The Nice House on the Lake, Vol. 2

The Nice House on the Lake

by James Tynion IV

One of the most critically acclaimed and bestselling horror books of 2021 returns for its shocking second act—and now is the perfect time to enter the house! The 10 hardy survivors gathered in the house by their mutual friend Walter thought they’d finally cracked the code on his plans…and now everything they thought they knew has literally changed. Can they free themselves from their patterns? Or are they all just determined to build a prison of their very own?

Collects The Nice House on the Lake #7-12

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Horror, Science Fiction, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Bande Dessinée

184 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 7, 2023

About the author

Prior to his first professional work, Tynion was a student of Scott Snyder's at Sarah Lawrence College. A few years later, he worked as for Vertigo as Fables editor Shelly Bond's intern. In late 2011, with DC deciding to give Batman (written by Snyder) a back up feature, Tynion was brought in by request of Snyder to script the back ups he had plotted. Tynion would later do the same with the Batman Annual #1, which was also co-plotted by Snyder. Beginning in September 2012, with DC's 0 issue month for the New 52, Tynion will be writing Talon, with art by Guillem March. In early 2013 it was announced that he'd take over writing duties for Red Hood and the Outlaws in April.

Tynion is also currently one of the writers in a rotating team in the weekly Batman Eternal series.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my.



I thought this was the finale. It was not the finale.
So you DO find out what's going on in a small way. NOT what is happening in the outside world as far as the alien invasion thing, but what might be happening and definitely what some of the other inmates of the house were aware of (unaware of?).
It sounds confusing and it IS.
I re-read the first volume before diving in and I'm honestly glad I did. But I'm hoping the next volume doesn't take forever to come out so I don't have to keep going back to the source material to remind myself of what happened. Who has time for that?



So the gist is that these friends (or friends of Walter the alien) are all stuck in this house together. I don't get why they were so pissed at their alien pal. YES. His people were taking over the planet and turning everyone they knew and loved into kabobs. Be pissed about that. Certainly.
But why direct that anger at Walter?
Dude! He's just trying to keep you guys alive!



Doesn't matter. A lot is revealed! Secrets are coming out! Memories are remembering!
Lots of fun to be had with that, you know?
And I'm looking forward to the next volume.

[Alexander Peterhans · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some spoilerfree thoughts.

- Baggy storytelling.. feels like the same story could've been told a lot more tightly. At least two issues/chapters felt like wheelspinning.

- I kind of hoped this would be the end of it, but no, these volumes are only 'cycle one'. Means there must be a bicycle coming.

- This reads like it's supposed to be a character piece, but we only get to see the characters in reference to Walter. I know almost nothing about the characters.

- It also never became clear why everyone was friends with Walter, what made him as magnetic as he supposedly was. I kind of expected more of an insight into that, what with all the flashbacks. The flashbacks felt very samey, not adding much to the narrative.

- Too many characters. I kept confusing them til the very end. Oh no, something happened to one of the characters, which one was that again, etc. Worst thing is probably that it doesn't matter that much which character is which.

- The explanation for what is happening is.. unexciting..? I believe the ending of this volume is supposed to be a kind of twist, and it's more of a sigh, really.

- The art looks nice and shiny on the surface, but characters' face look to much alike, it doesn't help with distinguishing the soap opera cast.

- Too many emails and chat logs, that don't really add much of anything. Do we really need 3 pages of messages between characters and Walter about coming to the nice house..? They added no new information. If it walks like padding, and quacks like padding..

2.5 stars, rounding down out of pure malice!

[s.penkevich [hiatus-will return-miss you all] · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘This is the way the world ends,’ wrote T. S. Eliot, ‘not with a bang but a whimper.’ Unfortunately this is how the end feels for volume 2 of The Nice House on the Lake even despite an actual bang! ripping through the narrative (okay, actually a “blam!” but you get the idea). It’s a wildly inventive and complex sci-fi horror though it often feels like there are too many moving parts to balance out and the plot during this second volume feels like it’s searching for a way toward the ending as much as the characters are. It is visually stunning and seems ripe for a live action adaptation, which honestly might be a better medium as the text-heavy frames can get a bit cumbersome and here it is sometimes a bit tricky to keep the characters straight. Though this falters much in the way a tv series often does by needing to fill more space than the plot requires so it occasionally feels either overstuffed or floundering along certain character plot lines to fill time while other ones play out. But also, despite the claim it was only going to be a 12 issue story, it doesn’t actually end and will continue on for another season likely since it is rather profitable. Still, this has a lot of thrills and chills and it is impossible to put down as we watch the characters being manipulated while struggling to understand the reality they are trapped in.

The story doesn’t definitively end but mostly reveals major secrets, wrap up some primary threads, and then wiggle it’s way out from under a conclusion with the aim of starting another story arc. Which is fine, it’s a fun world to explore but it’s also a bit frustrating as there is a lot of great potential and amazing elements that feel dulled by the need to continuously draw it out. The first half feels like it loses a lot of the energy the first volume worked so well to build, with Walter having manipulated the group’s memory in order to now be trapped with them while Nora is locked away for knowing too much. It becomes a lesson that controlling others never works out positively and Walter finds that under his simulated realities the group’s motivations aren’t as easily directed as he’d hoped. Without knowing the world ended or having high stakes, they don’t feel grateful for the haven he built, which is somehow less satisfactory to him than their revulsion and horror at him in the first volume.

This is, admittedly, a fun story that has a lot of heart to it. Walter is an interesting character and we really feel his struggle, though still empathize more with the others who we unfortunately only really know in their context to Walter and never quite get to know as themselves much. I do enjoy how much this series is sort of a critique on millennial friend groups and culture, with some wry and subtle digs that amuse me, and the group dynamic really works though sometimes it’s tough to know who is who. Overall I wanted to like this more than I did and despite some pretty mind blowing ideas and explanations, I think this is where I’ll drop out of the series while still very eager to read his other works, particularly continuing Something is Killing the Children. Not a bad series, but the cumbersome and clunky aspects can drag the otherwise imaginative and creepy fun.

2.5/5

[mark monday · Rating 4 out of 5]

the camera movements of the mind take it in but not all at once, a shot here, a shot there, swing left swing right, zoom in zoom out, cut. edit. try to put it all together as a narrative, as something that makes sense, some kind of sense, any kind of sense but nonsense; but there is no sense, all of the senses may be working overtime, one two three four five, but nothing is making sense, sense has stopped making sense. in this nice house on the lake.

the fragmentation the fragmentation, alas! 'tis the human conundrum! 'tis how the alien in this nice house on the lake thinks and perceives reality, 'tis why the humans in this nice house on the lack construct their own experiences, their own lives, their own selves. they fragment and they try to put back together, they try to create linearity.

the intersections of structure, the intersections of body and mind and time and place and space both outer and inner... they trap these guests in this nice house on the lake. will there be an escape possible, in the secret places in this superstructure, in its shadowy spaces, its angles and substructures? they can only hope, these permanent residents of this nice house on the lake.

all abstractions, all generalizations, treat words and images and people and thoughts as units existing in some matrix of comparison. the doctor, the pianist, the politico, the artist(s), etc. et al, all the participants in this study taking place in a nice house on the lake... all treat the story as substance. all treat their own selves as having some substance, a genuine identity, rather than a label or title to be fulfilled. all attempt to communicate. all fail. their last communication, for now, for when, is a bullet. it fails. but that was the plan all along, to fail. to fail is to keep living?

I liked this sequel, it worked for me.

❦

read this amazing essay "Fragmentation of the Self" that has nothing to do with a nice house on a lake, but I stole some phrases and ideas from it anyway:

https://defaultfriend.substack.com/p/...

[Ben · Rating 2 out of 5]

you know what would be nice for a change? if when someone said that their graphic novel was planned for 12 issues and done, then it was actually 12 issues and done. instead, you get shit like this where the critical reception (and most probably, the sales) are high enough for the author to decide to not actually write an ending and just leaving everything unexplained/unsolved.

i only started reading this series because i thought it was going to be all wrapped up in the 12 issues. if i knew it was going to be a continuation then i wouldn't have bothered (and don't recommend anyone else bother either).

[Sean Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still super creepy. Like how I imagine the Kars4Kids kids will be in 20 years.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.0 Stars Volume 2 collects issues #7-12 of the comic. This was supposed to be a limited 12 issue series but the ending of this leaves so many questions unresolved that I have to assume there will be more issues. Will I read them though? Probably not.


There are 3 distinct time periods in this story - the past (memories), the present (nice lake house), and the future (warzone). Time jumps a lot in this series which wouldn't normally be an issue except that there are 12 main characters. Having every issue from a different POV it meant I learned a little about each character but not enough to be invested in them.


I appreciated the diverse representation amongst the characters. That said, for being a diverse group they were all pretty similar. With the exception of Ryan, everyone in this group is in their 30s, educated, and established in their careers. Yet not one of these people have any children? That's pretty convenient. It's also feels like a missed opportunity. Separating a character from their child would have added another level of horror to the story and helped with the moral and ethical debate the story seems to want readers to be pondering. The closest we ever got to that was Molly mourning her husband Cam.


The ending was kind of a let down. It clearly sets up more issues. Absolutely nothing is answered about why each character in the future looks like they are in a hellscape. But truthfully, I don't even really care anymore.

[Corn8lius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waaaah, quelle claque.
Passée la découverte de tout l’univers dans le tome 1, ce tome 2 est un peu différent et ne repose pas sur les mêmes dynamiques. J’ai néanmoins passé un excellent moment. J’avais rarement lu quelques chose d’aussi dingue et inventif.

Si ces deux premiers tomes constituaient le Premier Arc de cette histoire, j’ai très très hâte de découvrir la suite.
Vivement !

[Drew Canole · Rating 3 out of 5]

The end of the first arc. It's pretty satisfying conclusion, and unless I hear great things about the second, I'm fine to get off the ride here.

I think this would work better as a TV series. It's so hard to balance 10+ characters all chit-chatting and living together in a comicbook. I didn't really get to understand any of the characters until the very end.

It's a pretty cool and original story. Part horror, part sci-fi.

[Lexi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, me the whole time while I was reading this: 🫣🫣🫣…😬😬😬…😳😳😳…

From this day forward, I will be declining any and all vacation trips that involve cabins located in the woods and houses resting upon lakes. Camping and hiking are out of the question as well. 😂😂😂

[Anna Quilter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really smart continuation to the story..pulling me and my emotions in various directions.

I was going to say Conclusion to the story..but apparently not.

[Kate Victoria RescueandReading · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt like we went in almost the exact same circles as the first volume. I’d probably read more of the series if it’s expanded upon, but if it just ends here, I’m not going to be sad either.

[Strega Di Gatti · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is for both Volumes 1 & 2 of The Nice House on the Lake.

Don't we all have a friend that connects several groups? A friend who everyone relies on, but is always alone? Isn't it possible we don't really know them? Isn't it possible they could secretly be an alien?!

The Nice House on the Lake is a story about the complicated ways friendships are formed, how relationships are tested, how love is measured, and what it means to really know someone ... And it all plays out against an apocalyptic survival backdrop.

Álvaro Martínez Bueno's artwork was outstanding. We get twelve adults with distinct character designs, movements, and mannerisms. The full-page photorealistic paintings for each issue were atmospheric, nightmarish. (Also loved the creative variant covers).

The one-star off from my rating for Volume 2 is for the rushed ending. I would have preferred a longer story that ties back to opening scenes in each issue that briefly tease the "future" for the characters. Readers watch the plot's puzzle unlock in the final pages, and then are abruptly told it's the end of "Cycle One". I had to Google to discover that a new and separate series will continue the overall story.

Tynion and Martínez Bueno's The Nice House by the Sea will run through 2025 to 2026, so I'll be back for the sequel omnibus then!

[Scott Rhee · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's the end of the world as we know it... and I'm not sure how I feel.

Apologies to R.E.M., but James Tynion IV's second volume of his terrific graphic novel series The Nice House on the Lake is still creepy as hell, but it doesn't answer nearly as many of the questions I was hoping it would answer. The fact that it doesn't really end, leaving a lot more room for further exploration of this millenial/hipster end-of-the-world soap opera, is actually a good thing, because I really dig it so far. It's weird (in a good way), extremely well-written, and subtly humorous, especially in its nuanced criticism and excoriation of an entire generation of liberal whiny snowflakes. (To be fair, I think I'm one of those...)

[Krystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy damn this was HECTIC.

I am blown away and feeling many emotions.

This whole story has been such a wild ride, and this conclusion teasing a follow-up that has yet to be announced is absolutely BRUTAL.

It's an apocalyptic tale focused on the complexities of human relationships and it is absolutely phenomenal. Probably one of the best graphic novels I've read this year.

I loved how much this sucked me in, and I'm desperate to know more about these people and this world and just WALTER and why he is WALTER.

Artwork is fantastic, too, and suits the story so well. At times people were a little hard to make out but I think that's because I was skimming the art a little because the story was so addictive.

Incredible on all fronts, and an easy recommendation for anyone keen for a unique horror story.

[Tobin Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

...and, as I feared, the wrap up did not hold up to the opening's promise.

I compared the large, diverse, rich cast and intricate plotting to Alan Moore's Watchmen when talking about the first volume, and hoped that he could stick the landing better than Moore did.

Unfortunately, he fell into the same trap of having set up something so large, so earthshaking, that he had to come up with an explanation-heavy and over-complicated plot device to bring it to a (sort of) ending.

I'm not saying the ending was horrible, because it wasn't, and they were smart enough to roll an emotional subplot through it.

Unfortunately, with the cast so large, I felt like I didn't really get to fall in love with all of them enough. The casts' relationships with Walter were explored in depth and, strictly by association, with each other, to a point. But when it came time to really feel something for a couple of them, they were still too much removed to feel what needed to be felt for the story to slap me around like it should have.

And then there was the explanations of all the machinations behind the scenes. To be honest, I actually feel like I would have enjoyed this more if Tynion and company had actually left this part unexplained and let the readers create their own theories as to what was going on.

And, the very last line of the book? Yeah, to me, it felt cheap. It's the whole, "stay tuned, there's more to come" when we should have just been left with a "holy shit, what are they gonna do now?" ending.

Overall, like the ending to Watchmen, this one was only somewhat satisfying.

[Tom Ewing · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots to enjoy in this smash hit horror comic and a really strong, original premise - so why was I left ambivalent? I think the original pitch at the end gives me the biggest clue: a “sci-fi horror BIG CHILL”* but like many Big Chill esque stories it’s only as interesting as its cast, and after 12 issues I feel like I hardly know any of them. Even Norah and Reg, the two biggest spotlight characters, come to only intermittent life. Bueno’s splattery, painted art is terrific on the reality-bending horrors of the story, but a lot more ordinary when it comes to basic human interaction, and the comic needs to sell that interaction for the horror to land. Great ideas, interesting themes, a wonderfully creepy antagonist - shame about the people.

*though with its larger cast and confined setting “a sci fi horror BIG BROTHER” is closer to the mark. Read the “Day 47” etc scene setting in a thick geordie accent for the full effect

[Marion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Je veux la suite !

[Ignacio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pues llegas al desenlace y te das de bruces con que no es el FINAL sino el final de la primera temporada; y todo lo que se había prometido al comienzo de cada episodio queda por resolver. Tampoco le sienta bien que el personaje mefistofélico tenga un discurso final cuya belleza, bien construido, se conjura con el último giro de página. Así The Nice House on the Lake deviene como la enésima propuesta para serie de televisión en formato cómic cuya entidad reside en la promesa de que detrás puede haber más que juegos de espejos, simulacros, interpretaciones erradas... Sin embargo, por ahora, apenas queda un escenario muy bien ilustrado, pero vacuo y tendencioso.

[Benji Glaab · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

There is no doubt James Tynion is at the height of his powers, while the dialogue is fantastic and is accompanied by some amazing artistic ventures I think the finale lacked a little oomph.

Overall this series deserves all the love and Tynion is simply a must read author for me at this point in 2023.

[Floflyy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pour l'instant l'essai est confirmé. Je trouve l'œuvre toujours hyper imaginative et novatrice, les dessins sont à tomber.

Je suis curieux de lire la suite (qui n'est pas encore écrite) de peur que cela tourne en rond. Mais l'attachement aux personnages devient de plus en plus fort avec deuxième tome.

J'ai peur d'un effet soufflé et que cela retombe et/ou patauge.

[Aesaan · Rating 4 out of 5]

...and it delivers! Sure drags on abit, but otherwise very entertaining. I hope more is revealed in the followup series though.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent not-for-kids science fiction story with some cosmic horror elements. There are too many characters to get a firm grip on most of them, but it's still a neat story, with an ending that's left a little too open ended. The art is really good, too, both the pencils and inks. Recommended!

[Jon Von · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 God, this series has some incredible artwork. It’s really worth checking out just for that, Álvaro Martínez Bueno doing some amazing stuff. The story is very interesting but a little vague and open-ended for me. Both collections just feel a little too much like a tv show, though the second is a bit tighter. The thing is, it kind of makes me think about how antisocial I must be. I’ve never had anything like the friend group portrayed here, and the group dynamics are confusing. I’ve never come back from a New York City bar, crashed on some grad school buddies couch, talked with cool professional artist types I’ve known since high school, while some detached alien-in-a-human skin waxed philosophical about the beauty of platonic love. It’s a little depressing. The world ends too, but it’s more than that.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

So it seems like this isn’t the end of The Nice House On the Lake after all, but just the end of its first cycle. I’m excited to see more! This volume is pretty well-written with solid twists and big ideas. But like with the first volume, I wish that it took its time a little more. I normally don’t want things to be longer but this deserves a bit more exploration of the ideas it raises about human nature and survival instinct. And a deeper look at the characters would help us to feel for them much more. Can’t wait to re-read this again in a deluxe edition to look at this great art in premium format.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if this was turned into a movie or miniseries. LAKE has "Netflix production" written all over it. This installment wasn't as compelling as the first, but I'm with the other reviewers who say that things were tied up to a satisfactory degree in this one and I would be okay with it if this is the end of the story.

[Terese Ess · Rating 5 out of 5]

it’s actually insane how good this series was, like, thefuuuck!! Reading it felt like watching a movie.
If he doesn’t elaborate on this world/universe/story dude…
anyways, add this series to you tbr right now

[Pavle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tinion i crtač mu su zasigurno pili do jedno tri izjutra i bacali scenarije za potencijalne stripove egzistencijalnog užasa blaže forme, te je iz takve jedne večeri ovo proizašlo. Kao takvo, ima rupa - priča uzima sebe mrvu preozbiljno da bih ja u njoj potpuno uživao, a i narativna struktura se pomalo raspadne pred kraj, no crteži su kul, a dijalog i tragedija drušva u malom vrede. Podseća na Ko to tamo peva kada bi Paja Vujsić bio vanzemaljac upitnih namera, a ostatak autobusa različite sorte milenijalaca. Da li ja to čujem rimejk??? Znaš gde sam gospodin Šijane.

4-

[Frédéric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arrgh. Good AND frustrating.

Walter’s plan unravels, secrets are revealed, tension mounts up, blood is drawn.
And... End of cycle one.

Aw, Jimmy, you sonovagun!! (I hate you)

Now I won’t speculate if we’re to see the second cycle one day or not and stick to this volume.

Tynion really drives his plot well. The pieces of the puzzle fit with ease and swift pace with good tension management and twists. This is totally plot-driven and rewarding enough so the uni-dimensional characters are not too bothering.
I really want to read what follows but this series being almost 2 years done I don’t keep my hopes too high up.

Martinez Bueno does again quite an excellent job, alas dimmed by Jordie Bellaire’s colours that I still find much too intense. I’ll admit without shame that I find his way of drawing Martin’s true nature terrifying.

[Kastie Pavlik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this series in comics as they released. If interested, please refer to my reviews if each individual issue. I also read this back-to-back with volume one after having read the first 6 issues of Nice House by the Sea. This series reads really well in trades.

I reread my review from issue 12 of NHotL and I don't agree with myself on the ending anymore. Even knowing where it's going, this still packs an emotional punch, and now that I've started the continuation, I am eager for the next 6 issues of NHbtS to continue. I believe we see Oliver in volume 1, in the Comedian's chapter (issue 4). I didn't catch any other Easter eggs or foreshadowing necessarily (beyond what Walter says at the very end), but seeing them learning the control system versus how the control system works in the sequel is interesting. and in my review of issue 12, I totally called Walter not being able to stay uninvolved as indicated at the end here. He is such a control freak. Woof!

Love this series and glad it didn't end with one "season." Tynion shows a depth of understanding of human nature here and in the continuation. Bravo