Dreadful news, ghouls: Fearleading tryouts are upon us again—the time of year when every ghoul can be found practicing their tryout routines in the hallways. But the shouts of, “Go, Fright, Win!” have almost been drowned out by the sound of Cleo de Nile shaking in her Scaremes boots. Without her ghoul squad behind her, Cleo’s reign as queen bee is losing commoner support, and she needs a spot on the team to secure her dynasty for another scaremester. Every ghoul knows that the fearleaders run the school, and none know that better than our queen bee. Nothing will stop her from another year in the gore-geous uniform. But you know what they say... It’s lonely at the top of the pyramid. —XOXO CryptCrier

Spotted: IDW’s most spooktacular series ever. From the spine-chilling minds of Monster High superfans Jacque Aye and Caroline Shuda comes Monster High: New Scaremester. Ghouls and boos are heading back to Monster High for a new scaremester. And 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 her 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.

Greetings, ghouls, Ghostly Gossip here to tell you all about IDW and Mattel's very first Monster High comic. Don't look so scared! The monsters may bite, but the comics shouldn't... Gossip is scary-sparse during Monster High's summer break, but this update is juicier than a Creepateria blood orange... Frankie Stein's summer has been the total opposite of relaxing. She wants to spend time at home, but her friends are blowing up her iCoffin. Could it be a fashion emergency or is the ghoul squad in trouble? Plus, a little batty tells me that readers might get a behind-the-screams look at IDW's new series: Monster High: New Scaremester. The ghouls are back at school, it isn't all creepovers and monster balls like before. If you're into frights, fiends, and fangs, you won't want to miss this; it'll be totally spooktacular.

Gloomy critters, floating objects, and, ugh, no cell service?! Something’s ahoof, all right. Maretime Mysteries is no ordinary board game. It’s home to a spirit who’s cast a spell over Maretime Bay, and the only way to get rid of it is to play! For the first puzzle, Misty, Sunny, Hitch, and Spike put on their detective hats and search every nook and cranny for the magical item used to cast the enchantment.

Hiding in the shadows of history, there is an Illuminati-esque cult that has been pulling the strings of every major kaiju encounter. In this issue, their identities are finally revealed. Also revealed for the first time is the story of Smog Monster’s earliest encounter with humans, and its first meeting with Godzilla in ancient Rome.

Pipp was totally salty about being sent to the seven seas for princess duties, so when Zipp receives an oddly chipper message from her sister, Zipp is more suspicious than a clownfish in a clamshell. She takes matters into her own hooves—er, fins and travels to the Sparkling Sea where she meets Princess Anemone. The sea princess’ odd behavior and Pipp’s absence make Zipp wonder if she can trust the seaponies and if their sparkles are only scale-deep.

Jake, Nog, and Alexander find themselves stuck in a never-ending loop of being blown to smithereens aboard the U.S.S. Avery and then revived by Q Jr.—who insists he’s helping them learn some lesson unbeknownst to them. Amid the attack from the Breen, the Avery crew and their strong-willed, bureaucratic captain, Skrain Dukat, refuse to listen to the trio’s musings about an alternate universe. Left with no other choice, they are forced to begrudgingly work together and attempt to step into their Starfleet roles in hopes of helping the Federation ship survive the attack and return home…or be stuck in this alternate reality forever!