What do you think?
Rate this book
Skybound Presents: Afterschool, Volume 1
Morals have eroded. Your kids are out of control. Skybound’s new teen horror anthology is going to teach them a lesson.
This very special collection includes four standalone cautionary tales soaked in blood and tears. Anxiety. Teen pregnancy. Behavioral disorders. Group think. The world seems like a frightening place. We’re here to show you just how much that’s true.
the good die young, but the bad die better.
Collects SKYBOUND PRESENTS AFTERSCHOOL #1-4.
This very special collection includes four standalone cautionary tales soaked in blood and tears. Anxiety. Teen pregnancy. Behavioral disorders. Group think. The world seems like a frightening place. We’re here to show you just how much that’s true.
the good die young, but the bad die better.
Collects SKYBOUND PRESENTS AFTERSCHOOL #1-4.
128 pages, Paperback
First published December 13, 2022
5 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
January 3, 2023
"Honestly, the hardest thing of the whole night was shaking hands with what felt like a rotten octopus vagina."
The cover is was attracted me to this as I was browsing the Hoopla app. It looked like something that I would be into.
The stories all had to deal with real life issues but they were horror fueled with lots of gore. It was an okay collection. My favorite stories were the two in the middle and those definitely saved this collection. It’s worth the read for just those two stories.
Now the big question is where can I find a dog who smokes and makes cappuccinos in the middle of the night?
The cover is was attracted me to this as I was browsing the Hoopla app. It looked like something that I would be into.
The stories all had to deal with real life issues but they were horror fueled with lots of gore. It was an okay collection. My favorite stories were the two in the middle and those definitely saved this collection. It’s worth the read for just those two stories.
Now the big question is where can I find a dog who smokes and makes cappuccinos in the middle of the night?
September 29, 2024
Respectfully never want to see this book again. Actually terrified me. Had to turn on the big light
August 16, 2023
I really enjoyed this anthology. The tone of these stories seemed to fit together well and these really felt like a mixture of an after school special and an episode of “Are You Afraid Of The Dark?” I’d definitely read more of these!
February 4, 2023
I seem to be in the minority here, but I think this is a fun anthology!
Spineless - I loved the art for the first issue and thus my collection started. Of course everyone loves a story with a dog. It’s a bit grotesque, but it IS a horror anthology. The ending really got me, I found myself thinking “that’s fucked up, but logical”. 4 stars!
The Storkening - Great commentary on the recent Roe v Wade decision, strong message from start to finish, not a lot of filler or pointless dialogue or action. Forced pregnancy is a huge fear for some people, myself included, so this one hit hard in a different way than the first. 4 stars. The message here is more direct, but I personally enjoyed the first story better because there is a talking dog who smokes. How could I not love that?
Sympathetic Ear - The authors letter calling this a mix of Halloween & Home Alone is spot-on. Throw in a special needs child who can’t speak and alert her family to the danger in their home… lots of emotions. 5 stars, I’d 100% watch this as a movie!
The Club - My least favorite of the collection. The message was not very strong, and there was a lot of exposition to reach a very anticlimactic ending. I thought this would be a body-swap story at the beginning, but I was weirdly mistaken. Like, why was this man playing with runes? 2 stars.
Spineless - I loved the art for the first issue and thus my collection started. Of course everyone loves a story with a dog. It’s a bit grotesque, but it IS a horror anthology. The ending really got me, I found myself thinking “that’s fucked up, but logical”. 4 stars!
The Storkening - Great commentary on the recent Roe v Wade decision, strong message from start to finish, not a lot of filler or pointless dialogue or action. Forced pregnancy is a huge fear for some people, myself included, so this one hit hard in a different way than the first. 4 stars. The message here is more direct, but I personally enjoyed the first story better because there is a talking dog who smokes. How could I not love that?
Sympathetic Ear - The authors letter calling this a mix of Halloween & Home Alone is spot-on. Throw in a special needs child who can’t speak and alert her family to the danger in their home… lots of emotions. 5 stars, I’d 100% watch this as a movie!
