Movies, television, and music aren’t the only mediums that Freddy invaded. He also has been featured in comic books. The very first was produced by Marvel Comics in 1989. Written by Steve Gerber creator of Howard the Duck and Man-Thing, the artist was Rich Buckler, who had worked on dozens of titles since the mid-1960s. The comic was a huge seller but only ran two issues, due to Marvel fearing a backlash from parents' groups over the violence and dark themes presented. This fear was not totally unfounded as film, music, comics, and television were all facing pressure to tone down violence, and sexuality.
The two issues tell a complete story about a woman named Juliann Quinn who has been studying Krueger and a way to control her dreams. She’s come to Springfield to find a way to deal with him. More interestingly, the comic offers an alternative origin for Freddy that involves the established rape of his mother, Amanda Krueger, by a mob of insane people but then veers into Freddy's kidnapping as a child by burglars, and his own ability to control his dreams as a young man which leads to the eventual dissolution of his sanity. Gerber’s take on Freddy is much more in line with the monster we meet from the initial Elm Street film. It’s a much darker and more mature approach to a Nightmare story than the films at this point, and it’s a shame that Marvel cut it short. Freddy would show up in a number of other titles in the future, but this series always seemed like a missed opportunity. You can read both issues at this site.
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