New Scaremester!!! *screams* If there is one thing you need to know about me is that I love Monster High. It was my absolutely favourite thing growing up and I was endlessly jealous of my friend who had basically all the dolls while I had none because my parents said they were too expensive.... I wish they knew the resale value of those dolls today.... Anyways! At least I got ARC of the comics which my friend did not get! (okay yeah, she didn't even request one)

I do have to admit though that I have not kept up with the lore in recent years and so much has happened since then! So, points for the book for making sense despite that. Huge fan when you can still get into things even if the franchise has been around for a long time without having to go through everything! Though if there is someone out there getting into Monster High... may I tempt you to go through everything? That's what I am currently doing with everything I have missed.

Okay, yes back to the book! I love the art, it's both incredibly cute and creepy at the same time and how can you not love something cute and creepy? It's also super fun and relatable storywise. Personally, I feel like they could calm down a bit with the wordplays as they made it a bit difficult to read but I think it could be me thing; a) I have dyslexia b) English is not my first language c) all other Monster High content previously has been consumed in my first language, so I wasn't familiar with the terms.

I do think that the stories did fall a bit flat though and needed a few more pages in them. Regardless, I had so much fun reading this and getting back into the Monster High universe.

A huge thank you to IDW Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

The artwork was wonderful. This was my first experience with Monster High and unfortunately it wasn’t what I was expecting. The writing style was really difficult to read and get through. It was nonstop puns and plays on words. Overall it seemed a lot more juvenile than I was expecting.

Back in middle school, I was a huge fan of the Monster High franchise but this was my first time reading one of its comics and it made me super happy. It has all the things that I loved about the franchise: the cool character and clothing designs, the very relatable hardships faced by the ghouls and the sweet friendships.

While the main story in this first volume is mostly about some strange occurences at the school, there are a couple mini-stories that focus more on the love lives of some of the monsters. I absolutely adored "I Put a Spell on You" and "Summer Fangout", both stories were so adorable and I love to see queer rep in the Monster High universe.

This is a collection that groups a bunch of comics and art pieces from different artists and I loved seeing each of their takes on the characters and their environments, it was so inspiring and fun and it's always super vibrant and original.

Story wise, it was also well written, which is something I really appreciated as someone who wasn't that familiar with the stories anymore, I think it's pretty easy to catch up on, flows really nicely and was also really intriguing. I'll definitely pick up the next volumes. The only thing I really didn't like was the dynamic between Cleo and Deuce.

Overall, an entertaining story and something that brought me a lot of happy nostalgia but also some new Monster High material that I really liked and got me back into that universe!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for the e-ARC?

I got this as an Arc.

Very nostalgic but with a very modern twist. Scarily enjoyable!

The ghouls are back after what feels like years, but this time in a more mature way. There is an overarching plot here that slowly is revealing itself in every little episode. It reminds me of the old webisodes we used to get during the golden days of Monster High.

The style of the ghouls is still fabulous as the originals and their relationship has even more depth than before.

So happy they are making a comic of these girls because I missed them a lot.

Thank you NetGalley and IDW Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC!

As a MH fan this was so fun to read. The artwork is so beautiful and well done! I really liked the two monsterpride short stories and the casual queerness of it all. There are some details in the narrative that could have been added so it explained better certain situations (like the issue with Deuce and Clawdeen).

Monster High is so nostalgic for me and I was really excited to read this graphic novel. Unfortunately, it fell short for me. I think the free comic book day issue should have been put at the back of the book because it was confusing to start the book that way instead of the issues from the new scaremester. I don’t follow Monster High anymore and there was not a lot of explanation of the backstory they were referencing with Draculara’s dad and the normies from the prior semester. I didn’t feel like a whole lot really happened in this book either. On the bright side, I enjoyed getting to revisit with these characters and the art was stunning.

What a scarific cliffhanger at the end! I bloody need to to read volume 2.

It’s been a while since I’ve consumed any MH media, but, bull, have I missed the ghouls!

The two monsterpride short stories were absolutely fangtastic! Two ghoul-couples and one boo-couple, creepy cute and scaremazing! 5/5 screams <3
Some uhh-nderful messages as well. For hexample: “Who cares what your relationship is supposed to lurk like? We’re monsters, after all, we already defy expectations.”

Too frad that they weren’t in the main story, but it was still a clawsome read overall.

I especially lava all the scareverse monsters in the background, and Ghoulia’s zombie language which consists of moans and groans. And, of corpse, the bootiful monster puns.

5/5 screams for the art as well.

~

Thanks IDW publishing for a scareview copy. Ghostly cool of you!

-11.03.25

As a Monster High fan of about 15 years now (can you believe this year is their 15th anniversary??), this collection of comic book-style stories felt a lot like catching up with old friends. It does include the first 4 issues of the New Scaremester comic book series, which I read as they were coming out, but it also includes the prelude issue to New Scaremester, which provided some much-needed additional context, as well as two stand-alone stories that I enjoyed reading.

Something that's really struck me while engaging with this new wave of generation 1 Monster High media in this print format is how these authors and illustrators have managed to both capture the heart and spirit of the 2010s Monster High series while also incorporating darker, more mature plots and more nuanced depictions of the characters. I always knew that these characters had "freaky flaws", but only recently have I really been forced to think about their positive and negative traits.

A must-read for the now-adults who came of age alongside the students of Monster High.

As someone who loved Monster High when I was younger I loved delving back into that world! I really like the art style and seeing the characters I loved as a kid back in action!

