As much as I like the premise behind this story (and the characters in it), I found the multiple plotlines to be slightly jumbled in this volume. There was just an awful lot of unexplained sidestory (especially with the Poet and the duo-tone=hair girl) that distracted from the main storyline of the journey into the basement. I'm sure all of the details will get explained at some point in the series, but I guess that this is one of the downfalls of reading an ongoing series in a segmented way. ( )

It was okay. The best part was the attempt to leave the house and meeting the nightmare in the basement. I did't love or hate any of it because it didn't fail miserably or stand out spectacularly. There was a bit more character development and I felt some pathos for Melanie. I feel like I need to keep reading to see if this develops into something grand, but after 2 volumes, I usually expect to get blown away at least once. :)

( )

More House of Mystery means more frame story and more short stories. This volume uses its short stories to fill in the backstories of the other residents of the House of Mystery, trapped along with Fig Keele and its mysterious bartender. We find out the history of Ann the pirate, as well as Cressida, whose loves are always fated to be killed by supernatural horrors (or be supernatural horrors), so she has grown callous and cold. And we get a flashback to Abel sneaking into the House after Cain lost it. Huzzah for Goldie!

Meanwhile, the frame story advances as Fig's father appears and Fig discovers the fate of a previous resident of the House. The story feels like it's moving more than in the first volume, which is good.

There's also some largely unrelated short stories, such as the beautifully drawn war between cats and birds. My favorite part, though, is a small inset panel in the middle of the scene where Cressida seduces Poet, showing two insects on the floor, watching a third:

"Oh, Brutus-- see how gracefully he carries that morsel."
"Mark my words, young lady. He will one day be known as a great hero to our peoples!"

It's a perfectly timed, humorous reminder that we're all the heroes of our own stories.

The Houses of Mystery and Secrets: « Previous in sequence | Next in sequence »

Summary: For most of its patrons, the House of Mystery is just a bar, a place where the clientele is varied and stories are the only valid form of currency. For those few people who are trapped in the House, unable to leave, it's something substantially more terrifying. Harry, the barman and longest resident of the house, thinks that Bethany - the house's newest occupant - has uncovered something with her doodling: a path to a door that leads out. But in order to get there, Harry, Bethany, and Ann the pirate queen will have to venture deep into the labyrinthine basement. And they all know that there are demons lurking in the dark... both the metaphorical, personal variety, as well as the more terrifyingly literal type.

Review: I'm still not very far into this series yet, but it's exactly what I want volume 2 of a new comic book series to be: intriguing. I'm dying to know what's really going on with the house, and with Bethany's connection to it, and why certain people have to stay, and what determines when they're allowed to leave, and all of the other mysteries promised by the title. Bits and pieces are being revealed the further I read, but I do feel like they could be coming a little faster - particularly with regards to the guy in the mask, and the Conception, since I'm not even sure I understand the parts of that we've seen, let alone managed to piece together any details about what's really going on.

But I'm okay with the slower pace, at least for a while, because the stories that are padded around the clues are so interesting. I'm still enamored of the idea of using guest artists (and writers) to fill in the pages where one of the patrons is telling a story, and it lends the books a breadth of style and subject matter that they wouldn't have if they were just focused on the house. The bulk of the book is horror - and pretty effectively done, too, particularly given that this style of gory gross-out monster-horror is not my usual cup of tea. But there are plenty of nods to other genres, and other stories, throughout.

Oh, and for Sandman fans: This book's got Goldie! (And Abel, too. But hooray, Goldie!) 4 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: Same recommendation I made for the first volume: this series will appeal most to Sandman fans for sure, but also Fables or The Unwritten fans who want something a little (or a lot) darker and creepier. ( )

Although I don't think that this trade is as strong as the first for this series, it's still a great read. I think I liked learning Ann (the pirate)'s story most of all, which was at the beginning. And the "Gothic Romance" tale was really good as well.

The main characters spend much of the arc rooting around in the basement, searching for a way out of the house. As you can probably imagine, they're not successful, although they do come across some creepy things lurking down in the dark. Fig's father makes an appearance, and one of the characters in the book has earned his or her way out of the house permanently.

I enjoy the art here; it fits well with the overall feel of the story.

I'll definitely be picking up the third trade soon. ( )