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House of Secrets #1-5
House of Secrets: Foundation
Can you keep a secret? Not if it's ripped from you word . . . by word . . by word. A young runaway named Rain finds herself submerged in Seattle during the dying days of the grunge scene. Taking refuge in a haunted mansion, she becomes witness to a court of five spirits working a terrifying brand of justice. Graphic novel format.
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
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73 people want to read
About the author
Steven T. Seagle
499 books50 followersSteven T. Seagle is an American writer who works in the comic book, television, film, live theater, video game, and animation industries.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 30, 2018
Edición española, Colección Vertigo #51. Tomo 1 de 2 que traduce dos capítulos.
October 30, 2016
4.5 stars from Brad, read the full review at FANTASY LITERATURE
Disclaimer: just so you know, some of the books we review are received free from publishers
The House of Secrets is a twenty-five issue series that started in 1996 and is written by Steven T. Seagle and illustrated by Teddy Kristiansen. It features a lying, unreliable runaway named Rain Harper; a young girl she takes under her wing named Traci; and a group of musicians, one of whom, Ben Volk, becomes the third central character in the series. Right after Rain and Traci meet, Traci tells Rain a valuable secret: She knows a place to squat where they will be safe. Rain, therefore, joins Traci and moves into the House of Secrets. And then all the fun starts.
This series brings with it a long history: House of Secrets, an old horror series that started in 1956, was mainly a platform for one-off stories in the tradition of all the old classic horror comic books, most famous of which were the ones put out by EC. Abel would introduce these stories in the same way that Cain would introduce horror stories in the companion title The House of Mystery. This old House of Secrets run is best known these days for its 1971 issue #92 because it introduced the Swamp Thing, the character who would one day serve as the vehicle for Alan Moore’s grand entrance into the U.S. comic book market....4.5 stars from Brad, read the full review at FANTASY LITERATURE
Disclaimer: just so you know, some of the books we review are received free from publishers
The House of Secrets is a twenty-five issue series that started in 1996 and is written by Steven T. Seagle and illustrated by Teddy Kristiansen. It features a lying, unreliable runaway named Rain Harper; a young girl she takes under her wing named Traci; and a group of musicians, one of whom, Ben Volk, becomes the third central character in the series. Right after Rain and Traci meet, Traci tells Rain a valuable secret: She knows a place to squat where they will be safe. Rain, therefore, joins Traci and moves into the House of Secrets. And then all the fun starts.
This series brings with it a long history: House of Secrets, an old horror series that started in 1956, was mainly a platform for one-off stories in the tradition of all the old classic horror comic books, most famous of which were the ones put out by EC. Abel would introduce these stories in the same way that Cain would introduce horror stories in the companion title The House of Mystery. This old House of Secrets run is best known these days for its 1971 issue #92 because it introduced the Swamp Thing, the character who would one day serve as the vehicle for Alan Moore’s grand entrance into the U.S. comic book market....4.5 stars from Brad, read the full review at FANTASY LITERATURE
August 14, 2013
Foundation is the better part of the new House of Secrets. The rest of the issues just build on what is shown here; while you might get the impression there is some sort of character development or new details, the story just goes full circle and doesn't show signs of exploring another direction: instead you'll enjoy a mass of filler material that manages to bring up new questions that still remain unanswered.
As for what themes the book explores, it's a pile of taboo subjects and teenage drama thrown in one bucket, and then you're expected to make sense of it all. When handling the characters' psychology, the writing comes as juvenile and predictable. The weird is where the series really shines, and I must admit that the presentation has kept me interested until the end.
It took me awhile to get accustomed to the art, but there's no denying that it suits Seagle's writing style. Somehow I wish some characters would have received more visibility, but they were somewhat let down by their design. Too forgettable. Just scarecrows filling a role.
Overall, it was interesting to read this experimental take on House of Secrets, it certainly feels modern. Just one big problem, the second series House was real, tangible, and the secrets it hid were thought-provoking, when it was at its best at least. This one simply lies at the edge between reality and fantasy, and the secrets it uncovers are not secrets at all.
As for what themes the book explores, it's a pile of taboo subjects and teenage drama thrown in one bucket, and then you're expected to make sense of it all. When handling the characters' psychology, the writing comes as juvenile and predictable. The weird is where the series really shines, and I must admit that the presentation has kept me interested until the end.
