The Nice House on the Lake #1
| Writer | James Tynion IV |
| Artist | Alvaro Martinez |
| Cover Price | $3.99 |
Everyone who was invited to the house knows Walter-well, they know him a little, anyway. Some met him in childhood; some met him months ago. And Walter's always been a little...off. But after the hardest year of their lives, nobody was going to turn down Walter's invitation to an astonishingly beautiful house in the woods, overlooking an enormous sylvan lake. It's beautiful, it's opulent, it's private-so a week of putting up with Walter's weird little schemes and nicknames in exchange for the vacation of a lifetime? Why not? All of them were at that moment in their lives when they could feel themselves pulling away from their other friends; w more
CRITIC REVIEWS Back to Top
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10
Comics Bookcase - Zack Quaintance
Jun 01, 2021The Nice House on the Lake #1 does everything well, from the substance of its info pages to the stylishness of its character to the relatability within its wild premise. When all the small things are done so well, what emerges is the best comic of the year so far. Read Full Review
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10
DC Comics News - Steve J. Ray
Jun 01, 2021The Nice House On The Lake #1 has been my favorite comic this week, and I read a lot! We get engaging characters, a thrilling new premise, terrific dialogue, and visuals as fantastic as you could ever hope to see. This comic isn't just good, it's brain blowingly, flesh meltingly, eye poppingly good" in so many ways. You'll know what I'm talking about once you've read it" and you must. Read Full Review
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10
BGCP - Michael Lennox
Jun 01, 2021I think Tynion will lose some readers who expected blood and guts on page one, panel one. This is an operatic comic slowly bringing pieces together, if you want a bubble-gum pop style horror this is not for you. Thankfully most who buy DC Black are the latter characters. How do I think the world will end? Hopefully after the final issue of The Nice House On The Lake. A slow tension issue that earns a 100% score. Read Full Review
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10
But Why Tho? - Aaron Phillips
Jun 01, 2021Overall, if youre a fan of Tynions most recent work, then you wont be disappointed with this latest addition. A mystery from the beginning that will keep you guessing, but with a bone-chilling ending that leaves you with more questions than answers. A superb read, with the promise of the start of a stunning series. Read Full Review
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10
Kabooooom - Matt Morrison
Jun 01, 2021I say again without hyperbole that The Nice House On The Lake is the first great work of horror fiction based around the collective fear of the early 21st century. Politically brilliant, philosophically deep and utterly gorgeous, this is one to read even if you aren't typically a fan of psychological thrillers or supernatural horror. Read Full Review
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10
Comics: The Gathering - Carlos R.
Jun 01, 2021I love this book and I’m sure the series is going to be a blast to read. I’m so excited to add this to my pull list and seeing all these amazing horror titles produced is such a joy. Read Full Review
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10
Graphic Policy - Ricardo Denis
Jun 02, 2021The Nice House on The Lake has arrived with the intent of reaching deep within our souls in search of that primal fear that entertains the end of the world. Surprises abound and new horror concepts push the comic into uncharted waters. The first issue alone carries enough fear to scare readers into following the entire series all while questioning just how they would react knowing the end of the world has finally left the realm of imagination and violently entered the confines of reality. Read Full Review
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10
Big Comic Page - Craig Neilson-Adams
Jun 02, 2021Honestly, this is easily the best opening issue to a series that I've read for quite some time, and delivers a perfect execution of a high-concept bait and switch that takes something normal and turns it into something else entirely. Most excitingly of all though, this series is getting the longform treatment with no less than twelve (count 'em!) issues, so there's almost no way of knowing just how far this wild premise is going to be pushed in the months to come. One thing's for sure though, I'm going to be right there every step of the way to find out, and I strongly recommend you do the same. Read Full Review
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10
Nerdly - Dean Fuller
Jun 03, 2021This was just a little way short of sensational. Superb writing as expected from Tynion, but simply stunning art from Bueno. Be it the breathtakingly good double page spreads, or the intricate single panel detail, this was stunning art. Tynion's writing was almost second fiddle to the art, when I assumed the art would have to be decent to do Tynion's work justice. That being said, Tynion did a fine job with the story. It felt to begin with almost like one of those old Hammer Film ensemble movies, as the group of people established themselves. I thought I knew where the story was headed, and then it went off completely in the other direction. Great plot, a cast of interesting characters, gorgeous locations, this should be showing on HBO Max. Read Full Review
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10
COMICON - Cesareo Garasa
Jun 09, 2021With the superb The Nice House On The Lake #1 writer James Tynion IV is cementing his reputation as a once-in-a-lifetime talent with his consistent, excellent, prolific work. I recommend going into reading this issue with as little information as possible. It's one heck of a ride that lingers afterwards in a most delightful and exciting way. Read Full Review
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10
Horror DNA - James Ferguson
Jun 14, 2021The Nice House on the Lake is an amazing modern day horror story. It quickly introduces the characters and this world before setting them all on fire. We're constantly on edge through each page, creating one of the best horror reading experiences in recent memory. This is most definitely a comic to watch. Do not miss this. Read Full Review
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9.5
Geek Dad - Ray Goldfield
Jun 01, 2021This feels like it's going to be an exceptional slow-burn horror saga, and few are better at writing those than James Tynion IV. Read Full Review
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9.5
GWW - Joseph Gilmore
Jun 01, 2021The Nice House On The Lake #1 start of what feels like a can't-miss horror story, leaving you dying for the next issue. Read Full Review
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9.5
AIPT - Dan Spinelli
