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Le Manoir des Murmures #1-3
Whispers in the Walls
A gothic tale of horror from David Muñoz (co-writer of Guillermo Del Toro's THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE film) and artist Tirso. Czechoslovakia, 1949. What Evil lurks within the walls of an ancient Children's Infirmary? After the brutal murder of her parents, Sarah, a young orphan, is about to discover just that and much more.
Book includes comics #1-4 plus the final two previously unpublished issues that now complete the series, as well as a trove of bonus art material and a foreword by Juan Díaz Canales, co-creator of Blacksad.
Book includes comics #1-4 plus the final two previously unpublished issues that now complete the series, as well as a trove of bonus art material and a foreword by Juan Díaz Canales, co-creator of Blacksad.
184 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
3 people are currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
David Muñoz
190 books6 followersGuionista. Cine (The Devil's Backbone, No mires a los ojos), cómic (15, Sordo, Infectado, Abandonados) y TV. Profesor. Autor de Escribir con viñetas.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
November 9, 2024
It's no wonder that the publisher advertises this graphic novel as the work of a screenwriter behind the cult horror "The Devil's Backbone". Sure, much of the praise for the movie comes from Guillermo Del Toro's work, but the story itself was not bad, although not much original. However, this graphic novel is missing one important thing. Del Toro. It starts good enough, sure. Set in some alternative history (I guess, it's not really clear) of Czechoslovakia in 1949. kids are locked up inside the children's infirmary. There are monsters on the loose. Vampires and werewolves. There are whispers in the walls, and then all takes a sudden turn to disaster when Munoz decides to add Minotaurs and other monsters on top of werewolves and vampires (not sure why, though) and gives the Vampire King a sword, a katana nonetheless. Why though? Guy moves with the speed of lightning, has claws capable of ripping a man's head in one strike, and he has a sword? A katana? A vampire Ronin? That would be a cool idea to read, alas, this was not it. Confusing storytelling where the writer had no idea where to lead the story.
March 27, 2015
I should have seen the crap that awaited me in this book from the start. The summary claimed it was at the end of World War II but the very first page tells us that it actually plays in 1949, btw. Prague looks pretty good for 4 years after being bombed.
I already though the story about the Nazi virus was pretty stupid but I let it slide, but the story could have still been pretty good.
However it wasn't at all, the more I progressed, the worse it became. I already found it unnecessary, since it adds nothing to the story, that the protagonist's father was American (of course it’s the father) and she was claimed to be the bravest of the four kids (as if, she had help all the way) and that seems kind of stereotypical, especially considered what happened later. It all sounded very much like "the American is the hero."
Sure from the start the visuals were nice and it has a good atmosphere, but the more I progressed the more it seemed kind of "seen before".
And boy was it obvious what was going on with Sarah due to look and behavior and when the guards and dogs came for her I was immediately aware that the authors did not really think about this.
In addition when Sarah changed it also gave us more direct plotholes and they became more prevalent later. Both in world-building and general intelligence. And then it became a sort of mythological zoo and we get some shots of what I think are elves, "minotaurs" and cat-people, lizard- and bird-men, not that most of them have more than brief cameos, in fact in the first big battle only vampires, minotaurs and werewolves appear as fighting combatants (and all three in very stereotypical clothing: vampires sophisticated armor and black robes/capes, minotaurs in chain-mail armor and werewolves in simple armor or straight up garments made up of animal skins). Granted that the human fighters were referred to as druids was not something I had seen so often but in the end it turned out they are only called that way because that is how they started and they really didn't have much in common with them anymore and they became the average hunter from the old knight orders. Also, of course, the monsters use claws and blades while the hunter use guns, also very stereotypical.
Furthermore I had the feeling the book wanted to trick us into thinking the leaders of the bad guys were supposed to be good, which really did not work with the imagery they presented. Which also feels like "been there, done that" to me. Even with the whole basic make-up of the monsters it is something many use but never actually think about that it cannot really work for the world they created.
I also have problems believing that the authors really intend to have Marketa's reason to stay in the castle be that it is their only chance and not simply jealousy or unspecified enmity against Sarah. Speaking of her, in the end things always seem to fall into their place so it benefits her and things often seem to happen because of her, which is not a good thing here because, e.g. the guards are so incompetent that without her failures they would not have noticed her escape attempt, which also gave some more plotholes regarding security when considered an earlier escape attempt by someone else where there were more guards.
