Four decades ago, I was absolutely obsessed with weekly horror comic, Scream! It was dark, gory and vividly nightmarish – and I loved everything about it. Sadly, the publishers cancelled the title after just 15 issues; though this was said to be in response to an industrial dispute, the controversial nature of the comic, at a time when ‘video nasties’ were being debated in Parliament before being banned outright, wouldn’t have helped.

It made a big impression on a generation of kids, however, and current rights holders Rebellion have often revived the title for one off specials, typically around Halloween. They also recently released a full reprint of the entire series in a single, 40th anniversary hardcover, which is a beautiful, essential tome for any reader who was around for Scream! the first time, or anyone with an interest in the history of British comics, of which the horror weekly is an essential part.

This latest one-off special celebrates the comic’s 40th anniversary with entirely new tales, two of which are based on a couple of the most popular strips in the original: The Dracula File and The Thirteenth Floor.

Kicking off with The Dracula File, it’s a potent mix of timely political commentary and classic horror, with a story concerning missing immigrants at a detention centre run by a private, rather than state, contractor. It’s full of unbelievably relevant dialogue (“The world is becoming a frighteningly unserious place, my darling. We’re dying of nonsense, and the worst part is…we invited it in,” as just one example), which hits even harder in the wake of the US elections. It’s excellent, thought provoking stuff, really bringing the somewhat dated 80s action bang up to date.

The Thirteenth Floor continues the tale of Maxwell Towers, a block run by the computer, Max, who sends those deserving of punishment to his secret Thirteenth Floor. In this story, new residents arrive in the middle of the night. The mother and her two kids are running and hiding from someone, and when they come knocking, Max is ready. It’s told in black and white, rendered almost as if it’s a lost tale from the 80s comic, and it’s brutally effective, not to mention especially satisfying despite (maybe even because of) its short shocks of gore.

Third story And His Skin Is Cold tells a tale of 70s rock and roll excess, with an unreliable narrator bending the truth of what happened to a popular band’s front man. It’s potent stuff, with one hell of a sting in the tail.

Finally, Inverted Burial sees a pair of influencers taking a guided tour of some catacombs underneath Paris, and running into some trouble in the darkness. This one is definitely not for the claustrophobic; it’s a very potent tale of terror, which lingers in the mind long after reading.

There’s a fun horror movie crossword too, making this a great celebration of all things that go bump in the night, as well as a fitting and very scary 40th anniversary special of the long gone, never forgotten horror comic that has haunted me for decades.

You can buy the Scream! 40 Years of Terror anniversary special directly from Rebellion.