A fun little horror anotholgy! The stories strongly remind me of horror books I devoured as a kid. Ellis clearly has a strong grasp on the genre. I particularly enjoyed the little explanation after each story.

I had to skip "Hangnail" though. It was some strong body horror that I was not prepared for. Kudos, cause stuff like that does not normally get to me.

✨more like 4.5, I wanted to give it a 5 but I did find one of the stories to be lacking a little bit for me. other than that this collection of horror mini-comics was absolutely creepy and kept me on my toes. I loved that the author also included pages where he explained how each short story came to be. most were inspired by his own life or things he dreamed/experienced and that was sooooo interesting to read about!

✨if you’re a horror fan I would recommend this to you, it’s a quick read. some of the illustrations are truly chilling and the stories range from weird to gory to even emotional. the short about the podcaster might have been my favorite! i loved the opening lost vhs horror movie one as well.

Thank you to @andrewsmcmeel for making 'Bad Dreams in the Night' by Adam Ellis available as an ARC on @netgalley

There's no question in my mind that Adam Ellis is a great cartoonist, and a great illustrator in general. One of the things I really like about this graphic novel is how much stylistic scope Ellis demonstrates while sticking to the aesthetic that he's become known for.

I also think that Ellis has demonstrated in the past that he's capable of crafting both short and long-form stories, with Dear David being an amazing example of a long-form narrative that he was able to craft in a way that was genuinely creepy, even past the point where it was...let's be careful and say allegedly faked.

I wish I could say that this is another example of Ellis achieving the same result again, but the best I can really bring myself to say about the stories themselves - made up of a mix of original horror stories and retellings of classics - is a big old meh.

I did like some of the individual stories, but, in general, the experience of reading through them left me feeling very flat; and even the blurbs given for each story made their selection feel a bit perfunctory. Even if I did laugh at the idea he wrote one of the stories as a kind of punishment for a friend who moved interstate.

If you want an introduction to some basic horror stories in a cool looking package, or are introducing a young person to horror, this might do the job. But, if you're already a horror fan, I don't think it's going to scratch any itches you may have.

Rating: 2.5/5

Neat little horror comic collection. I've seen his web comics off and on for years. I was definitely intrigued when he started writing horror. I've enjoyed the change in his art style over the years. This was nice to see.

I've followed Adam on Instagram for years so I have seen some of these comics before but I still really enjoyed them. Short and creepy with great visuals, this is a fast and fun read!

If you are like me you follow Adam Ellis somewhere on the interwebs for his hilarious comics and more recently his absolute mindtrips of horror comics. Ellis can somehow tell some of the creepiest stories you've ever read in some cases just four panels, which I find to be a true gift. Bad Dreams in the Night is not only a testament to this but what I found it to be one of the things I absolutely love about this is an exceptionally well done trip down memory lane. Even though I've never read any of these before Ellis is somehow able to make these creepy little stories feel not just well creepy but feel almost comforting, nostalgic is a word I suppose, but as a kid whose favorite place was curled up reading Scary Stories to Read in the Dark, I'd safe is a better word. Warm, and comfy, and in a better time and place where all I had to worry about was whether or not my parents would approve of what I was reading, which in their defense of course they would. To top that off Ellis explains the inspiration for each story at the end and I really enjoyed that, as a reader I think speculating as to an author's purpose or their inspiration can sometimes drive us nuts, I mean c'mon there are literally memes about it, so I appreciated the fact that Ellis shared his with us. Especially with the last story, I can't speak for him of course, but I can imagine it would have been horrible to be in the situation he found himself in and to share that with the world could not be easy.

Overall, I highly recommend it for not just fans of Ellis but Junji Ito and every kid who found their safeplace reading about the Tell Tale Heart well after bedtime with a flashlight under the covers.

And as always thanks to Andrew McMeel Publishing and Netgally for the eArc!

I really enjoyed this dark horror collection. I found the art to be fantastic and the bite sized stories had me hooked. Unfortunately, the nudity in it make it not appropriate for my high school library. However, I found it a blast to read personally. Highly recommend for personal collections.

Especially enjoyable for those who love horror, a collection of distinctive stories inspired by a set of real events that the writer went through. The drawing method was excellent and expressive.
The story I liked the most and felt that it was truly terrifying (Butter Corn Ramen)
The mother of the most distinguished story in drawing is (Little House in the Sea)

When I heard there was a graphic novel inspired by Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark I knew I had to read it. Those books shaped my love for horror as a child. I started reading at 11:30 on a Monday night (horrible idea). I didn’t want to stop reading, and everything is scary at 11:30 on a Monday night!
The art is great and the stories are fun, but VERY short. Each tale is 20ish pages but with very few words per page you can finish some in less than a couple of minutes. I liked how he wrote a paragraph at the end of each story explaining where the idea or inspiration for the story came from. This was a quick read with great art, some stories were stronger than others, but ALL of them would have benefited from being a bit longer. These were like scary sentences to tell in the dark.

I've been a fan of Ellis' work since I first encountered his art on Instagram. Bad Dreams in the Night does not disappoint. I started reading it, then stopped, and finally read most of the book during the daylight hours because I know my limits. From body horror, secret rooms, to a spooky yet stingingly appropriate critique of true crime's popularity, Ellis nails it. I was only disappointed that the book was not longer.

Absolutely loved it.
I had no complaints about any of the short stories even though I tend to be highly critical of short novellas. Ever since Stephen Kings Salem's lot I did not find anything that come close to the enjoyment level I've felt, but this one did it. I'm so happy to have read this and re-ignite my love for gory horror.

Disclaimer: I received an advance digital copy of this book from Net Galley.

I knew I was in for a blessed adventure when I started this book and was immediately greeted with a dedication to Brittany Murphy.

The incredible Adam Ellis takes on horror/thriller comics with incredible art, humor, and nostalgia. I subscribe to his Patreon and had seen some of the comics featured, but it was great to read in long form and with new material!

Recommended for: anyone who likes good comics and spooky shit, millennials permanently traumatized by the scary stories to read in the dark series looking for closure. Why did we ever read those as kids? How were they legal??

One star off because I will be haunted by new fears.

Bad Dreams in the Night is a great collection of short horror stories in a graphic novel. Each story is creepy in its own way. If you like horror graphic novels you will enjoy this one!

I've followed Adam Ellis on social media for a while, so when I saw this ARC, I knew I had to apply for it.

I'm thoroughly creeped out—my mistake for reading this at bedtime.

How have I never heard of Adam Ellis before?

This collection of creepy horror shorts will have you on the edge of your seat. You will simultaneously want more and want your blankie as each story gets creepier. The art was so vibrant and contained different colour tones that fit each story perfectly. Not only that, but we also see some gore which my horror obsessed self loved.

Are you ready to dive into 11 frighteningly entertaining stories? Beware because if it’s not haunted soup or deadly soap operas it’s the women with the green ribbon, or the little blonde boy with a taste for flesh. Tales to pull you in and give you a little chill before bedtime.

I absolutely adored this comic and can’t wait to read more of the author’s stories.

Ps- This book releases April 16th and don’t walk, RUN to grab your copy!

*Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my owN*

I love Adam Ellis’ horror comics so much and I was so excited when I found out he was writing and illustrating a graphic novel. While I definitely like some comics in this book more than others, this was a excellent successor to all of the horror shows and movies from the ‘90s.

I really enjoyed this! As an avid reader of Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark (etc) when I was a kid this book was really nostalgic with an updated vibe. All 11 of these horror stories were good in different ways and really there wasn't one I didn't enjoy here. I'm not someone who is familiar with Adam Ellis in any way (I even googled to clarify) so I don't come in with any pre-bias or anything.

I don't even have much more to say besides book good, please enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the eARC in exchange for review!

I would actually give this 3.5 stars! I used to read Adam's comics online and was intrigued that he'd written a book, so I thought I'd check it out. The art style is different than many, but very much his style and I thought it was interesting he kept it the same since his online works were usually comedic, but it still worked. I did really like the use of color in the stories and the stories themselves weren't bad. I appreciated that he tried to put a spin on some classics and also created some of his own, but they all just kind of felt "meh" to me. They weren't the best I've heard, but not the worst either. It's a good way to pass time, but wouldn't be my first go-to, if that makes sense. I do hope he does another one though because I would give a second set a try.

I did get a free digital copy of this from NetGalley to review.

This was a pretty straightforward anthology of short horror stories. I really enjoy Adam’s storytelling and have been reading his comics online for a while, so I was happy to see him getting a book published. His art seems to have been improving a lot and I enjoy seeing that as well! A lot of these stories were pretty cliche but I still enjoyed the journey of them. The creepy level was also low so it’s good for a beginner horror fan!

I have followed Adam Ellis since his BuzzFeed days and found a love for his horror comics. Bad Dreams in the Night did not disappoint. He always mixes beautiful art with creepy, eerie stories that result in every millennial's favorite goosebumps. I loved the addition of the anecdotes following each of the comics, and it made me feel like a friend was sharing their work with me. I will definitely be purchasing the physical book as a trophy for my bookshelf and something to flip through on a spooky, rainy night.

Thank you to NetGalley, Adam Ellis, and Andrews McMeel Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.