By Martijn Form  I have been looking forward to issue one of the new Vertigo ongoing The House of Mystery. When I first saw the cover, I didn’t even have to know who the creators were; this was a book that I am definitely going to pick up.  Don't you just love that cover? It seems like the eyes of this mysterious woman are being eaten by some flies. And is that the blade of a guillotine I see? But what I like the most about the cover is the new design of the House of Mystery logo. Someone did an excellent job there.So just after looking at the cover, my appeal to buy this book was getting stronger and stronger. Matthew Sturges and Bill Willingham are writing this, the famous team on the lovely series Jack of Fables, and of course, Willingham is the writer of Fables. Here's what the two of them had to say about this new series: Matthew Sturges: "This is a book where you can have a pirate, a psychic detective, a spaceman, a French romantic poet and an NYU film student sitting at a table having a beer together. It's a writer's dream come true."Chock-full of mysteries, huh? Well that is something you can wake me for on the strike of midnight when my wife is fast asleep and I roam around the house to see if there are any ghouls or trolls creeping out of the cracks in the walls. As the press release that DC Comics forwarded to us states, House of Mystery focuses on "five unfortunate characters trapped at the House, trying to solve the mystery of how and why they're imprisoned there. Each one has a terrible past they'd like to forget, and with no books, newspapers or TV allowed in the House, they face an eternity of boredom. But stories become the new currency, and fortunately, the House attracts only the finest storytellers." The art will be provided by Luca Rossi, an Italian artist who has a great reputation in Europe but whose work hasn't been seen that much in the U.S. The longest running horror comic in Europe, Dampyr is the only work of his right now that has been translated in English, I think. It's being published by IDW. It's about Harlan Draka, a half human/half vampire known as a Dampyr among the other creatures of the night. Draka sets out on a mission to wipe the Earth clean of their infernal influence. So Rossi is no stranger to horror and mystery, and judging by the preview art, the House of Mystery is in very capable hands. Every issue will also contain a short story pencilled by a guest artist. I noticed the name of Ross Campell in DC Comics' press release, and that can't make me any happier. I'm so much a fan of his graphic novels Wet Moon, published by Oni Press. This artist/writer really knows how to tell a story visually. I'm also wondering how much Vertigo will integrate the long history of House of Mystery in this new series. The title has been part of comic history for at least 30 years. I for one went to my basement to seek out some old issues, and to really get me in the right mood, I just bought Showcase Presents: the House of Mystery Vol. 1 and Vol.2. They cost just $16.99 for over 500 pages of black & white mystery extravaganza. I hope we will get the see more of The House of Mystery's caretaker, Cain. He looks wicked and reminds me of Vince Price.   Anyway, without further ado, here are the variant cover and first four pages of House of Mystery #1, in stores this Wednesday May 7:      The last few weeks since the New York Comic Con have been really hectic for me. There has been so much great news about the Vertigo line and more news seems to pop up almost every day. It's like every tomorrow promises to be my birthday but for now all I can do is drool over (but not open) the wrapped presents. Here are some of highlights of Vertigo's new ongoing and mini-series:  Madame Xanadu: Legend Matt Wagner will be writing this new ongoing and the art will be provided by Amy Reeder Hadley. She is new to Vertigo, but she already did some books for Tokyopop called Fool's Gold. Maybe that fact will make you think that Vertigo is going Manga now, but that isn't the case. Hadley's style has a hint of the famous Manga style but for Madame Xanadu she is creating very detailed and fantasy oriented art that should be amazing for this book.Air: This series will be done by G. Wilson Willow and M.K. Perker, the same team that created Vertigo's Cairo graphic novel. I have to be honest here: I bought Cairo but haven’t read it yet, but I hear good things about it. What this title is going to be is a bit of a mystery for me. Writer Willow said at the NYCC, "It's a surreal look at how flight has remained magical to us." There has been no solicitation yet for this series, but when there is more news about it, I will let you know. Greatest Hits: Due to appear in comic shops late summer, and information is slowly pouring in, but it will be a superhero book, Vertigo style. David Tischman (American Century, Bite Club) will do the writing with art by Glenn Fabry (Hellblazer, Preacher). Fabry doesn't do very much interior art nowadays, so this will be a great comic to look forward to. Hellblazer Presents: Chas--The Knowledge: Simon Oliver (The Exterminators) is writing this Hellblazer spin-off, due in stores July 2nd. Since Hellblazer is a series I adore for its humor and funky plot twists, Chas--The Knowledge is a must buy for me. The art will be provided by Goran Sudzuka, who brought me a hell of a ride with Outlaw Nation, a Vertigo series from a while back. His style reminds me of Pia Guerra.
Well, that's it for this week and I leave you with this lovely sketch I found on the internet. It's the caretaker Cain sketched by Bill Willingham himself.  Keep reading. |
