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8house #1

8House: Arclight #1

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A lady of the blood house has had her mind trapped in a strange alien root-body. She's hiding on the outskirts of her kingdom until she learns that the alien monster pretending to be her has returned. The first issue of a shared fantasy universe. Sharp genderqueer knights, blood magic, music, dancing, and a goose.

30 pages, Unknown Binding

First published June 24, 2015

1 person is currently reading
271 people want to read

About the author

Brandon Graham

197 books202 followers
Brandon Graham (born 1976) is an American comic book creator.

Born in Oregon, Graham grew up in Seattle, Washington, where he was a graffiti artist. He wrote and illustrated comic books for Antarctic Press and Radio Comix, but got his start drawing pornographic comics like Pillow Fight and Multiple Warheads (Warheads would go on to become its own comic published by Oni Press in 2007). In 1997, he moved to New York City where he found work with NBM Publishing and became a founding member of comics collective Meathaus. His book Escalator was published by Alternative Comics in January 2005, when he returned to Seattle. His book King City was published by Tokyopop in 2007 and was nominated for an Eisner Award. In May 2009 Graham announced that King City would continue publication at Image Comics and his Oni Press title Multiple Warheads would resume publication after a delay, this time in color. Also at Image he is the writer on Prophet, the return of a 1990s series, with the rotating roster of artists Giannis Milonogiannis, Farel Dalrymple, Simon Roy, and himself.

(Source: Wikipedia)

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5 stars
58 (30%)
4 stars
80 (42%)
3 stars
41 (21%)
2 stars
10 (5%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Profile Image for Kitty G Books.
1,709 reviews2,969 followers
September 21, 2015
I picked this up on a recommendation from my local comic shop retailer and the people who work there. I literally knew nothing about this other than it's kind of fantastical and very odd... this is an accurate description but for me the biggest attraction of this was that it's made up of some STUNNING artwork and the design is really beautiful for both the characters and the world.
The artist who is working alongside Brandon Graham for the first two issues is Marian Churchland and I've never encountered her style before, but my goodness it's flawless. The colour palette and slightly more 'drawn' feeling really works for this and the amount of thoroughly beautiful imagery and world design is just enthralling. I adore the world, I don't know a lot about the plot, but the world is phenomenal.

As for the story, it's weird. It's about a lady who's lost her body and is inside of a tree-like creature. She's creepy and etherial, beautiful and bloody, and blood certainly seems to be the order of the day too because this is how people work magic within the world (or at least it's one way). The lady and her friend/servant Arclight are travelling together in search of her body and trying to find out what's plaguing their borders. This is at least what I so far understand... I like how it's told, not giving much away, but making you think and ponder and wonder... I definitely can't wait to move on to the next one!

Overall a fab 4.5*s so far and this really has potential!
Profile Image for lesley.
464 reviews12 followers
October 13, 2015
Gorgeous, breathtaking art, a strange story, fascinating, unique characters, and a new written language to use as your own personal cipher. Amazing comic. Would buy it and frame it. Beautiful plants and animals too.
Profile Image for Kylie.
169 reviews2 followers
February 25, 2018
Have you ever read something and finished it and wondered what on earth you just read? That was my experience with this. It was all setting a stage but nothing ever really happened. I liked the bridge, but didn’t understand the blood. The story just fell flat.
Profile Image for Terry Murphy.
437 reviews1 follower
March 22, 2020
I am never quite certain how I feel about romantic fantasy.

I think that in some ways, this genre does exceedingly well on film, or in books.

What I enjoy about it in those mediums: the long ponderous shots, the quiet moments of reflective imagery, simply don't work in the rather short span of a comic book.

That isn't to say that the imaginative work of the writer is lost on me. I'm actually quite partial to the story so far, and I might give it a go if I can find it at a reasonable price.

It would very certainly need to pop up its storytelling to clinch with me for longer than one collected volume though.
Profile Image for 47Time.
3,549 reviews95 followers
August 30, 2017
The art is nice, but the story is nowhere to be found. You just get thrown into it - whatever it is - and hope for the best. The odd fantasy setting got me curious.

Sir and Lady Arclight are exploring a barren-looking land. They save a snake-like creature from death by, I suppose, transferring its soul into a goose. They return to a castle where intrigue sets in.
Profile Image for Komuniststar.
1,402 reviews35 followers
May 27, 2018
Prva epizida je izvrsna ješka. Natuknula je svit izmeju magije i tehnologije, podjeljen rasom i staležom. Crtež i pastelne boje su privlačni, dočaravaju mistiku priče. Definitivno ću potražit sljedeće nastavke.
Profile Image for Tiffany Lynn Kramer.
2,002 reviews11 followers
February 7, 2017
With only 30 pages to go off of it's hard to tell what is going on but I'm interested in finding out.
Profile Image for Shelly.
465 reviews28 followers
May 29, 2017
This was just a tiny taste, I'm confused but intrigued. The artwork is lovely, I'd read more.
4,420 reviews38 followers
June 6, 2020
An murder investigator in a fantasy world.

Good color artwork,image freebie. The look is similar to moibius of heavy metal fame. Involves a made up language? Complex magical system.
Profile Image for NickyQoo.
128 reviews13 followers
May 9, 2017
Okay. I'm interested.
The art's superb. Don't tell me they changed the illustrator next issue.
Profile Image for tee.
69 reviews3 followers
September 15, 2015
It'd be great if Marian Churchland's name was listed underneath the title on goodreads. Y'know, up there ^ (edit: it's been updated!). It's her art that really tells the story in issue 1 of Arclight; a comic I've been so keeeeen to get my hands on. Brandon's kooky story is ace too. It's all kinda weird and dreamy and abstract but anchored with some rad, engaging characters. Can't wait to see what issue 2 offers. Gimme.
Profile Image for Jacqueline Mudge-Cooke.
182 reviews9 followers
January 22, 2016
First of all the art is amazing. The colors make it vivid and lets you know that it's totally a fantasy world. There isn't a whole lot of dialogue, but sometimes less is more and that's what we have here. I am looking forward to issue two because I want to see what has happened to our poor Lady, and what has taken her body and made her in a tree like creature.
Profile Image for Sabrina Hall.
115 reviews5 followers
May 29, 2016
I am so excited about the 8House series. The art is so gorgeous, and I love the fantastical outfits and makeup and gender ambiguity of the characters. This series has multiple storylines that all exist separately in the same universe, thematically connected through different explorations of bodies. Its absolutely brilliant and beautiful and fascinating and so, so good.
Profile Image for Tiffany Fox.
404 reviews10 followers
July 10, 2016
Story is a bit confusing. Reads kind of like a play, where we have a narrator, but then there are clear lines noted with who is speaking. The artwork is very well done and beautiful in its muted tones.
Profile Image for Chris Burkhalter.
43 reviews9 followers
July 16, 2015
Completely enjoyed this - as I expected I would. Really promising start to this series.
Profile Image for Oscar.
217 reviews9 followers
July 10, 2015
Bought this on a whim because the art looked promising; inside it's just as beautiful, and carries the narrative in an organic way. I am very invested in finding out about this new world.
Profile Image for Ness.
26 reviews
July 12, 2015
This was so beautiful, and the characters are really compelling.
Profile Image for Nat.
Author 3 books59 followers
September 6, 2015
So beautiful, really looking forward to this series.
Profile Image for Fleece.
146 reviews6 followers
October 4, 2015
lovely! brandon graham and marian churchland are a wonderful team and i love them
Profile Image for Kate.
44 reviews21 followers
February 17, 2016
the premise of somebody's spirit being stuck in a tree means i bought it. queer lady knight means i'm sold.
Profile Image for kaitlphere.
2,097 reviews39 followers
April 21, 2016
I have so many questions, but the world is beautiful and fantastical and I want to know more!
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews