelä, David Lapham, Leomacs
Cover A: Dustin Weaver
Cover B: Steve Lieber
EC Homage Variant 1:10: Shawn McManus
B&W Artist Edition Variant 1:20: Steve Lieber
Archive Edition 1:50: Rian Hughes
Final Thoughts
Shiver SuspenStories 3 #1 looks like another nasty holiday win for EC Comics and Oni Press.
With 56 pages of new horror, a restored EC classic, and a lineup featuring John Arcudi, Sarah Gailey, Ryan Kelly, David Lapham, Jay Stephens, Sami Kivelä, Leomacs, and more, this giant-sized one-shot is built for readers who like their Christmas comics bloody, weird, and completely unhinged.
The holidays may be about peace on Earth, but EC has other plans.
Join the Discussion
Are you picking up Shiver SuspenStories 3 #1 this December? Which cover are you chasing: Dustin Weaver, Steve Lieber, Shawn McManus, or the Rian Hughes Archive Edition?
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