House Of Mystery #16

I have loved this series from the very beginning and this issue is no exception. That is not to say there is nothing unique in this issue as the central narrative of the book takes a back seat to the short story (that is double the length of a normal House of Mystery short) featured in this issue “The Wolves of Titus Roan”. Its not that the main story is not entertaining, does not move the plot forward, or that Lucca Rossi does anything less than his normally outstanding work on art. It is just that when you get a brilliant little slice of horror like this from master fable teller Bill Willingham and art from one of the living masters of the genre Richard Corben well… Sufficient to say that anything else would have a hard time matching up. I don’t really want to go into detail about the story itself as the act of discovery is half the fun but I will say that it focuses on two people trapped in a remote castle by a group of most unusual predators… Honestly this little gem is almost enough reason on its own to buy this issue but as the start of a new storyline the issue is also a perfect jumping on point. Any Sandman fans should be reading this (especially since last issue a familiar face from that comic made his rather logical return) but also any fan of current works like Greek Street or Hellblazer or even past books like Lucifer will almost certainly find something to enjoy. If you like comics that are weird, wonderful, and bizarre… If you crave a comic that leaves you never knowing quiet what to expect as it mixes horror, fantasy, science fiction, noir, tragedy, comedy, and (of course) mystery into one delightful stew… In short if you have ever liked Vertigo then you should be reading House of Mystery.   

Highly Recommended