It's not often that I'm completely blown away by comics, but this was one of those times. The plot is intriguing, and the characters are interesting. The art is perfect for the mood of the story, and the writers are taking their time telling the tale without rushing through. I'm eagerly awaiting more from this series. ( )

http://bactra.org/weblog/algae-2009-0... ( )

A surprisingly offbeat and satisfying new take on the old DC Comics House of Mystery, so beautifully resurrected in its last reincarnation as a major location in Neil Gaiman's surreal world the Dreaming.

The small stories are short and satisfying, the characters are interesting, and the overarching tale of the home's perhaps mortal connections to the newest waitress are intriguing.

I thought the last House of Secrets reboot from a few years ago was stellar, but its Goth horror and darkness has found its perfect companion in Sturges' new, frightening yet fantastic House of Mystery.

Kudos! ( )

This graphic novel is so much more fun than Jack of Fables that it's hard to believe the same authors are responsible for both. The House of Mystery belongs to Cain, but has somehow disappeared from his realm, and become a stopping-off point for people from all realms of the imagination. For them, it is a bar, where they pay for their food and tipple with stories. There are a select few, however, for whom it becomes a prison, and Fig is the most recent of these. She is determined to escape, but the House will not let her; in fact, the House seems to be, in some strange way, in love with her. But the comic is not only about Fig. To the contrary, we are treated to the stories of the patrons of the House. And they are generally very odd stories indeed – fairy tales gone awry, crime stories with strange endings, detective stories that go to the very depths for solutions. I liked it a lot, and am looking forward to future volumes.