House of Mystery #3 – Review

By Matthew Sturges (writer), Luca Rossi and Zachary Baldus (artists), Lee Loughridge (colors)

I’m still waiting for this book to make a left turn and become all “70s gothic-horror” on me. Other than a few fleeting moments from the first issue, it still hasn’t happened. Still, HoM #3 reads much better than the second issue. With Fig acting as the anchor for this series, we get to see what happens when someone tries to escape from the House. And though the outcome is very predictable, it’s nice to know that boundaries are being set early. We also learn that there is indeed a way out, but it’s never really explained. All that’s shown is if you happen to make it out, you’re in for something not so pleasant.

The storytelling by Luca Rossi expressive and mood driven. When Fig is outside, we see less dreariness and shadows. When she’s inside, the mood level intensifies and Lee Loughridge’s colors work well to match that mood. The side story art by Zachary Baldus is quite good, but feels a bit too photo referenced for my tastes. There’s also a few panels where characters feel still and just “off”. But his brutal depiction of mobster violence makes a strong impression.

I enjoyed the fact that this issue spends more time with Fig and growing her relationships with the other house guests instead of segueing into another tale. Granted, I love the short side stories, but it’s good to see more focus on the character relationships. Now, if Matthew Sturges and Bill Willingham (who’s absent from this issue) can work on ramping up the spookiness factor (like the stuff we see on the last page), I’ll be all over this book. In the meantime, it’s beginning to hover dangerously close to “I’ll just wait for the trade,” mentality – because the interior of your book should match what’s portrayed on the cover. (Grade: B-)

– J. Montes

A Second Opinion

As a series, House of Mystery has disappointed me a bit only because I expected more of a horror element to the stories being told. The series has given us glimpses of the potential horror elements, but has yet to really deliver in that regard (outside of the fly story in the first issue). With that said, I still consider this title to be one of my favorite reads each month. Fig is an interesting character, the overall story arc is compelling, and the short stories, while not quite what I expected, are always fun to read.

As for this issue, I agree with Jason on every point made, though I don’t think I could possibly trade wait something that is so consistently entertaining even if it isn’t exactly what I expected. The art is extremely well done, the relationships are developing nicely, and I really like how it shows what’s in store for someone who manages to leave the house. It finally feels as though the story is starting to go somewhere and I believe things will only get stronger from this point on. House of Mystery #3 is a fun read, just make sure to keep expectations in check. Don’t let the awesome cover art deceive you into thinking this “House” is all about horror. (Grade: B)

– Kyle Posluszny

Suburban Glamour #3 (of 4) – Review

By: Jamie McKelvie (Story, Art), Matthew Wilson (Colors)

What made me pick up this book? I’d probably say the striking graphic design elements on the front cover – they’re fantastic! Great use of colors, vector graphics, and typography. So how about the book’s innards?

Astrid, the main character of Suburban Glamour, seems like the typical emo girl you see working at “Hot Topic”. Immediately, that turns me off. She acts “different” from the crowd, yet she’s completely the same as all other emo / goth kids. To me, that’s completely unlikeable and pretentious. There’s a supernatural element brought into the story as she finds out she’s an elven princess living in the “human world”. With bad guys out to get her, she’s gotta struggle with her destiny while trying to make sense of her typical teenage problems.

This series started off as a typical high school drama filled with nothing but cliches. Thankfully, it got a little more interesting with the introduction of the mythological world. And granted, there’s a lot of interplay between the main cast, and you’d think this would flesh out the characters, but a lot of the dialogue seems forced. There’s also the fact that characters sit around doing a lot of explaining, which is nice and all, but how about leaving a few questions left unanswered. Why spell everything out so quickly? And again, the fact that the characters feel so pretentious and uncharismatic makes me feel no sympathy for them.

As for the art, the characters are drawn well, but the overall art is never really dynamic. It’s like the camera is always fixed around the “waist area” of the characters unless it’s a close-up or an establishing shot. That kind of bothered me. Issue #3 showcases a bit more of Jamie McKelvie’s artistic skills towards the end of the book, so I’m hoping things continue to improve.

I love the paper quality of this book. It’s got a high gloss that really makes the colors pop. At $3.50, it’s more expensive, but the page count justifies the cost. But the story? I’m just not feeling it. I’ll stick around for the last issue, but I am not impressed. (Grade: D)

– J.Montes