Happy publishing day to this cutie! New semesters are always a bit of a thing, but even more so if you are a group of beasties with a tad too much drama and a bit of mystery going on at school.

Thanks to IDW Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.

I'll say that, as someone who only vaguely saw content when I was younger—but not young enough—that this didn't carry a huge amount of nostalgia for me, nor did I really remember much of the plot. But this was definitely fun!

I adored the casual queerness of it all, while this book definitely also carried the drama and struggles this age category experiences at school. It also addresses preferences, identities, and personality in quite an easy way, which means it does educate while still being fun and easily accessible for the reader.

I didn't rate it higher than 3 stars, though, because the plot only seems to pick up in the future volumes, and this only set the slight mysterious tone. Chapters also didn't feel really connected, and if you're like me and not that connected with the franchise, it might get a bit confusing.

First we had Barbie’s, Lisa Frank, then the Bratz, and now Monster High. My teen self was screaming while reading this adorable graphic novel.

From summary:
Ghouls and boos are heading back to Monster High for a new scaremester!

While they’ll certainly be serving lurks in the hallway and haunting study howl, rumor has it that trouble is brewing. Draculaura, Clawdeen Wolf, Cleo de Nile, and Frankie Stein have never met a bad scare day or monstrous problem they couldn’t fix together… but Drac’s in over her fangs with new responsibilities, Clawdeen and Cleo aren’t speaking, and Frankie’s life may be in danger. The beasties need a fresh start, and what better time than the new scaremester? Surely a reconciliation is lurking just around the dark and foreboding coroner.

My thoughts:
For disclosure, I never finished watching the TV series. But this was utterly adorable and nostalgic. The artwork was breathtakingly beautiful that it reminded me of Lisa Frank. The dialogue and storyline were greatly executed due to each story being tied to one another. However, with this being the first volume, I still felt a disconnection and confusion while reading. For example: what was the catalyst for the ghoul drama as a whole, what happened between Deuce and Clawdeen, and the eerie blackmailing with Frankie’s dad.

I love a good pun, and this was a pun galore. So fun.

I loved the LGBTQ+ representation in this.

Overall, I was captivated enough to where I will be continuing with the collection upon release.

Thank you NetGalley and IDW Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC in return for an honest review.

Loved it, loved the mystery and diving back into my childhood. If you're anything like me and watching monster High on YouTube is your comfort, you'll enjoy this book. I loved the new spin on their original stories and mystery and new romances I didn't see coming. You definitely want to read this.

I have to admit that this wasn’t fully for me, however, I think that people who love Monster High will love this. The art was really good, and the stories were interesting enough. It built some good intrigue, but I just didn’t love it as much as I would have if I had been a Monster High fan.

Welcome back to Monster High!!! I can't wait to read more. This was like watching the shows and movies all over again. I don't like some of the newer Movies or the changes to some of the personalities. This was closer to the old Ghouls Squad. I would love to get more stories with more of the Group. I'm looking forward to reading more.

Thank You to NetGalley and The Publishers for this ARC in exchange for an Honest review.

So much fun and perfect for any fan of the original ghouls. Each sub story tied into the next beautifully and was a lot of fun to read and see all the monster high art.
The subtle tie in with the book Once Bitten, Twice Dead was fantastic.

Taking the darker side of Monster high but keeping the cutness of the girl group. You can feel the girls becoming older even if they are stuck of feeling young for a while. Seeing their life about to change with every mystery unfolding. I think that the BD brings a new avenue for the serie and I like it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really liked it, stuck with me & would recommend
I'm new-ish to Monster High, so I have no nostalgia nor do I know any of the lore. I thought this was really cute! I loved the art, and I really enjoyed the themes in this book, namely, grief, LGBTQ+ representation, dealing with pressures, and relationships among others. It was fun, but also not fluff. There were multiple story lines that didn't quite feel as developed, maybe those are too be picked up and explored in future volumes.

Thank you to IDW Publishing, NetGalley, and authors Jacque Aye, Hannah Templer, and Megan Brown, for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review. Monster High: New Scaremester, Vol. 1 is out May 6, 2025.

This comic was a fun addition to the Monster High franchise. This volume captures the quirky personalities and unique styles of the beloved characters as they navigate the challenges of the new school year. The animation is vibrant, and the storylines offer a nice mix of humor, friendship, and classic monster drama. While it's aimed at a younger audience, it still holds charm for longtime fans of the franchise. With its fresh take on high school adventures,

Monster High: New Scaremester brings together the Monsters from issues 1-4 and a FCBD story issue. It has the fun and scariness of Monster High and its characters with a great mysterious storyline, romance, and teen drama.

The art of this comic was really pretty and I love how they brought back the iconic outfits from the animated movies I grew up watching! I did think the storyline was interesting and had some cute messages, especially the storyline about Valentine.

However to me this did not feel like a Monster High Story. It didn’t really follow the lore or presets listed relationships from the movies. Seeing the friendship over and different ships felt like I was reading a fan fiction more than a cannon storyline. The mystery of the disappearance was interesting but I feel Ike this should’ve been marketed as a darker mystery take on Monster High rather than a continuation of where the movies left off, as they do reference some of the movie like Boo York.

I also kept getting taken out of the story with the excessive amounts of puns and changing of words to be more monster theme like “maul” for “mall”. This was happening on every page and it just got old and cringey really fast. It was a cute nod to the movie dialogue but when it’s on every page it’s just so distracting.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.