The Nice House on the Lake #2 Review

by Carlos R. on July 06, 2021

The Nice House on the Lake #2 Cover Image
Written by: James Tynion IV
Art by: Álvaro Martínez Bueno
Colors by: Jordie Bellaire
Lettered by: Andworld Design
Publisher: DC Comics

I’ve been counting down the days and man oh man has this issue been worth the wait! The Nice House on the Lake is just one of those titles where the lapse between issues is going to be torture.

The issue begins similar to last, with an introduction from one of the new residents of the house on the lake, this time opening with Rick. Tynion has such a way of writing his characters, they all feel so distinct. Rick’s opening is so much more different than Ryan’s and offers a closer examination of Walter from his past. Ryan and Rick have similar views of Walter, but they make a nice contrast in how extensive exposure affects their views of the events. These flashes of the future are so intriguing, the characters are vastly different from themselves at the start of this story, and you can’t help but want to read to uncover what drives them to these points. To be able to make a transcript exciting is a monumental skill and to effectively use such a storytelling device is phenomenal! I’ve never been so happy to see a wall of text because I know that Tynion does not mince words and the suspense that it builds is so enticing, to realize and see from behind the curtain just makes Walter that much more frightening.

Walter’s meat tornado arrivals and departures are so incredibly unsettling and well done. Martínez Bueno’s designs are spectacular, and the splash page where Rick and Walter meet is gorgeous, I love the shadows at play and the reflection! Gosh I love how it frames Walter, leaving readers to see only the monster and cloaking his human form to portray just how little we know of him. Bellaire’s purple hues are so lovely, they evoke that godawful point in the morning where it’s too early to wake up and too late to go back to sleep so beautifully. It’s serene and mysterious and builds up nicely to a later point in the story that is covered in red that elicit feelings and sights of furious red pen markings. The story progresses nicely and the breaks between transcript pages are handled well.

We're only two issues in and I'm already in love with this series. Any fan of horror or any sort of speculative fiction would do well to check out this title.
 

Our Score:

10/10

A Look Inside