It seems like it’s been too long, but Sam is back this Halloween season, and we’re so happy to see that little spirit of Halloween dread from Michael Dougherty. While we’re still waiting for TRICK ’R TREAT 2, a new graphic novel is being released that catches us up on what Sam has been doing. The new graphic novel from Legendary Comics and Rocketship Entertainment is now set for release on October 13, 2026, and you can check out the cover and trailer below.
For a character who barely needs to say a word, Sam has managed to become one of the most recognizable faces of Halloween horror. Since TRICK ’R TREAT arrived in 2007, that little orange-headed troublemaker has shown up in comics, collectibles, Halloween attractions and just about anything else that gives horror fans an excuse to celebrate October. Now he’s getting another comic book adventure with Trick ‘r Treat: Witching Hours.
The new collection is especially notable because it has been a decade since the last all original Trick ‘r Treat graphic novel. Dougherty returns to the world he created alongside a creative team that includes Zach Shields, Todd Casey, Breehn Burns and Curtis Waugh, with artwork from Ben Templesmith, Burns and Tristan Jones.
And apparently, Sam isn’t interested in staying in one particular corner of the Halloween universe this time around.
WATCH THE TRAILER FOR Trick ‘r Treat: Witching Hours BELOW
Witching Hours takes its four stories into some very different territory. Below you can find the synopsis for each.
ONE LAST HALLOWEEN
At a rundown nursing home, a group of lonely patients summons the spirit of Halloween in order to celebrate one last spooky holiday together, with unexpected and frightening results.
DID YOU MISS ME
When a man returns from the dead on Halloween, he’s given one night to find closure and reunite with his beloved wife, only to discover a horrifying and tragic secret.
HARVEST MOONS
Far across the galaxy and untethered from the now-defunct roots of Earth, a group of kids on a conservative space colony will discover that Halloween is more than a long-lost tradition.
HALLOWEEN COUNTRY
Deep in Wyoming corn country, three ranch hands break up a strange occult ritual and find themselves hunted by a half-formed creature straight out of Halloween folklore.
That’s a pretty wide range of settings for a character who usually spends his Halloween nights keeping tabs on the neighborhood, but that’s part of the fun. Sam doesn’t necessarily need another movie to remind us why he works so well. Put him anywhere Halloween is being celebrated, and there is always the possibility that somebody has forgotten one of the rules.
Dougherty is also returning as a writer on the collection, working alongside creators who have already contributed to the Trick ‘r Treat universe. For longtime fans, that makes Witching Hours more than simply another collection borrowing Sam’s likeness. It continues the mythology of the character and gives us four new places to spend Halloween with him.
So while we continue waiting for the long talked about sequel, at least Sam isn’t sitting around doing nothing. Trick ‘r Treat: Witching Hours arrives October 13, just in time for the Halloween countdown, and pre orders are available now.
In the meantime, remember the rules. Keep the jack o’ lanterns lit, hand out the candy and whatever you do, don’t blow out the candles before midnight.
