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Scarenthood
What's scarier: fighting demons or letting your kids down? That's what a group of parents will find out as their plans to solve the school's longstanding mystery lead to one parenting nightmare after another!
TO-DO LIST: Drop kids at preschool; Grab coffee with other parents; Go ghost-hunting in woods; Fight demonic entity; Collect kids; Naptime.
With the kids away on a field trip, a group of parents disturbs an ancient evil buried beneath the old Church Hall, unearthing a decades-old mystery about a missing child, and inviting something... hungry into their lives. Suddenly, their mornings go from playdates and peanut allergies, to a battle for the souls of one broken family--and one child in particular, in this original story that combines the highs of parenthood with horror movie scares.
TO-DO LIST: Drop kids at preschool; Grab coffee with other parents; Go ghost-hunting in woods; Fight demonic entity; Collect kids; Naptime.
With the kids away on a field trip, a group of parents disturbs an ancient evil buried beneath the old Church Hall, unearthing a decades-old mystery about a missing child, and inviting something... hungry into their lives. Suddenly, their mornings go from playdates and peanut allergies, to a battle for the souls of one broken family--and one child in particular, in this original story that combines the highs of parenthood with horror movie scares.
114 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 29, 2021
5 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
October 25, 2021
Four bored parents gets sucked into a ghost story when their goofing off at their kids' school inadvertently destroys a ward that was places there 40 years ago. It's an OK story. The pacing is off in places and the story disjointed at times, keeping this from being great instead of just OK.
September 4, 2023
I loved this! It was the perfect mixture of seriousness but also bright colors and a little bit of silliness to go with the fact that these characters all have a preschool children in common.
It was only 4 issues but due to the fact that it was a wordier comic it felt longer and more fleshed out. As my first love is prose I’m almost always ok with a comic with a lot of dialogue, I have only met one comic that I thought was too wordy so far (looking at you Preacher) so that is a good thing to me.
When I got to the ending I was like huh…? But turns out this wasn’t meant to be a 4 issue, 1 volume miniseries, this is meant to go on and I REALLY hope it does as I would love to see what happens next with these characters and their kiddos. This released in collected edition in August 2021 and as of right now, September 2023 nothing more has been published so I’m going to have to just keep my fingers crossed.
It was only 4 issues but due to the fact that it was a wordier comic it felt longer and more fleshed out. As my first love is prose I’m almost always ok with a comic with a lot of dialogue, I have only met one comic that I thought was too wordy so far (looking at you Preacher) so that is a good thing to me.
When I got to the ending I was like huh…? But turns out this wasn’t meant to be a 4 issue, 1 volume miniseries, this is meant to go on and I REALLY hope it does as I would love to see what happens next with these characters and their kiddos. This released in collected edition in August 2021 and as of right now, September 2023 nothing more has been published so I’m going to have to just keep my fingers crossed.
January 14, 2024
Enjoyably funny in addition to being creepy asf
July 3, 2022
Really fun read and the illustrations grew on me. A good fall spooky story.
October 15, 2022
I thought this was a one and done. But no, only end of book one. Not worth continuing in my mind.
December 7, 2021
Spooky, funny, best read in the dark.
March 3, 2021
This is one of my favorite series that came out of 2020. Roche's writing expertly balances charm, scares, and mood, leading to a story that feels like a weird mixture of Fargo and Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House with the visual flair of an animated movie, thanks to Chris O'Halloran's stellar coloring.
The story has tangible stakes, thanks to plenty of appropriately unsettling horror-elements. But the best thing the series has going for it is the interpersonal relationships. Each character feels like a lived-in personality with their own baggage and backstories that organically make their way into the story. Roche juggles a lot of content in these four issues, and it's a testament to his pacing that his core cast and their dynamic feel as distinct as they do. And focusing the story on a grown-up Scooby-Doo gang of exasperated, depression-adjacent parents is so great and never comes off as a gimmick.