It took me awhile to get accustomed to the art, but there's no denying that it suits Seagle's writing style. Somehow I wish some characters would have received more visibility, but they were somewhat let down by their design. Too forgettable. Just scarecrows filling a role.
Overall, it was interesting to read this experimental take on House of Secrets, it certainly feels modern. Just one big problem, the second series House was real, tangible, and the secrets it hid were thought-provoking, when it was at its best at least. This one simply lies at the edge between reality and fantasy, and the secrets it uncovers are not secrets at all.
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March 4, 2015Not to be confused with House of Mystery; this is the other Vertigo reboot of DC's old don't-call-them-horror anthologies. It's less closely tied to its original, and because this one is nineties Vertigo, you can barely move for rape, STDs, child abuse &c, not to mention all that Gen X snark which had yet to find an online outlet. I'm being a little harsh; unlike some writers of that period and imprint (hi, Caitlin Kiernan!) Seagle can at least hold together a tale, and Kristiansen's scratchy, eerie art is always an attraction. Still, more an artefact of no-longer-so-recent history than a rewarding read.
April 24, 2009
A refreshing take on the run-of-the-mill haunted house theme often used for horror fiction: this time around, the spirits that haunt the place are still the vengeful type, but not for personal reasons.
The spirits compose the members of the court, for trials of different people who are tried for keeping terrible secrets that has caused harm to themselves & to others (whether directly or indirectly). Watch out for the twist at the end.
Book Details:
Title House of Secrets: Foundation
Author Steven Seagle & Teddy Kristiansen
Reviewed By Purplycookie
The spirits compose the members of the court, for trials of different people who are tried for keeping terrible secrets that has caused harm to themselves & to others (whether directly or indirectly). Watch out for the twist at the end.
Book Details:
Title House of Secrets: Foundation
Author Steven Seagle & Teddy Kristiansen
Reviewed By Purplycookie
July 15, 2008
Though I haven't read this series since I was in high school, I remember loving it whole-heartedly. The artwork is sharp and bleak in a way most fitting to the hellish stories within the house, and Rain is a touchingly nonchalant character who garners the love of those who encounter her, despite the fact that she only wants to be left alone. I look forward to rereading this series now that I am older to see if it remains as relevant to my life now as it did when I was an outcast teenager.
June 13, 2013
Not really sure how I ended up with this book, but I also have the rest of the series in individual issues so must at least think it was alright.
While Seagle's characters are pretty flimsy, he has a talent for dialogue and his vision of The House and what it means is clever. Kristiansen's art here looks a bit cod-McKean, and that may be just why I like it. The two work very well together, and I admit that as cliche as it got I never rolled my eyes. Not once.
While Seagle's characters are pretty flimsy, he has a talent for dialogue and his vision of The House and what it means is clever. Kristiansen's art here looks a bit cod-McKean, and that may be just why I like it. The two work very well together, and I admit that as cliche as it got I never rolled my eyes. Not once.
August 1, 2007
This is one of my first introductions into real comics, not just of the superhero variety, and it remains one of my favorites to this day. A lot of the characters are overly snarky and somewhat annoying but the actual House itself as a character and the panel of judges that reside there are totally awesome.
Want to read
December 15, 2010Tengo los dos tomos españoles (Colección Vertigo #51 y 55) que erróneamente están combinados con este. Cuando corrobore los contenidos y vea si armo una serie con la edición española seguro chequee todas las equivalencias y similares. Por ahora lo dejo así porque estoy apurado :S
December 12, 2011
A pretty blah tale that is "edgy" merely because of nudity, drug use, and deviant sex.
The "twist" ending that doesn't work with events that lead up to it is primarily what sours me on this collection.
Not a vertigo classic by any means.
The "twist" ending that doesn't work with events that lead up to it is primarily what sours me on this collection.
Not a vertigo classic by any means.
May 3, 2011
One of my favorite series. The art work is what made me pick up the first issue but the writing is what kept me reading.
July 3, 2011
Typical grungey '90s graphic novel, but that isn't necessarily a bade thing. The story is good to.
April 6, 2012
House of Secrets was an excellent series from beginning to end, but there has only been one collection. Wish they finish collecting the series.
January 13, 2015
Blech. A grubby wannabe Gaiman/McKean without any of their insight, this thinks it's edgy but it's just a bit unpleasant.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews