Review by Ian Keogh
Rather than picking up the ongoing plots of the title story from New Scaremester Volume 1, this collection again opens with an only vaguely connected tale by different creators. Wouldn’t it have been better placed in the back?
Keryl Brown Ahmed and Naomi Franq take a look at the cast during Halloween, the holiday most suited to characters based on traditional horror archetypes. Who’ll win the prize for best costume is the issue, and a spooky carnival is the setting. It’s character-based, appealingly drawn and unusual for seeing the cast in different clothing. The slim connection with the ongoing events is the disappearance of another student.
When the title story picks up again Jacque Aye is joined by new artist Siobhan Keenan for two chapters (sample art) before Caroline Shuda returns for the finale. Keenan’s people are more stiffly posed and backgrounds aren’t as filled or populated, but she’s good with emotional moments and the cast look attractive.
Aye starts with Ghoulia, who as a ghoul moves around far more slowly, and so picks up on details others miss. She’s been seen in the background plenty of times during Volume 1, and now we know why. A cliffhanger ending leads into the again only vaguely connected ‘Howliday Haunt’ by Ben Kahn and Sonia Liao. Their focus is on Frankie Stein, first seen only fourteen days from her creation making friends with a troublesome ghost. She’s given a nice couple of pages in the spotlight by Liao as she learns to dance with two left feet, while Liao is another artist strong on visual personality. A ball being the centrepiece, she also gets to design impressive ballgowns suited to the characters, while Kahn has many Monster High students revealing truths about themselves. It’s all rather a sweet romance.
After that it’s back to the main story again. Aye keeps the suspense about missing students going while also dealing with multiple character interactions. Keeping so many of the cast in frame and with something worthwhile to contribute isn’t easy given the amount of characters, but Aye ensures no-one is neglected. When Shuda picks up the art again backgrounds return and people are more ornately presented.
A rescue mission distils to four people, but when the grand plot is revealed it’s on the “meh” end of the scale. The culprit will come as a surprise and has been well disguised, while it sets up future problems, but one might have hoped for something with greater originality. However, the way Aye deals with the cast throughout has been a delight.