Jun 01, 2021'The Nice House on the Lake' #1 is a fantastic first issue, paced by sharp writing and clear, evocative art. And yes, the twist is excellent. Read Full Review
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9.5
Multiversity Comics - Elias Rosner
Jun 07, 2021"The Nice House on the Lake" is a debut that should not be missed from a team working in perfect synchronicity. It is horrific, it is intriguing, it is light on answers but heavy on information, and most of all, it speaks to the moment without necessarily being of it. This is a special book and I am glad to be getting in at the ground floor. Read Full Review
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9.0
The Super Powered Fancast - Deron Generally
Jun 01, 2021Bueno delivers some beautiful art throughout this issue. Everything has a layer of mystery in it visually and I love the mixture of styles throughout the issue. Read Full Review
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9.0
ComicBook.com - Chase Magnett
Jun 02, 2021My advice is simply this: Check it out. Read Full Review
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8.9
Comic Watch - Nicholas Osborn
Jun 01, 2021The Nice House on the Lake #1 is a creeping horror, starting as just a nudge while other seemingly more important events happen, but soon all you can think about is...something isn't right. Where the series goes next is really quite difficult to predict and while it might not exactly be enough to set up your next favorite horror franchise just yet, it is absolutely worth your time diving into. Read Full Review
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8.0
The Comicbook Dispatch - batbrad
Jun 06, 2021The Nice House on The Lake opens with an interesting setup. Almost like an episode of the Twilight Zone or The Outer Limits. Plus, it feels timely unlike many comics today with the subtle COVID references. Hopefully, the following issues can build on what was started with this first issue. Read Full Review
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8.0
Sequential Planet - Ethan Maddux
Jun 07, 2021Nice House on the Lake #1 is a fantastic start. The cast, though a bit bloated, seems to have a well-thought-out chemistry and history with one another. The art of lvaro Martnez Bueno and Jordie Bellaire is astounding, and it manages that while looking completely different than their other works. James Tynion IV has set up an absolutely fascinating series, and I deeply hope he lives up to the promise, rather than buckling under its intense weight. Read Full Review
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6.0
Comic Crusaders - Lucas Fashina
Jun 04, 2021The art for The Nice House on the Lake #1, was drawn by Alvaro Martinez Bueno, and colored by Jordie Bellaire. As proven by some of the variant covers there are some heavy hitting panels. Read Full Review
USER REVIEWS Back to Top
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10
an actual surprising hit for me. Pretty impressed.
+ Like • Comment -
10
One of the best horror and mystery comics I've ever read. What is there to say about this book other then the fact the writing is stellar, the art is fantastic, and the premise is great. Is it a premise we have seen before? Yes. Do I care? No. The reason why is it oddly feels fresh, and I feel like most of it is because it is showing us what is happening without telling us, leaving the reader wanting more. It is also chilling, and creepy at best. I encourage anyone out there who just loves good art and story telling to pick this up off the shelves because it is a must read. The panels work well and my god the art is phenomenal. I am very excited about this new book.
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10
Tynion is just getting better and better. This is just a masterpiece of a first issue. Cannot recommend highly enough. Ans Martinez's art is perfect for this
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10
It started off good. The art is great.
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10
I'm hooked. You have my money for the next 12 months, DC. Great writing and story, as can be expected from the very dependable James Tynion IV. Tynion is great at capturing the current times we're living through, and how human beings actually talk and interact with each other. There's an easy flow to this dialog and he builds a sense of purpose and destination throughout the story. MartÃnez Bueno's art is remarkable, foreboding, and restrained as of yet. Issue #1 is not the splatterfest the series may ultimately become, but it is deeply unsettling.
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10
Another fantastic first issue from Tynion! Great set up to the mystery. All the major players are introduced in an organic way and the story definitely took a turn I wasn't entirely expecting. Tynion's new horror series promises to be another fresh and exciting horror comic.
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10
So why the fuck is Batman so bad?
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10
Wow! What a surprise! Really cool art, so eerie, like something is scratching in the back of my mind. The story kept me guessing till the end and what a surprising ending. Really launches the series onward. First fantasy, with the Last God now horror, good way to go DC Black Label. Can't wait for more!
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10
This book is wild.
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10
The best comic of 2021 so far.
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9.5
So...when does the movie come out?
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9.5
Ah, this is what classics are made from.
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9.0
Wow. This was really interesting. Did a great job of setting up characters and then dropping a bomb at the end.
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8.5
Excellent first issue. Art is incredible. Story is already haunting and terrifying in its nature. Theres a lot of places to go from here but I am interested to see what direction this gets taken.
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8.5
Super fun.
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8.0
Nice House on the Lake has a fun quirky cast in juxtaposition to an apocalyptic scenario. Just gonna have to wait for further developments.
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8.0
This is good. I hope the quirk is toned down a little. I've read enough Stephen King to roll my eyes at some of the characterization here. Nothing majorly wrong with any of the characters though. I see the Hickman influence is strong here, but that's fine because I like that. It'll take issue two to see if I'm sold on this title versus just sort of liking it.
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2.0
Pacing was very rushed, twist was predicable from the very first page, characters are pretty damn annoying with their constant swearing, and the art is mediocre at best. Not impressed.
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