Roche's writing is admittedly dense, and he packs a lot of text on each page, which may be a turn-off for some people. But since he draws the comic, too, I never felt bogged down by his script. The layouts make great use of the page, with each panel practically bursting with character. I wish the ending felt more conclusive, though, especially since the series isn't guaranteed to return. The final issue resolves the major plot points, but it feels a little rushed, and some of the emotional beats that had been so effectively set up were left somewhat underserved. Still, I haven't read anything quite like Scarenthood, and it juggles many of the themes and genres I crave from a good story. I desperately hope we get another volume.
The story has tangible stakes, thanks to plenty of appropriately unsettling horror-elements. But the best thing the series has going for it is the interpersonal relationships. Each character feels like a lived-in personality with their own baggage and backstories that organically make their way into the story. Roche juggles a lot of content in these four issues, and it's a testament to his pacing that his core cast and their dynamic feel as distinct as they do. And focusing the story on a grown-up Scooby-Doo gang of exasperated, depression-adjacent parents is so great and never comes off as a gimmick.
Roche's writing is admittedly dense, and he packs a lot of text on each page, which may be a turn-off for some people. But since he draws the comic, too, I never felt bogged down by his script. The layouts make great use of the page, with each panel practically bursting with character. I wish the ending felt more conclusive, though, especially since the series isn't guaranteed to return. The final issue resolves the major plot points, but it feels a little rushed, and some of the emotional beats that had been so effectively set up were left somewhat underserved. Still, I haven't read anything quite like Scarenthood, and it juggles many of the themes and genres I crave from a good story. I desperately hope we get another volume.
December 1, 2025
The concept and idea was there- four parents talking about a ghost story, the new guy being a major skeptic and offers to prove them wrong until he himself was proven wrong, and then bad things started popping up all over the place. The idea behind the story had potential as kind of a parenting meets Scooby-Doo, but the execution fell flat.
The comics definitely tackled some aspects of parenthood that you don't see discussed too often, and it was nice to see the father being put into the role as the primary caretaker and having to address his neglectful tendencies, all the while trying his best. However, once things just fell apart for me. He just got a bit more whiny to deal with, and some of the supporting characters became more insufferable. Flynn's relationship with his mother and aversion to discussing their loss did feel a bit just hamfisted into the storyline, and the ending was definitely left on a cliffhanger. Considering it has been several years since the last issue of this four-volume book was released, I can just assume that the follow-up storylines are likely in the grave that was behind Cormac's house in episode three.
The comics definitely tackled some aspects of parenthood that you don't see discussed too often, and it was nice to see the father being put into the role as the primary caretaker and having to address his neglectful tendencies, all the while trying his best. However, once things just fell apart for me. He just got a bit more whiny to deal with, and some of the supporting characters became more insufferable. Flynn's relationship with his mother and aversion to discussing their loss did feel a bit just hamfisted into the storyline, and the ending was definitely left on a cliffhanger. Considering it has been several years since the last issue of this four-volume book was released, I can just assume that the follow-up storylines are likely in the grave that was behind Cormac's house in episode three.
September 17, 2025
Scarenthood by Nick Roche was a compelling read, even if it left me with mixed feelings. What really grabbed me was how it taps into the primal fear of being a parent. The way the story uses the idea of a monster who exploits the child's naivety is very compelling. It serves as a powerful metaphor for the dark things our kids might encounter in a world we can't fully control, and it totally played on my own anxieties.
But, I have to be honest, I found myself getting a bit lost at times. The plot felt kind of jumbled, with character motivations jumping around in a way that pulled me out of the story. I kept thinking, "This has so much potential," but it felt like the execution didn't quite stick the landing. The ending was a big part of that. It didn't feel like a proper conclusion. It's more like the end of a first act, hinting at a bigger, ongoing evil.
So yeah, it was a little incoherent and all over the place, but it's still a memorable story because of how well it captures that feeling of parental dread. It's not a perfectly polished read, but it gets to the heart of what's truly scary about parenthood.
But, I have to be honest, I found myself getting a bit lost at times. The plot felt kind of jumbled, with character motivations jumping around in a way that pulled me out of the story. I kept thinking, "This has so much potential," but it felt like the execution didn't quite stick the landing. The ending was a big part of that. It didn't feel like a proper conclusion. It's more like the end of a first act, hinting at a bigger, ongoing evil.
So yeah, it was a little incoherent and all over the place, but it's still a memorable story because of how well it captures that feeling of parental dread. It's not a perfectly polished read, but it gets to the heart of what's truly scary about parenthood.
June 30, 2021
Well, that was different.
A graphic novel in which four bored parents looking for something to keep them busy while their kids are in daycare get themselves into serious supernatural trouble.
The four parents remind me vaguely of the crew from Scooby Doo as they battle the creepy evil demon-thing they're inadvertently set loose from where it was trapped. Beneath the stage. In the auditorium. Of their kids' daycare building.
Enter a hard-boiled old priest and a woman in contact with the fae (this is set in Ireland, after all), and the team is ready to fight evil...while conveniently neglecting their children.
This one has highs and lows for me. Supernatural evil that must be fought: awesome. Kids that don't speak or behave like any three/four year olds I know: makes me wonder if the author actually has kids. Bit of folk horror mixed in: awesome. Completely irresponsible parents: meh.
But in the end I enjoyed this and it seems there is more to come so I'm curious to see what other trouble these guys can get into.
A graphic novel in which four bored parents looking for something to keep them busy while their kids are in daycare get themselves into serious supernatural trouble.
The four parents remind me vaguely of the crew from Scooby Doo as they battle the creepy evil demon-thing they're inadvertently set loose from where it was trapped. Beneath the stage. In the auditorium. Of their kids' daycare building.
Enter a hard-boiled old priest and a woman in contact with the fae (this is set in Ireland, after all), and the team is ready to fight evil...while conveniently neglecting their children.
This one has highs and lows for me. Supernatural evil that must be fought: awesome. Kids that don't speak or behave like any three/four year olds I know: makes me wonder if the author actually has kids. Bit of folk horror mixed in: awesome. Completely irresponsible parents: meh.
But in the end I enjoyed this and it seems there is more to come so I'm curious to see what other trouble these guys can get into.
January 27, 2023
The reason I logged on to goodreads to rate a few other comics today. The art work is serviceable in the more mundane parts and quite enchanting for more fantastical sequences. The shifts in tone all work well, and the last really good, memorable page-turn in terms of clever page layout before reading this was in Locke & Key. Maybe I need to read more comics. The library tag makes it look a bit like a standalone thing ("vol. 1" is not printed on it as it is on three other comics sitting here after a recent visit to the library, simply "GN Roche"), so I was expecting everything to wrap up by the end of the book. Finishing it and searching the title here, it's pretty clear there's more. Can't wait.
October 29, 2021
4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! In honor of Halloween weekend, I picked up Scarenthood on Hoopla and am glad I did!
Charming, funny and witty, this one follows a quartet of Irish neighbors -and unlikely friends-who meet up while dropping their kids off at preschool. They get themselves wrapped up in a scary mystery, searching the local library, woods, and old church bulletins for clues.
Betcha didn’t think an exorcism could be funny, but these authors pull it off. 👹👈👉
Well drawn art in a classic comic Marvel-y way; diverse cast; brilliantly colored panels. Annd not to be spoilery, but I think it’s safe to assume that it’s just the beginning of a fab series! Bring ‘em on! #flynnowasright 👍
Charming, funny and witty, this one follows a quartet of Irish neighbors -and unlikely friends-who meet up while dropping their kids off at preschool. They get themselves wrapped up in a scary mystery, searching the local library, woods, and old church bulletins for clues.
Betcha didn’t think an exorcism could be funny, but these authors pull it off. 👹👈👉
Well drawn art in a classic comic Marvel-y way; diverse cast; brilliantly colored panels. Annd not to be spoilery, but I think it’s safe to assume that it’s just the beginning of a fab series! Bring ‘em on! #flynnowasright 👍
December 7, 2021
Scarenthood is a great Lil graphic novel.
A bunch of parents whose kids all attend a Montessori school get themselves into a bit of a supernatural bind after discovering that a child, many years ago, disappeared under the auditorium stage and never came out.
After investigating, and unwittingly seeing free this evil entity responsible for the disappearance, weird things start happening.