And if all of this weren't enough, the power levels of these creatures was pretty inconsistent, the vampires are of course the rulers of the monsters now (the old "vamps rule everything" bullshit), the druids have a Mastiff/bulldog man as a slave (hurray for animal cruelty for them and the artists [breeding such dogs is cruelty no doubt about it]) and Sarah thinking the vampire king is evil but Simon (the leader of the hunters) is worse makes even less sense, it's all "because the plot says so" and nothing else, which probably explains why the druids are such shitty fighters and don't see the trap miles away. All the reveals about Simon were anything but surprising and it didn't go anywhere. You see the betrayal coming a mile away and the reason for it is basically "I am a monster now and so I side with the monsters." And the whole background of the Navajo "Jan" (we never get his real name and they gave him stereotypical clothes when he came to Europe) and his story made no sense either. And that he did not flee immediately reeks of lazy writing.
The biggest fuck up was in the last 25% of this:
It was obvious that the Hunters were complete idiots. Even without knowing the full extent of the vampire king's powers it didn't not even occur to them that there might be a set-up all along, although it was really obvious. Simon had no plan B whatsoever, apparently does not even know of the special poison for monsters and the whole "the tablets suppressed your change but changed your metabolism to make you stronger at the next change" is plain Mary Sue for Sarah. By that logic the werewolf Milos (and Sarah had a crush on him at the end apparently, no reason or built-up given) should be a lot stronger and not taken down so easily by Demian, just like Marketa. This syringe here that negates the tablet's effects could as well be called Mary Sue juice. It not only transforms Sarah further, gives her new powers but apparently blood toxic to vampires or anything so she doesn't have to kill Demian herself and he just dies from biting her. So in the end it was mostly done for her. Plus if the hunters had something like that as well as the "cure" that in the end killed the monsters, which they suspected, why not use it as a weapon?
This all falls apart when you think about for a few seconds and I would not recommend reading it. Look at it for the nice pictures but that is about as much as the book has to offer.
I already though the story about the Nazi virus was pretty stupid but I let it slide, but the story could have still been pretty good.
However it wasn't at all, the more I progressed, the worse it became. I already found it unnecessary, since it adds nothing to the story, that the protagonist's father was American (of course it’s the father) and she was claimed to be the bravest of the four kids (as if, she had help all the way) and that seems kind of stereotypical, especially considered what happened later. It all sounded very much like "the American is the hero."
Sure from the start the visuals were nice and it has a good atmosphere, but the more I progressed the more it seemed kind of "seen before".
And boy was it obvious what was going on with Sarah due to look and behavior and when the guards and dogs came for her I was immediately aware that the authors did not really think about this.
In addition when Sarah changed it also gave us more direct plotholes and they became more prevalent later. Both in world-building and general intelligence. And then it became a sort of mythological zoo and we get some shots of what I think are elves, "minotaurs" and cat-people, lizard- and bird-men, not that most of them have more than brief cameos, in fact in the first big battle only vampires, minotaurs and werewolves appear as fighting combatants (and all three in very stereotypical clothing: vampires sophisticated armor and black robes/capes, minotaurs in chain-mail armor and werewolves in simple armor or straight up garments made up of animal skins). Granted that the human fighters were referred to as druids was not something I had seen so often but in the end it turned out they are only called that way because that is how they started and they really didn't have much in common with them anymore and they became the average hunter from the old knight orders. Also, of course, the monsters use claws and blades while the hunter use guns, also very stereotypical.
Furthermore I had the feeling the book wanted to trick us into thinking the leaders of the bad guys were supposed to be good, which really did not work with the imagery they presented. Which also feels like "been there, done that" to me. Even with the whole basic make-up of the monsters it is something many use but never actually think about that it cannot really work for the world they created.
I also have problems believing that the authors really intend to have Marketa's reason to stay in the castle be that it is their only chance and not simply jealousy or unspecified enmity against Sarah. Speaking of her, in the end things always seem to fall into their place so it benefits her and things often seem to happen because of her, which is not a good thing here because, e.g. the guards are so incompetent that without her failures they would not have noticed her escape attempt, which also gave some more plotholes regarding security when considered an earlier escape attempt by someone else where there were more guards.
And if all of this weren't enough, the power levels of these creatures was pretty inconsistent, the vampires are of course the rulers of the monsters now (the old "vamps rule everything" bullshit), the druids have a Mastiff/bulldog man as a slave (hurray for animal cruelty for them and the artists [breeding such dogs is cruelty no doubt about it]) and Sarah thinking the vampire king is evil but Simon (the leader of the hunters) is worse makes even less sense, it's all "because the plot says so" and nothing else, which probably explains why the druids are such shitty fighters and don't see the trap miles away. All the reveals about Simon were anything but surprising and it didn't go anywhere. You see the betrayal coming a mile away and the reason for it is basically "I am a monster now and so I side with the monsters." And the whole background of the Navajo "Jan" (we never get his real name and they gave him stereotypical clothes when he came to Europe) and his story made no sense either. And that he did not flee immediately reeks of lazy writing.
The biggest fuck up was in the last 25% of this:
It was obvious that the Hunters were complete idiots. Even without knowing the full extent of the vampire king's powers it didn't not even occur to them that there might be a set-up all along, although it was really obvious. Simon had no plan B whatsoever, apparently does not even know of the special poison for monsters and the whole "the tablets suppressed your change but changed your metabolism to make you stronger at the next change" is plain Mary Sue for Sarah. By that logic the werewolf Milos (and Sarah had a crush on him at the end apparently, no reason or built-up given) should be a lot stronger and not taken down so easily by Demian, just like Marketa. This syringe here that negates the tablet's effects could as well be called Mary Sue juice. It not only transforms Sarah further, gives her new powers but apparently blood toxic to vampires or anything so she doesn't have to kill Demian herself and he just dies from biting her. So in the end it was mostly done for her. Plus if the hunters had something like that as well as the "cure" that in the end killed the monsters, which they suspected, why not use it as a weapon?
This all falls apart when you think about for a few seconds and I would not recommend reading it. Look at it for the nice pictures but that is about as much as the book has to offer.
July 26, 2021
The bones of a good story are larded up with to much talking that doesn't say anything and paced to slow for any excitement to build.
April 10, 2017
Lo que se perfilaba en la primera mitad del cómic como una gran historia de misterio empieza a desdibujarse según se va desarrollando la trama hasta llegar a un final repleto de acción, pero para entonces se ha perdido toda la fuerza narrativa para llegar a un resultado quizás demasiado genérico.
Tanto el dibujo como el color son muy buenos, gran diseño de personajes y atmósferas muy conseguidas
Tanto el dibujo como el color son muy buenos, gran diseño de personajes y atmósferas muy conseguidas
March 16, 2012
Scripted by the co-writer of Guillermo Del Toro's The Devil's Backbone, Whispers in the Walls offers an intelligent, well-conceived gothic fantasy tale. After the brutal murder of her parents, Sarah ends up in ancient Czech children's hospital that houses orphans. Whispers from emerge from within the old walls lead the young girl into the nightmarish two millennium battle between monsters and men. Perhaps the only major flaw in the near-perfect story set in 1949 is the repeated comments referring to a recent Nazi attack. Thankfully the ideal illustrations by the extraordinary Tirso successfully obscure any script deficiencies. The engaging Whispers in the Walls delivers enough eerie moments to satisfy most fans of the genre.
March 26, 2024
This wasn't anywhere near what I expected, judging by the title and cover of the book. I half expected it to be about little monsters inside the walls, sort of a Don't Be Afraid of the Dark excursion. Instead, we are treated to vampires and werewolves and every other monster under the sun...or rather, moon. Lots of twists and turns, double crosses and revenge, with two organizations vying for control of the monsters in a fictional 1949. This is a tale of manipulation gone wrong, and is wide open for a sequel.
I love the page layouts, with as many as 10-15 panels per page. This allows for an incredible amount of characterization in as few pages as possible. There are pages with fewer panels and some pages with no words at all, while others are jam packed with dialogue. Since this is a translation, the word balloons and font size are very small, and are at times difficult to read when compared to our fat, stupid American fonts. There are a few grammatical errors in the translation. While there are stylistic differences in these European comic books, comic books are really a universal language. From this to Japanese Manga to our American superheroes, every country has a flavor, and they are all available on the racks around the world. This pleases me.
I love the page layouts, with as many as 10-15 panels per page. This allows for an incredible amount of characterization in as few pages as possible. There are pages with fewer panels and some pages with no words at all, while others are jam packed with dialogue. Since this is a translation, the word balloons and font size are very small, and are at times difficult to read when compared to our fat, stupid American fonts. There are a few grammatical errors in the translation. While there are stylistic differences in these European comic books, comic books are really a universal language. From this to Japanese Manga to our American superheroes, every country has a flavor, and they are all available on the racks around the world. This pleases me.
March 31, 2021
Une histoire en trois tomes à l'ambiance prenante mais dont le scenario ne concrétise pas ses promesses. Les dessins sont très soignés (peut-être un peu trop) et les couleurs le meilleur que la BD a à offrir. Le premier tome est le meilleur, l'incertitude sur l'identité des gentils / méchants tient jusqu'au bout. Par contre le développement pêche ensuite fortement, d'abord par choix en privilégiant les bulles de combat, ensuite parce que le monde n'est pas assez creusé (qui sont les monstres, les druides, l'historique de leur combat) et enfin parce que les incohérences s'accumulent (pourquoi les règles de sécurité si la gamine s'en affranchi si facilement, pourquoi toute cette préparation pour avoir les plans du site alors qu'elle ne sert à rien ou presque, pourquoi les nazi...).
November 30, 2022
Esta review será corta porque tampoco hay mucho que comentar. El libro es un viaje que va con una velocidad que te abruma. Todo en el libro va demasiado rápido y va cambiando las tramas cada dos por tres y eso te hace no centrarte en la historia. Eso sí, la historia me ha gustado y la batalla final también. En general, se puede leer pero tampoco me ha parecido nada del otro mundo, incluso me atrevería a decir que en ciertos puntos es aburrido, pero como se dice lo malo, también se tiene que decir que las ilustraciones y la historia son geniales.
February 13, 2022
El planteamiento inicial pintaba bastante bien pero el desarrollo del combate me parece algo confuso, el color aplicado me parece como si le faltase definicion y un final que parece que lo podía haber solucionado Sarah si quería micho antes. Una tematica con vampiros y hombres lobo me atraia mucho pero lo termino algo decepcionado
September 1, 2024
Empiezo a saber apreciar el cómo la historia se desgrana en las páginas y las paletas de colores usadas para transmitir diferentes sensaciones. El guión es aceptablemente bueno. Lo he disfrutado mucho.
June 20, 2017
This book was good, good story, nice artwork. Didn't compel me to keep reading but would certainly give others by the same author a chance.
September 5, 2017
Just wow. The art. So lovely. The story was pretty good too. A nice mix of a fantasy and an eerie gothically feeling. I was lost for two hours while reading this. It totally absorbed me 👌
May 12, 2018
Decent art and a gruesome story that introduces way too many monsters. Includes children being murdered and experimented on. A nightmarish read.
Read
September 19, 2020La Casa de los Susurros es un cómic con una factura magistral en todos sus sentidos, en el que se advierte un enorme esfuerzo de desarrollo. El dibujo de Cons y el color de Montes son de primera división y mantienen el nivel, casi diría que mejora según avanza la obra. En el caso del guión, podría decir que me ha encantado en sus dos tercios iniciales. En el tercero, diría que se rinde ante ciertos estándares del cine y el cómic de acción sobrenatural. Por decirlo de otra manera, comienza como una obra de carácter más europeo, basada en la sugerencia y el misterio, pero desemboca en algo parecido a un Underworld, con demasiado bichejo suelto dando saltos a lo x-men. Pero no querría ser injusto, incluso en esa parte final que me ha resultado un tanto decepcionante, la narración se comporta con gran dignidad, y ofrece mucho más que la mayoría de pastiches sobre monstruos sobrenaturales. Su final abierto, además, sugiere la posibilidad de cierta continuidad. Visto el éxito que parece estar teniendo, no me extrañaría que la tuviese. Recomendable.
August 9, 2014
I enjoyed this collection quite a bit. I'm actually writing an Alternative Comics Beat article for CosmicBookNews.com for it right after typing up this review. It's well worth the time if you enjoy creepy monster stories and modern fairy tales.
January 21, 2017
Bande-dessinée intéressante : les images sont parlantes, les personnages sont intriguants, le contexte fantastique est bien construit, les péripéties sont intéressantes. Même si ce n'est pas un coup de coeur pour moi, je recommande cette série.
August 8, 2012
Full review on HorrorTalk.com: http://www.horrortalk.com/comic-revie...
July 30, 2014
Art was gorgeous. But just something about the characters didn't grab me.
May 31, 2015
Marvelously creepy with great artwork!
July 28, 2017
Humanoids does it again with another great euro comic from this publisher. This is a horror story but a fun and action-packed one, with stunning artwork.
August 27, 2017
Good illustrations but the story wasn't enough to keep me interested
April 22, 2017
Kickass Creepy! Need to read the other two installments.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews