The Nice House by the Sea Vol. 1

The Nice House by the Sea #1-6

by James Tynion IV, Álvaro Martínez Bueno (Illustrator), Jordie Bellaire (Colorist)

Max has hand-picked her invitees. They're all masters of their fields, titans of their industries -- humanity's best and brightest. Who better to carry on the torch of civilization after the world ends?

From the award-winning team that brought you The Nice House on the Lake comes a chilling continuation of the apocalyptic terror! James Tynion IV (Batman, Detective Comics) and Álvaro Martínez Bueno (Detective Comics, Justice League Dark) reunite to continue their award-winning series with new characters, new threats, and a new perfectly nice house by the sea.

Max has hand-picked her invitees. They're all masters of their fields, titans of their industries -- humanity's best and brightest. Who better to carry on the torch of civilization after the world ends? But these house guests don't know Max, nor do they know each other, and as it turns out, the offer to live forever in the ruins of an empty world might come with some unexpected pitfalls. At least they're all trapped in such a nice house, in such a lovely place, with such lovely company. There's no better place to spend a post-apocalyptic eternity, right?

...Right?

Collects The Nice House by the Sea issues #1-6

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

208 pages, Paperback

First published June 10, 2025

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

[Scott Rhee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The millenial end-of-the-world soap opera continues in "The Nice House By The Sea", James Tynion IV's follow-up to his series "The Nice House on the Lake".

It turns out the survivors of the apocalypse at the lake house aren't the only survivors. The alien overlords who spared them have several other "cells" of humans scattered throughout the world, and it's survival of the fittest to see which cell saves humanity.

It's angsty, emo, and downright annoying at times, but it's intriguing as fuck and I can't stop reading anything by Tynion...

[Oscar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought this was a new series but it's a continuation of House by the Lake. This is a really good series!

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.9 stars

Brilliantly written SF/horror with stunning artwork. My only complaint is that I found the e-mail text pages blew the build-up of tension in the final issue.

Don’t read this without reading The Nice House on the Lake first, though, as you will be hopelessly lost.

[Marion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mais quelle pépite ! Les dessins sont sublimes, et l’histoire… Tous ces rebondissements et cette ambiance ! L’attente du prochain tome va être une vraie torture.

[Vincentimes · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH PUTAIN ça m’avait trop manqué !
J’avais des attentes tellement hautes pour cette suite et ça va quand même au delà de ce que j’avais espéré ??

Non cette série est incroyable, le scénario est phénoménal, la psychologie de chaque personnage est ultra travaillée et le DESSIN mon DIEU (vous m’arrêtez quand j’en fait trop) (c’est sincère)

J’espère que « The Nice House by the Sea » se fera aussi en deux volumes parce que j’ai hâte de connaître la fin de cet arc.
Impossible de rester sur ce suspense là, d’autant plus que je suis dans une position où je me demande sincèrement ce que j’aurais fait à la place du personnage.

(Il est 3h40.)

[Benji Glaab · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was way too hard to read in single monthly issues since the cast is huge, and the artwork that I enjoy doesn't really help identify all the different characters. So i waited for the trade to read this volume as one unit. I liked the tone and the overall plot and set up, but man, this is getting confusing for me, and I'm not attaching to any specific characters.

I'll read the next volume, but there needs to be some sort of simplification in the character designs, or let's kill off some of these peeps.

[Pruett · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first half of the SEQUEL to one of my favorite mystery/sci-fi comics ever, “The Nice House by the Lake,” is wonderful stuff.

The cast has expanded significantly in this volume. New house, new body of water, new characters. It’s occasionally more than the book can handle (21 characters are a LOT inside of the confines of 28 page issues), lending this review its four stars, but the artwork, dialogue, and characterization (scant as a few of the House occupants may appear) are as wonderful as ever.

I’m so glad this series exists as the flagship title of the resurrected Vertigo line of DC Comics. Originally, Vertigo was for mature, edgy books like “Preacher” and “Sandman.” The “Nice House” line has kept the former but dropped the juvenile edgelord efforts of the latter, dressing its books in authentic characters with adult-oriented scenarios and dialogue.

Of course, the sci-fi body horror doesn’t hurt, either.

[Dieudonné Lola · Rating 5 out of 5]

ENCORE UN CHEF-D’ŒUVRE.
Je vais jamais m’en remettre, il faut que je relise tous les tomes d’un coup pour comprendre les tenants et les aboutissants de tout ce bordel.

Très contente de ces nouveaux personnages, qui sont à la hauteur de ce à quoi je m’attendais (j'avoue avoir était un tout petit peu moins entraîner par leur dynamique de groupe, en plus on connaît déjà le fonctionnement du lieu donc bon)

PITIÉ NORAH?¿?¿!?
DONNEZ-MOI LA SUITE

[Audet Maxime · Rating 5 out of 5]

This new volume is really starting off strong. The story deepens, and the connections between all the characters are better than ever. This feels like a return to form after the ending of the first volume was a bit lacking.