Loss of time, frigid temperature indoors, seeing creepy creatures, a child's sudden imaginary friend- it's all very spoopy.
The parents have to work together, in the short time their kids are at school, to figure out WTF they unleashed and how to stop it.
A bunch of parents whose kids all attend a Montessori school get themselves into a bit of a supernatural bind after discovering that a child, many years ago, disappeared under the auditorium stage and never came out.
After investigating, and unwittingly seeing free this evil entity responsible for the disappearance, weird things start happening.
Loss of time, frigid temperature indoors, seeing creepy creatures, a child's sudden imaginary friend- it's all very spoopy.
The parents have to work together, in the short time their kids are at school, to figure out WTF they unleashed and how to stop it.
February 10, 2021
It's quite a pretty series and, at times, a fun one but good god is it talky. There's just paragraphs on text being dropped on the reader at all times, taking up visual space and slowing down the story to a glacial pace despite the fact that it's only four issues long (well, the first volume, apparently this will continue, which is the bane of my existence - stories continuing instead of being a one-and-done.)
October 8, 2021
I'm surprised I liked this so much! The mystery is interesting, the characters are all fleshed out and dynamic, and the atmosphere is on point. Perfect for October!
I hated the plot point with Jen at the end though - it was building through the whole book but I feel like it was just annoying. I tend not to like that type of plot point in general though so that's more personal taste than anything.
I hated the plot point with Jen at the end though - it was building through the whole book but I feel like it was just annoying. I tend not to like that type of plot point in general though so that's more personal taste than anything.
January 5, 2022
Combining parenthood and horror in a humorous way, fighting demonic entities and solving mysteries between preschool and playdates, it's trying to achieve a certain tone and it does so, it's just not incredibly interesting. It's a bit unmemorable.
January 29, 2022
A jumbled mess of a book that wasn’t scary enough to hold my attention. The plot is paper thin and needlessly convoluted, and it’s hard to discern what’s there as actual plot points and what’s just there as a joke/aside.
Hard pass on this.
Hard pass on this.
June 8, 2022
I don’t even know how, but this comic manages to hit you right in the parenting feels while being a deeply intelligent horror piece that requires a lot of your close attention. It scratches the supernatural itch, as well.
July 12, 2022
This story is very Irish ☘️. I’m sure I’ve missed some cultural references in the reading 📖. It’s entertaining enough. The writing could be more mature, though. The constant use of obscenities belies the creative ability of the storytelling team.
August 29, 2022
Far creepier than expected but deeply engaging and it pulled me in and wouldn’t let go. Despite little taste for horror in graphic novel form, I’m impressed with the story and will look for the next volume.
April 13, 2023
Mehhh.... It just didn't hold my attention very much. I ended up skimming through it just to see what happened, and then learned that this is just the start of the series.
It's not a series where I'd pick up book 2
It's not a series where I'd pick up book 2
December 16, 2021
A compelling concept, if not quite as successful as it could be. It felt a little draggy at times, but the art is good and I'd probably check out the next installment.
January 7, 2022
3 and a half.
This was fun. I like the angst created by parenting trials, and the offhanded humor tossed in.
Some fun ideas and creepiness. Might not continue the series, but glad I read this
This was fun. I like the angst created by parenting trials, and the offhanded humor tossed in.
Some fun ideas and creepiness. Might not continue the series, but glad I read this
March 21, 2022
3.5 Stars
Pretty interesting...will probably pick up the sequel.
Pretty interesting...will probably pick up the sequel.
March 29, 2022
An emotional story of parenthood woven together with a healthy dose of folk horror and strong Irish storytelling sensibilities. Apparently part 1 of an ongoing series.
May 7, 2022
Comic format is the best medium for scary stories because it haunts me the least. This scared me but it was fun! I liked the art.
May 10, 2022
Read way out of my usual genres with this but really enjoyed it, loved the Ireland setting and superstitions, looking forward to the sequel.
July 26, 2022
Really fun/spooky story with great art.
August 18, 2022
Next installment please!!
September 15, 2022
Not my jam. I didn't care for the artwork or the storyline and found it difficult to read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews