House of Mystery #8 (DC / Vertigo – Sturges / Rossi / Flint / Marzan)
Down in the basement, some bad things have come to call, and Fig finds herself face-to-face with the diegetically impaired Miranda in part 3 of “Love Stories for Dead People.” Meanwhile, Harry tells the story of his first days in the House, and who showed up to chase away the nightmarish stowaways in “The Bartender’s Tale,” illustrated by Henry Flint (HAUNTED TANK).
In my last review, I was saying that this book is starting to show it’s potential. With Issue #8, House of Mystery comes to center stage and shows itself as a premier tale-weaving series. It took us eight issues, but we finally have Harry’s story and it was well worth the wait!
The tavern’s residents are having the party of the year while Miranda, Harry and Fig travel deeper into the labyrinth beneath the house. The three of them are trying to find a route of escape when they encounter the children of the Bete Noir (or Dark Beast). While on the run, Harry lays out his story of how he came to the House and how he encountered Able… or how Able encounter him. With the issue ending with Fig coming face to face with another member of the labyrinth’s population, her father.
The overall story moves ahead at a rapid pace while keeping all of the charm and detail that I have come to expect from this book. This is Vertigo’s sleeper book with a fantastic story and original art that makes me can’t wait for the next issue.
Issue grade: A
