The Dollhouse Family#1 is a wonderful world-building first issue and the intense ending that will leave readers clamoring for more. With two series out now forHill House Comics, it's undeniable that this new imprint pop up is a horror force for comics andThe Dollhouse Familyis a must-read. Read Full Review

The second book in the Hill House line is an unqualified win, and my only regret is that the 100 pages or so we're getting of it don't feel like they'll be nearly enough. Read Full Review

This, for me, is an absolutely stellar first issue, and if its not on your pull list already, it really needs to be. Between this and the other titles either already released or on the horizon, Hill House Comics has the potential to rival Vertigo in its prime. Read Full Review

Vertigo Icons M.R. Carey and Peter Gross return to comics for one of the most darkly intriguing first issues of the year. Read Full Review

The Dollhouse Family has a Neil Gaiman vibe to it, which is certainly not a bad thing. It captures the innocence of childhood and the dangers that can take advantage of that. Something horrifying is brewing here. I'm anticipating it with equal parts dread and excitement. This is a terrific addition to the Hill House Comics lineup. Read Full Review

Whaaaaaat? I have no idea where this is going and I love that! There are people living in a dollhouse, a giant sleeping in a cave, and a horned up witch lady having sex with lost cartographers. And that ending! I can't wait to find out how it all ties together. This book has hooked me right in with how different and how &^%$ed it is! Read Full Review

Dark and intense, there's much more to this story than there appears to be; I can't wait to learn all of the Dollhouse Family's secrets. The Dollhouse Family #1 is an unsettling must-read issue. Read Full Review

The art from Gross and Locke is deceptively well done. They manage to make the pages look innocent and simple while luring the reader in with beautifully haunting visuals and an excellent use of shadows and atmosphere. Read Full Review

The Dollhouse Family #1 (Carey, Gross, Locke, Peter, Klein) delivers the first chapter in a sprawling, multi-generational horror/mystery story thats genuinely engrossing, with gorgeous artwork and enough connective tissue running between the two parallel plot-lines that I cant wait to see how they inevitably come together. Read Full Review

While the two stories in the comic dont really feel like they should fit together, its still a great horror story that evokes many of the best elements of the British Invasion of DC, as well as the strong independent comic book scene that became prevalent in the 1980s. Read Full Review

I love me some 'Twilight Zone' and 'Tales From The Crypt', so this is right up my alley, but you may want to first gauge how you feel about neo-gothic horror stories. Read Full Review

What really pushes the book above and beyond are all the various details that are seemingly unnecessary, which give enough explanation for the mysterious events unfolding while never explicitly laying things out. Read Full Review

The Dollhouse Family really is a love letter to a very specific period in comics. What it lacks, unfortunately, is the innovation and unpredictability that really characterized the heyday of Vertigo comics. Read Full Review

I will probably stay and read the next issue when it comes out. The art by Gross and Locke certainly is a reason to stick around. The last page really got me though. Let's see what happens. Read Full Review

Although its handling of domestic abuse leaves a lot to be desired and the story is a little too big for its britches, The Dollhouse Family pulls no punches and ends on a genuinely shocking stinger. Its main point is to show a little girl's innocence being taken away and exploited by evil, and this illustrates that in a mostly effective way. Overall, I would like to read more, and that's all you can really ask for in this crowded comics market, isn't it? Read Full Review

Given the post-Halloween glut of spooky stories, The Dollhouse Family doesn't register amongst other superior horror comic offerings. Read Full Review

The Dollhouse Family #1 is the second Victorian themed Horror story I'm reviewing this week. I actually read it a couple of months ago so this is me backtracking.

The Dollhouse family feels like a book that will read better in trade. It's decompressed but managed to keep me intrigued enough and I feel comfortable recommending it if you're looking for a series to dive into and aren't trade watching.

This issue gives readers a lot to take in and has a lot more meat on its bones than Basket Full of Heads #1 (The review is written just gotta find it and type). Our main character is Alice who lives with her mom and dad. The story starts in 1979 but jumps forward to the 80s and back in time to the 1800s as well as prehistory.

The time in the 1800s doesn't really come into focus at this time but follows a surveyor. He gets lost in an unmarked cave that seems a lot larger than the 100 paces he accounted for.

The stuff in the 70s,80s is a lot more interesting. Alice's father is abusive toward her mother and presumably toward's her. As a means of escape, Alice discovers that she is able to shrink in size and interact with the dolls of the dollhouse she recently inherits from her recently deceased aunt. Everything about the situation seems odd and gets even stranger as she learns more about the dollhouse and its inhabitants.

My initial impression of the issue is that we may be looking at a demented take on The Indian and the Cupboard. I'm not fair if its a fair comparison though since I'm only one issue into the series.
As with Basket Full of Heads, the strongest aspect of the series is its dialogue and characterization.

My mother was beaten by my father. My parents divorced when I was very young and I was fortunate to have missed most of the fights but I can imagine my mother in this situation. There is some really dark material here that may lead to some being triggered depending on their familial situation.

The art from _ is great for this sort of story. It's not a bombastic style but it nails the atmosphere and storytelling beats needed for this situation. The Dollhouse Family isn't scary as of yet but I felt invested in the story and characters after reading. I get the impression that there may be significant twists, turns, and cliffhangers. We may be looking at something special here. more

I really like this first issue. You know from beginning that something evil is in the air, but nothing prepares you to shock at the end of the issue. Except for supernatural threat, there is still horor of everyday life in dysfunctional family.

A very solid start to the series with some heavy hitting issues. I look forward to reading more!

Great stuff. More please.

The art was a bit Gross at times, but overall I am intrigued and look forward to where this goes.

A bit creepier then Basketful of heads, though I felt it was a tad too slow for a first issue.

I can see what it's going for, maybe too well, and god, is it slow.

This wasn’t very spooky. Maybe we’ll get to a spooky place one day, I dunno.

THE GOOD:

-This was far better than A Basketful of Heads. I don't love this either, but it's decent at least.

-The dialogue was really good. Definitely the strongest aspect of the issue.

-That panel with Alice's mother in the bathroom was a really effective juxtaposition.

-The Black Room was pretty cool.

THE BAD:

-I don't like this art. It just doesn't click with me.

-These characters are pretty one-dimensional.

-I wasn't a huge fan of Joseph's story. I'm sure it'll connect, but it was too short here for me to be engaged.

-That last panel wasn't great. The ketchup-ey look of the blood really killed desired effect.

-Wow this backup story is super dumb. Honestly, at this point, why even have it. There were two pages here of no plot progression at all. more