In 1989 Marvel comics published the first but short-lived A Nightmare on Elm Street comic book featuring Freddy Krueger. However, this would not be the last comic to outline Freddy’s tremendous body count. Read on for a brief history of Krueger's career in the funny books.
In 1991 a company called Innovation Publishing gained the rights to the Nightmare on Elm Street comic book series and began creating comics that would tie somewhat into the films. Soon after releasing several comic books, the company went bankrupt.
The comic books made weren’t all based on the franchise of movies. Some of them were independent ideas, and just contained Freddy and his likeness. From the sixth issue in the first series writer Andy Mangels focused on the original protagonists surviving from the first 4-5 films, including Nancy Thompson, Neil Gordon, Alice Johnson, and Jacob Johnson. This issue revolved around the 3rd and 4th films where Nancy worked with kids at Westin Hills as a dream counselor, she tried to key in on the powers that these teenagers had, and used them to defeat Freddy. This issue followed a similar story to Nightmare on Elm Street 3: The Dream Warriors.
The next four issues involved events from Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child and Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare. Soon after the 2nd series was finished, the 3rd one was cancelled due to Innovation's bankruptcy.
Innovation Series 1 Issue #1 and Series 2 Issue #3
In 1992 a company called Trident Comics reprinted some of Marvel's and Innovation's stories in a four issue magazine format exclusively in the UK.
Trident Comics Series 1 issues #1 & 2
Avatar Press took over the franchise in 2005 and created a three issue mini-series based off a one-shot they published titled, A Nightmare On Elm Street Special. They released a second and third series in 2006, but then lost their New Line license to Wildstorm later that year because of their erratic publishing schedule.
Avatar Mini-Series
In 2006 Chuck Dixon launched the Nightmare comics in a whole new direction buy publishing original Krueger stories featuring new characters for Wildstorm. . The first story arc was Freddy's War followed by a second titled Demon of Sleep until the last issue was released in 2007 featuring a standalone story. Wildstorm released the New Line Cinema's Tales of Horrors one-shot before teaming up with Dynamite Entertainment for the Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash six issue series.
Wildstorm Issue #1
Marvel Comics (1989)
Written by Steve Gerber
Art by Rich Buckler
Freddy Krueger's A Nightmare on Elm Street -- Two Issues
Innovation Publishing (1991)
Written by Andy Mangels
Series 1: Six Issues
Series 2: Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare
Series 3: A Nightmare On Elm Street: The Beginning -- Three issue mini-series
Pictured right (1): Series 1 Issue #2
Trident Comics (1991)
Four issues reprinting:
Innovation's Freddy's Dead adaptation
The first two issues of Innovation's Nightmares On Elm Street
The first issue of Marvel's Freddy Krueger's: A Nightmare on Elm Street
Pictured right (2): Series 1 Issue #3
Avatar Press (2005)
Written by Brian Pulido
Stand Alone Issue: A Nightmare On Elm Street Special
A Nightmare On Elm Street: Paranoid -- three issue mini-series
Series 2: Three issue mini-series
Series 3: Three issue mini-series
Fearbook: One-shot
Wildstorm (2006)
Written by Chuck Dixon
Series 1: Featured Freddy's War and Demon of Sleep -- 8 Issues
New Line Cinema's Tales of Horrors: One-shot
Dynamite Entertainment/Wildstorm
Written by James Kuhoric
Art by Jason Craig
Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash: Six issue mini-series
Pictured (3): Issue #2