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nu wachten op meerdere issues 🫠

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A continuation of The Nice House on the Lake that only subtly shifts the overarching concepts: new location, new characters, new vibes, but this is a story we're familiar with from the previous two volumes. An alien has hand-picked the most promising humans in a number of areas and kept them alive in a perfect bubble while the rest of the planet falls to the alien apocalypse.

Fortunately, the new location and characters are fascinating, and by the end of the first issue, we're seeing how this all ties back into our familiar friends in the lake house. What started as a "humans vs. aliens" series begins to shift towards "humans vs. humans" as the last remaining remnants of humanity pit themselves against each other.

Within this overarching shift, all the characters (20+ of them now!) have their moments. And Walter's backstory continues to be revealed, especially with the addition of Oliver, who was somehow entirely missing from the first two volumes despite being a key piece of Walter's life. All in all: continues to be wildly engaging and gorgeous to look at. I look forward to re-reading this volume when the back half of this second chapter comes out.

[Guillaume Sley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Purée mais quelle claque. Très honnêtement je ne pensais pas que le troisième tome irait jusqu'à surpasser les 2 premiers, pourtant c'est mon préféré des 3. C'est tellement intelligent dans le développement de l'univers et des personnages. Le design reste dingue avec des planches à tomber par terre, et l'histoire prends une direction que j'aime toujours autant.

Gros gros coup de cœur.

Norah <3

[Jacq · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got busy and overexhausted so took me a few days to finish, but another great installment. Can’t wait to see what happens next!

[Taylor G · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

Ughhhhhhhh I love where this is going. I love Norah.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't realize this would be as closely connected to "The Nice House on the Lake" as it is, which is detrimental because my memory is garbage.

I still like the concept a lot. I still like the art, particularly the designs for Max and Walter. I think this is an interesting addition to the original story, and I'd like to see how it all ends.

[Justine Cloarec · Rating 4 out of 5]

C’est mindfuck, mais dans le bon sens du terme !
J’ai hâte de découvrir la suite !

[Lel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this, I liked meeting a whole new set of characters but also seeing how they tied into the first set. I think this is a really clever concept for a graphic novel series, I love seeing what is going to happen and watching the drama between the characters unfold at the end of the world. The art inside is amazing.

[justhimbo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lesbian apocalypse plus toxic yaoi, final combo

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Broadens the mystery, which is no small feet. Still not quite sure what’s going on, but it’s a fun ride

[lil4 · Rating 5 out of 5]

très très bonne suite, j'ai trop hâte de lire la deuxième partie du cycle

[jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

encore un banger qui se prépare
du jamais vu

[Maëch · Rating 5 out of 5]

J'avais trop hâte, j'ai pas été déçue, et maintenant j'ai de nouveau trop hâte de la suite

[Charley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was incredibly intriguing and enjoyable to read. I love the art style from a purely visual standpoint but I don’t think the sketchy vibe works when you have a such a large cast of characters. I often found it hard telling who was in a scene.

I must say I am also annoyed to find out that technically this is book 3 in a series. It can be read in its own but there is no mention of the nice house on the lake which I now want to read but feel I have too many spoilers for.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I had read this sooner after reading The Nice House by the Lake...because I was definitely confused by a lot of what was happening. But by the end I felt like I had caught myself back up...only for it to end with me wanting more. I enjoyed this and will definitely need to do a reread of everything at some point to pick up on all the little things I know I've missed.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as mindfuckery as Nice House by the Lake (and really I would call this volume 3 of that book). Adds to and expands that world. Very similar gritty techno world.

I do feel like I need to reread the others again and then come back to this one. Also I need to study the character guide in the back a little more to make sure I know which characters it is in a scene.

[Chirp · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25!

Another excellent addition/continuation of the Nice House on the Lake series! At times, I blanked on a couple of characters and some parts were just okay, but overall, it was interesting getting to jump back into this world! Super hyped for Volume 2!

[Tamara Morrill · Rating 2 out of 5]

this i would say is technically vol #3 of the nice house by the lake series
if you haven't read that you would be very confused

to be honest i didn't really like this one , it was very much a repeat of the nice house by the lake, which then turns into a sequel to it
i think it would have been better to just make a sequel

I wont be continuing this series , i like the open ending of the first series

[Mathias Chouvier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Les survivants rompent enfin avec leur solitude et ça devient très intéressant !!

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review of new series following up by the Lake - https://youtu.be/g-73ZJ6yluI

[Molly Lazer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Given the description that this is an all-new house with an all-new "host," I didn't expect this to basically be volume 3 of The Nice House on the Lake. So I'm definitely glad I read that series first. Don't read this one without reading that one--you won't know what is going on. The characters in the new house, except Oliver, seem less consequential than the group from the original series, but there are still a LOT of characters to keep track of. What the overall series(es) is about is very clear from this volume, though, (more so than in the previous two), and I look forward to reading the next one. The art, by the way, remains a highlight.