The Club - My least favorite of the collection. The message was not very strong, and there was a lot of exposition to reach a very anticlimactic ending. I thought this would be a body-swap story at the beginning, but I was weirdly mistaken. Like, why was this man playing with runes? 2 stars.
December 20, 2022
I picked this up based off of the cover, and not knowing anything about the actual comic - I thought it might be a series, but it's actually a standalone anthology.
Spineless by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, 2 stars: This was too out there for me. It felt like there should have been more story than there was, especially when I realized that all of the stories are supposed to relate to "teen issues."
The Storkening by Kate Heron and Briony Redman, 3 stars: This was kind of ridiculous, but in a good way. It specifically mentions the overturning of Roe v. Wade at the beginning and effectively uses pregnancy as horror.
Sympathetic Ear by Jill Blotevogel, 2 stars: This is another story where the more I think about it, the more I feel like it's underdeveloped. The premise is a lot better than the (literal) execution.
The Club by Leon Hendrix III, 1 star: I don't know if I'm sick of this trope because we covered the Third Wave experiment when I was in school, but this offers literally nothing that has not been done before. It's a carbon copy of every story where a teacher introduces the formula for the students to enhance themselves, just for them to embrace fascism.
2 stars overall - The Storkening was a standout but the rest was disappointing.
Spineless by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, 2 stars: This was too out there for me. It felt like there should have been more story than there was, especially when I realized that all of the stories are supposed to relate to "teen issues."
The Storkening by Kate Heron and Briony Redman, 3 stars: This was kind of ridiculous, but in a good way. It specifically mentions the overturning of Roe v. Wade at the beginning and effectively uses pregnancy as horror.
Sympathetic Ear by Jill Blotevogel, 2 stars: This is another story where the more I think about it, the more I feel like it's underdeveloped. The premise is a lot better than the (literal) execution.
The Club by Leon Hendrix III, 1 star: I don't know if I'm sick of this trope because we covered the Third Wave experiment when I was in school, but this offers literally nothing that has not been done before. It's a carbon copy of every story where a teacher introduces the formula for the students to enhance themselves, just for them to embrace fascism.
2 stars overall - The Storkening was a standout but the rest was disappointing.
October 10, 2023
This was fun! A bit predictable, but a good time! A Sympathetic Ear was definitely my favorite, and the issue that got me interested in the volume!
May 23, 2024
Idk what all the harsh reviews are for. This was a fun medley of short and sweet horror stories. Some of you take your horror consumption way too seriously when it’s supposed to be camp.
Read
August 11, 2023A horror anthology on teen themes (classroom anxiety and first love; teenage pregnancy; difficult siblings; that experiment where the teacher started a fascist movement), with one eyebrow raised and some reasonably high-profile contributors (I've not actually seen any Benson & Moorhead, but I still know that getting them to write your first issue is pretty impressive). The results aren't bad, but British readers - or at any rate, this British reader - will struggle to get to the end of each issue without thinking 'That could have been a Future Shock* and done in a quarter of the pages.'
*Yes, technically they'd fit much better as Terror Tales, but even my internal monologue didn't think that has the name recognition for the gag to land, and this is with an audience of me.
*Yes, technically they'd fit much better as Terror Tales, but even my internal monologue didn't think that has the name recognition for the gag to land, and this is with an audience of me.
January 11, 2023
I loved the art throughout the volumes, though there were some panels with odd character expressions -- mainly in the second issue.
The first issue had a pretty compelling plot. I genuinely chuckled at the dog telling Nora to shut the fuck up. I resonated with the anxiety issues. Initially, I thought it was kind of ridiculous that a dog just cured her anxiety, but I think it was mainly allowing her to feel more comfortable in certain areas where she had her actual dog and then the self esteem naturally came along with it.
I generally have a difficult time comprehending underlying messages in stories, but the second issue made it pretty obvious (especially with the introduction specifically stating they support reproductive rights for everyone). It was fun to see the actual terror of having to carry an unwanted pregnancy portrayed by a malicious stork. I could definitely see the societal parallels between the stork and people who just want to push their beliefs on someone. It was great to see the character stand up for herself and have a supportive friend.
The third issue was probably the best. Initially, I was thinking it was going to be some story about Leda having parentification issues (and maybe it kind of was at the end?). But seeing Izzy protect Leda and trying to kill Paul was amazing. I don't understand why there was a brother involved in the story though or why there was an absent father. I suppose it would have been more difficult for Paul to carry out the father's murder along with the mother's. The brother's death allowed for more stakes and to build up the tension.
I think the fourth volume was the most thought-provoking. It seemed ironic that the teacher who didn't feel fulfilled and thought teenagers had it easier decided to relate to them more by creating a club. But then they surpassed him in every way. I could see that the overall message was peer pressure, but I didn't understand any more than that.
The first issue had a pretty compelling plot. I genuinely chuckled at the dog telling Nora to shut the fuck up. I resonated with the anxiety issues. Initially, I thought it was kind of ridiculous that a dog just cured her anxiety, but I think it was mainly allowing her to feel more comfortable in certain areas where she had her actual dog and then the self esteem naturally came along with it.
I generally have a difficult time comprehending underlying messages in stories, but the second issue made it pretty obvious (especially with the introduction specifically stating they support reproductive rights for everyone). It was fun to see the actual terror of having to carry an unwanted pregnancy portrayed by a malicious stork. I could definitely see the societal parallels between the stork and people who just want to push their beliefs on someone. It was great to see the character stand up for herself and have a supportive friend.
The third issue was probably the best. Initially, I was thinking it was going to be some story about Leda having parentification issues (and maybe it kind of was at the end?). But seeing Izzy protect Leda and trying to kill Paul was amazing. I don't understand why there was a brother involved in the story though or why there was an absent father. I suppose it would have been more difficult for Paul to carry out the father's murder along with the mother's. The brother's death allowed for more stakes and to build up the tension.
I think the fourth volume was the most thought-provoking. It seemed ironic that the teacher who didn't feel fulfilled and thought teenagers had it easier decided to relate to them more by creating a club. But then they surpassed him in every way. I could see that the overall message was peer pressure, but I didn't understand any more than that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2023
I think I get what they were going for here (Tales from the Crypt meets the after-school special), but none of the stories ever hooked me. I spent most of my time disliking all the characters, so wasn't rooting for any of them to succeed.
"Spineless" manages to go into 'What the Hell?' territory pretty quickly, and attempts to be weird just for the sake of weirdness, especially with its resolution. It doesn't really do much in the way of horror either.
"The Storkening" is at least a novel idea, even if its actual plot never quite lives up to its concept.
"Sympathetic Ear" was both predictable and obnoxious in its characterizations of every member of its cast. Its take on autism feels very sketchy and it veers into gore porn rather than actual horror for most of its length.
"The Club" plays with peer pressure tropes but it never really connected with me, I think because the protagonist is a teacher who absolutely should have known better, and therefore manages to be completely unsympathetic.
Couple these uninspiring stories with pretty mediocre art and there's nothing here that I would recommend to anyone else. It's not quite as bad as the Archie Horror one-off issues I've read, but those are what came to mind while reading it, so that's not the greatest of company to keep.
"Spineless" manages to go into 'What the Hell?' territory pretty quickly, and attempts to be weird just for the sake of weirdness, especially with its resolution. It doesn't really do much in the way of horror either.
"The Storkening" is at least a novel idea, even if its actual plot never quite lives up to its concept.
"Sympathetic Ear" was both predictable and obnoxious in its characterizations of every member of its cast. Its take on autism feels very sketchy and it veers into gore porn rather than actual horror for most of its length.
"The Club" plays with peer pressure tropes but it never really connected with me, I think because the protagonist is a teacher who absolutely should have known better, and therefore manages to be completely unsympathetic.
Couple these uninspiring stories with pretty mediocre art and there's nothing here that I would recommend to anyone else. It's not quite as bad as the Archie Horror one-off issues I've read, but those are what came to mind while reading it, so that's not the greatest of company to keep.
September 4, 2023
This was a really interesting take on a horror anthology. I enjoyed the concept of taking every day invisible horrors, especially ones that teens and younger adults deal with regularly, and portraying them through the vein of very real and tangible concept horror. My favorite stories in this collection were the ones that dealt with anxiety, teen pregnancy, and sibling relationships. I thought those were all done exceptionally well. Be warned, everyone involved in the making of this collection makes a very bold statement about the status of reproductive health care in the United States and if you were celebrating the reversal of Roe v. Wade, you better steer clear of this. Your values are not expressed here in these stories. I, personally, loved the very clear message that was intended with that statement and the story that it was attached to. There is exceptional horror in having your right to choose your own health care stripped away from you and that was showcased in such a chilling way.
This collection and series has very similar vibes to the Ice Cream Man series so if that is something that has interested you, or that you have previously enjoyed, you would probably find success in this series as well.
Content Warnings: gore, violence, murder, mob mentality, death of children, abortion, teen pregnancy, anxiety
This collection and series has very similar vibes to the Ice Cream Man series so if that is something that has interested you, or that you have previously enjoyed, you would probably find success in this series as well.
Content Warnings: gore, violence, murder, mob mentality, death of children, abortion, teen pregnancy, anxiety
May 13, 2024
*3.5/5*
Overall, I enjoyed this horror comic anthology, though a couple of the stories fell a little flat for me! I definitely felt like the middle two stories, The Storkening and Sympathetic Ear, were definitely the strongest! The other two, Spineless and The Club, were not bad, just not my favorites. Honestly I don't have a ton to say, but it was a quick read and fun if you are into or getting into horror! I'm not traditionally a big horror person, but I'm getting a bit more into it, and I didn't think this was so scary I couldn't read it, or anything like that.
Also, the tiniest gripe ever, but I really thought the four kids on the cover would be the MCs of each of the stories, but, as far as I can tell, they're just random kids, and I don't really get why they didn't use the MCs? I don't know, small gripe, like I said!
Overall, I enjoyed this horror comic anthology, though a couple of the stories fell a little flat for me! I definitely felt like the middle two stories, The Storkening and Sympathetic Ear, were definitely the strongest! The other two, Spineless and The Club, were not bad, just not my favorites. Honestly I don't have a ton to say, but it was a quick read and fun if you are into or getting into horror! I'm not traditionally a big horror person, but I'm getting a bit more into it, and I didn't think this was so scary I couldn't read it, or anything like that.
Also, the tiniest gripe ever, but I really thought the four kids on the cover would be the MCs of each of the stories, but, as far as I can tell, they're just random kids, and I don't really get why they didn't use the MCs? I don't know, small gripe, like I said!
February 28, 2023
I loved the vibe of the Benson/Moorhead story, even if I don't entirely get what teenage issue it was covering.
Issue 2 was pretty damn good as well and issue 3 had an excellent atmosphere but the post-issue comment from the writer likening being on the autism spectrum to a superpower irked me. Felt a little coddling "oh wow, she's "special"!", instead of just letting the story speak for itself.
Issue 4 was definitely the weakest and took ages to reach a very obvious conclusion with no real expansion on the idea.
Issue 2 was pretty damn good as well and issue 3 had an excellent atmosphere but the post-issue comment from the writer likening being on the autism spectrum to a superpower irked me. Felt a little coddling "oh wow, she's "special"!", instead of just letting the story speak for itself.
Issue 4 was definitely the weakest and took ages to reach a very obvious conclusion with no real expansion on the idea.
April 9, 2024
Four horror stories inspired from those afterschool specials of the Eighties. It's difficult to write a one issue horror story. That trend continues here. This was a cute idea even if some of the stories are pretty gory. The stories just aren't very thrilling. Some of them are just weird or even downright goofy at times. I'd only check this out if you really enjoy those terrible one issue horror comics from Archie that they are currently putting out like Pop's Chocklit Shoppe of Horrors.
March 13, 2023
Four chilling tales about high school fears made real and turned into fodder for straight up horror, and not just the sparkling dread we walk around with most of the rest of the time. Each with different creative teams - teen pregnancy, sibling problems, anxiety, pressure, confidence, neuro-atypicality - this GN was ordered for my library's YA section, and it probably belongs there, but it got shunted to Adult, which is why I read it. Gruesome, but to a point, truth from out of story.
September 19, 2023
I read it via Hoopla because I was seeing it pop up on either short or longer list awards lists and wanted to dive in but it didn't do anything for me. Certainly heavy-handed in the messages it wants to send, a tinge of horror or extreme weirdness for the sake of being weird that didn't fulfill any of the expectations I had for the comic collection- a series of interconnected stories rather than one cohesive one.
June 15, 2023
3'5⭐
En este cómic encontramos una recopilación de cuatro historias cuyos protagonistas son adolescentes, se tratan temas que se dan en esta edad pero con toques de terror y ciencias ficción lo que lo hace unos relatos muy intrigantes y sorprendentes.
Los temas de los que trata son: Ansiedad, embarazo adolescente, trastorno del comportamiento y pensamiento grupal.
Son historias breves que se leen en seguida. El dibujo me ha gustado en todas las historias aunque la de la cigueñación no me ha terminado de convencer y la de Alguien que te escuche me ha parecido muy bonito y tierno el dibujo a pesar de contar una historia tan dura.
Respecto a las tramas me han gustado bastante, creo que están bien llevadas sacando la idea de un cliché típico en las historias adolescentes lo han transformas en una historia de terror con toques originales. En concreto, la historia titulada La cigueñación me ha parecido de las mejores y la que más angustia me ha transmitido. Creo que la que menos ha gustado ha sido Sin agallas que se me ha hecho un poco lenta y uno de los personajes me ha caído fatal.
Finalmente, decir que las menos originales han sido Alguien que te escuche y El club, que están muy basadas en historias muy conocidas, aunque le dan un toque diferente.
Si os apetece leer algo breve sin duda os recomiendo este cómic, se lee en nada y resulta muy entretenido.
En este cómic encontramos una recopilación de cuatro historias cuyos protagonistas son adolescentes, se tratan temas que se dan en esta edad pero con toques de terror y ciencias ficción lo que lo hace unos relatos muy intrigantes y sorprendentes.
Los temas de los que trata son: Ansiedad, embarazo adolescente, trastorno del comportamiento y pensamiento grupal.
Son historias breves que se leen en seguida. El dibujo me ha gustado en todas las historias aunque la de la cigueñación no me ha terminado de convencer y la de Alguien que te escuche me ha parecido muy bonito y tierno el dibujo a pesar de contar una historia tan dura.
Respecto a las tramas me han gustado bastante, creo que están bien llevadas sacando la idea de un cliché típico en las historias adolescentes lo han transformas en una historia de terror con toques originales. En concreto, la historia titulada La cigueñación me ha parecido de las mejores y la que más angustia me ha transmitido. Creo que la que menos ha gustado ha sido Sin agallas que se me ha hecho un poco lenta y uno de los personajes me ha caído fatal.
Finalmente, decir que las menos originales han sido Alguien que te escuche y El club, que están muy basadas en historias muy conocidas, aunque le dan un toque diferente.
Si os apetece leer algo breve sin duda os recomiendo este cómic, se lee en nada y resulta muy entretenido.
August 9, 2023
These four stories put a spin on teen problems such as anxiety, sibling rivalry, teen pregnancy, and peer pressure. The graphics were pretty cool and I loved the plot lines of each story. 10/10 I recommend.
January 28, 2023
This was a solid anthology. It was pretty creepy at points and I didn’t want to stop reading either. It definitely hit on important issues, especially for teens. I’m glad I picked this up overall.
January 29, 2023
My personal rankings for the stories located in this anthology
1. Sympathetic Ear
2. The Storkening
3. The Club
4. Spineless
1. Sympathetic Ear
2. The Storkening
3. The Club
4. Spineless
March 17, 2023
SCHOOL CRAZY AF!!!! 😲😲😲😲
May 17, 2023
Great art. Fun stories. Modern anthology horror comics!
August 31, 2023
I'll never forget that dog by the refrigerator...
February 11, 2024
3.5 ✨
Una antología divertida y muy original.
Sympathetic Ear ha sido mi favorita.
Una antología divertida y muy original.
Sympathetic Ear ha sido mi favorita.
April 28, 2026
This was a genuinely awesome surprise with a bevy of entertaining horror tales that had a bit more meat to them than a lot of anthology horror comics.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews