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House of M
House of M. Marvel Must-Have
Gli Avengers e gli X-Men si ritrovano per decidere il fato di Scarlet, ma prima che possano fare qualcosa la realtà che conoscevano cessa di esistere. La Terra ora è dominata dai mutanti, guidati da Magneto e dai suoi figli. E mentre gli eroi sembrano condurre un’esistenza perfetta, qualcuno non ha dimenticato la propria vita precedente: Wolverine! Un punto di snodo cruciale nella storia Marvel recente, tra le principali fonti d’ispirazione dell’acclamato serial di Disney+ WandaVision.
216 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
About the author
Brian Michael Bendis
4,431 books2,634 followersA comic book writer and erstwhile artist. He has won critical acclaim (including five Eisner Awards) and is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics. For over eight years Bendis’s books have consistently sat in the top five best sellers on the nationwide comic and graphic novel sales charts.
Though he started as a writer and artist of independent noir fiction series, he shot to stardom as a writer of Marvel Comics' superhero books, particularly Ultimate Spider-Man.
Bendis first entered the comic world with the "Jinx" line of crime comics in 1995. This line has spawned the graphic novels Goldfish, Fire, Jinx, Torso (with Marc Andreyko), and Total Sell Out. Bendis is writing the film version of Jinx for Universal Pictures with Oscar-winner Charlize Theron attached to star and produce.
Bendis’s other projects include the Harvey, Eisner, and Eagle Award-nominated Powers (with Michael Avon Oeming) originally from Image Comics, now published by Marvel's new creator-owned imprint Icon Comics, and the Hollywood tell-all Fortune and Glory from Oni Press, both of which received an "A" from Entertainment Weekly.
Bendis is one of the premiere architects of Marvel's "Ultimate" line: comics specifically created for the new generation of comic readers. He has written every issue of Ultimate Spider-Man since its best-selling launch, and has also written for Ultimate Fantastic Four and Ultimate X-Men, as well as every issue of Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, Ultimate Origin and Ultimate Six.
Brian is currently helming a renaissance for Marvel’s AVENGERS franchise by writing both New Avengers and Mighty Avengers along with the successful ‘event’ projects House Of M, Secret War, and this summer’s Secret Invasion.
He has also previously done work on Daredevil, Alias, and The Pulse.
Though he started as a writer and artist of independent noir fiction series, he shot to stardom as a writer of Marvel Comics' superhero books, particularly Ultimate Spider-Man.
Bendis first entered the comic world with the "Jinx" line of crime comics in 1995. This line has spawned the graphic novels Goldfish, Fire, Jinx, Torso (with Marc Andreyko), and Total Sell Out. Bendis is writing the film version of Jinx for Universal Pictures with Oscar-winner Charlize Theron attached to star and produce.
Bendis’s other projects include the Harvey, Eisner, and Eagle Award-nominated Powers (with Michael Avon Oeming) originally from Image Comics, now published by Marvel's new creator-owned imprint Icon Comics, and the Hollywood tell-all Fortune and Glory from Oni Press, both of which received an "A" from Entertainment Weekly.
Bendis is one of the premiere architects of Marvel's "Ultimate" line: comics specifically created for the new generation of comic readers. He has written every issue of Ultimate Spider-Man since its best-selling launch, and has also written for Ultimate Fantastic Four and Ultimate X-Men, as well as every issue of Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, Ultimate Origin and Ultimate Six.
Brian is currently helming a renaissance for Marvel’s AVENGERS franchise by writing both New Avengers and Mighty Avengers along with the successful ‘event’ projects House Of M, Secret War, and this summer’s Secret Invasion.
He has also previously done work on Daredevil, Alias, and The Pulse.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,688 reviews
January 8, 2010
I wanted to do a reread of this one to kind of bone up on everything having to do with Scarlet Witch.
And House of M is the storyline that defines her. At least, the current version of her.
So this takes place after Avengers: Disassembled and deals with the fallout after Xavier fails to help Wanda overcome her mental instability. Her ability to rewrite reality would be disconcerting in an individual with perfect control over their powers. Unfortunately, she is nowhere near any sort of control at this point in time.
The memory of her children and their loss has been too much for her fragile psyche, and not even Xavier can reach her. After exhausting all of his powers to help her, the X-Men and the Avengers are called together by the Professor to decide whether or not Wanda is too dangerous and unstable to be allowed to live.
And when they show up on her doorstep, the world goes white.
I think most people remember this for the famous no more mutants line. And rightly so, because it changed the Marvel universe and its relationship with the X-Men for years to come.
However, there's more to the story than a memorable one-liner.
There's actually a really good what if tale built into House of M that shows what things would be like if our heroes had most of what they wished for out of life. What if mutants were in charge? What if Captain Marvel was the world's most beloved superhero? What if Gwen Stacy & Uncle Ben never died?
This may have gotten mixed reviews when it came out, but I think it's fair to say this is now an iconic storyline. Not only for the X-Men, but also for the larger Marvel universe, and now parts of the story are being pulled for the cinematic universe.
I wouldn't recommend this as a stand-alone because you do need to know what has happened in some of the previous stories.
Here are my personal suggestions:
Vision and the Scarlet Witch (1985-1986) #12
Avengers West Coast #51
Avengers West Coast #52
Avengers: Disassembled
There are certainly more if you want to be a completionist, but if you just want the skinny version, that will give you the birth of her children, the 'death' of her children, and her first meltdown upon remembering what happened.
Recommended!
2010
I've wanted to read this for a while now because there have been so many references to this in other comics that I've read lately. It's nice to finally understand what everyone is talking about.
It was good in a freaky, how-are-they-going-to-fix-this-mess kind of way.
And House of M is the storyline that defines her. At least, the current version of her.
So this takes place after Avengers: Disassembled and deals with the fallout after Xavier fails to help Wanda overcome her mental instability. Her ability to rewrite reality would be disconcerting in an individual with perfect control over their powers. Unfortunately, she is nowhere near any sort of control at this point in time.
The memory of her children and their loss has been too much for her fragile psyche, and not even Xavier can reach her. After exhausting all of his powers to help her, the X-Men and the Avengers are called together by the Professor to decide whether or not Wanda is too dangerous and unstable to be allowed to live.
And when they show up on her doorstep, the world goes white.
I think most people remember this for the famous no more mutants line. And rightly so, because it changed the Marvel universe and its relationship with the X-Men for years to come.
However, there's more to the story than a memorable one-liner.
There's actually a really good what if tale built into House of M that shows what things would be like if our heroes had most of what they wished for out of life. What if mutants were in charge? What if Captain Marvel was the world's most beloved superhero? What if Gwen Stacy & Uncle Ben never died?
This may have gotten mixed reviews when it came out, but I think it's fair to say this is now an iconic storyline. Not only for the X-Men, but also for the larger Marvel universe, and now parts of the story are being pulled for the cinematic universe.
I wouldn't recommend this as a stand-alone because you do need to know what has happened in some of the previous stories.
Here are my personal suggestions:
Vision and the Scarlet Witch (1985-1986) #12
Avengers West Coast #51
Avengers West Coast #52
Avengers: Disassembled
There are certainly more if you want to be a completionist, but if you just want the skinny version, that will give you the birth of her children, the 'death' of her children, and her first meltdown upon remembering what happened.
Recommended!
2010
I've wanted to read this for a while now because there have been so many references to this in other comics that I've read lately. It's nice to finally understand what everyone is talking about.
It was good in a freaky, how-are-they-going-to-fix-this-mess kind of way.
May 12, 2022
The New Avengers, The Avengers and the Astonishing X-Men are brought together and informed by Xavier, Dr Strange and Captain America that they finally have to decide what to do with a problem like the Scarlet Witch, but when they approach her (she's on Genosha with Magneto and Quicksilver) the world turns white - welcome to the House of M reality! Everyone gets what they always wanted in this mutant utopia reality overseen by the House of Magnus. I'm talking Mystique and Rogue at peace with themselves, Summers with Frost, Gwen Stacey, Uncle Ben, a full memoried Logan, top supe Danvers and much much more. In this nirvana only two people retain memories of the 'real reality' debuting teen mutant and deus ex machina story device Layla Miller, and.. Logan!
Any remaining doubts about the Brian Michael Bendis Marvel era are totally dispelled by this tour de force; not only is it a riveting compelling reality and a desperately thrilling saga, it is also has multiple ramifications across the entire Marvel universe culminating in the devastating effect of those three words uttered in the penultimate comic book (House of M #7). The drop dead spot-on characterisation of Spider-Man in a time of reality crisis is a sight to behold, and the tragic plight of Wanda Maximoff touches parts of me that no other story has ever touched. Marvel at its best. 11 out of 12, a top drawer Marvel Universe rarity, a Five Star Read!
2022 read, 2018 read; 2015 read; 2011 read
Any remaining doubts about the Brian Michael Bendis Marvel era are totally dispelled by this tour de force; not only is it a riveting compelling reality and a desperately thrilling saga, it is also has multiple ramifications across the entire Marvel universe culminating in the devastating effect of those three words uttered in the penultimate comic book (House of M #7). The drop dead spot-on characterisation of Spider-Man in a time of reality crisis is a sight to behold, and the tragic plight of Wanda Maximoff touches parts of me that no other story has ever touched. Marvel at its best. 11 out of 12, a top drawer Marvel Universe rarity, a Five Star Read!
2022 read, 2018 read; 2015 read; 2011 read
Read
February 17, 2021it was actually so fun seeing avengers and x-men characters exist in the same universe ngl
had to edit this cus some man in the comments wants to pretend like this review was confusing because i said “mcu” instead of “avengers” now he’s mansplaining things to me.. yuck
had to edit this cus some man in the comments wants to pretend like this review was confusing because i said “mcu” instead of “avengers” now he’s mansplaining things to me.. yuck
December 9, 2014
This is one of the better Marvel crossover event core books.
First, it was written by Brian Michael Bendis, who has a knack for this sort of thing. It covers a lot of ground, yet it’s accessible, interesting, entertaining and most importantly it’s a coherent rendering of the main event unlike other cross over event books like Fear Itself or Inhumanity, which leave you bewildered and angry. You could read this and be satisfied that you’ve got the gist of the story or if you’re interested you could move onto one of the many other tie-in books. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to keep track of a crossover event, whether it was published by DC or Marvel, by chasing down the story thread through different volumes (AvX, Civil War and especially Fear Itself) and come up more confused than when I started.
The basic story: The Scarlet Witch, a mutant who can alter reality, is responsible for the death of a few heroes. There’s a debate as to whether she should be killed or not. To protect herself, reality is altered and Wolverine wakes up to a new world, a world in which mutants are in charge, but the Canucklehead still has his head in the old world. Ooops!
It's a parabolic curve from here to “No more mutants!”
This far reaching crossover impacted Marvel storylines for years.
First, it was written by Brian Michael Bendis, who has a knack for this sort of thing. It covers a lot of ground, yet it’s accessible, interesting, entertaining and most importantly it’s a coherent rendering of the main event unlike other cross over event books like Fear Itself or Inhumanity, which leave you bewildered and angry. You could read this and be satisfied that you’ve got the gist of the story or if you’re interested you could move onto one of the many other tie-in books. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to keep track of a crossover event, whether it was published by DC or Marvel, by chasing down the story thread through different volumes (AvX, Civil War and especially Fear Itself) and come up more confused than when I started.
The basic story: The Scarlet Witch, a mutant who can alter reality, is responsible for the death of a few heroes. There’s a debate as to whether she should be killed or not. To protect herself, reality is altered and Wolverine wakes up to a new world, a world in which mutants are in charge, but the Canucklehead still has his head in the old world. Ooops!
It's a parabolic curve from here to “No more mutants!”
This far reaching crossover impacted Marvel storylines for years.
May 12, 2022
Buddy read with my girl @Leonie💗and the way we absolutely DEVOURED it🤌
First time reading a Marvel comic. My thoughts? Loved it. Will definitely read more in the days to come, it was such a good experience to read about some of my beloved characters and this storyline is so good. The comic illustrations are so beautiful 😍
Through no fault of the story, I should have read the back stories a bit before jumping right into the book cause at times I did feel slightly lost. But it remained a FUN read.
Scarlet Witch is such a badass character, I'm curious to know how her story unfolds. The X-Men and the Avengers in the same universe?! SIGN ME UP💳💳 I can't wait to see them come together in the MCU🤩
Do make sure to check out Leonie's page for insightful and amazing reviews💗
First time reading a Marvel comic. My thoughts? Loved it. Will definitely read more in the days to come, it was such a good experience to read about some of my beloved characters and this storyline is so good. The comic illustrations are so beautiful 😍
Through no fault of the story, I should have read the back stories a bit before jumping right into the book cause at times I did feel slightly lost. But it remained a FUN read.
Scarlet Witch is such a badass character, I'm curious to know how her story unfolds. The X-Men and the Avengers in the same universe?! SIGN ME UP💳💳 I can't wait to see them come together in the MCU🤩
Do make sure to check out Leonie's page for insightful and amazing reviews💗
June 26, 2017
A strong story that Marvel still feels its repercussions!
This TPB edition collects “House of M” #1-8 plus “The Pulse: House of M Special Edition” newspaper.
Creative Team:
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Illustrator: Olivier Coipel
COMMUNICATIONS PROBLEMS
Before getting deep into the review of House of M story, I want to comment about the communication problems between the creative team and the guys whom did the covers for each single issue of the event.
I am telling this, since while the variant covers seems to be more accurate, even those had some of the same troubles than the regular covers, where it seemed that the creative team didn’t explain to the cover artists that Dr. Doom would look different in this event, even some used altered looks in the covers aren’t accurate with the inner look in the story; Spider-man costume would be changed; Magneto and his children won’t use their usual costumes in the story; just for saying what I notice easier.
Ok, I took out that from my chest, now we can proceed with more relevant matters.
WANDA MAXIMOFF: EARTH’S MOST DANGEROUS WOMAN
In previous storylines from The Avengers titles, Wanda Maximoff (aka The Scarlet Witch) got mind controlled with an unforgivable outcome…
…Hawkeye, Ant-Man (Hank Pym) and The Vision are no more. They’re dead.
Wanda’s Hex Powers got so off scale that Doctor Strange needed to intervene to stop her.
The Avengers are devastated and got disassembled.
Magneto and Professor X too away Wanda and they tried to help her to cure her very fractured mind where her desire to be mother are too overwhelming, but they’re losing her and they’re affraid of what Wanda may do next, since her mutant powers got so pumped that she basically can do anything she wants.
Professor X summons to the Stark Tower, to the Avengers and the X-Men, since due Wanda’s status of being a mutant and a member of the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, her future is an issue that concerns to both super-hero teams.
And it seems that they aren’t much options to deal with the crisis but…
THE HOUSE THAT WANDA BUILT
In a moment, there is a joint strike team of the Avengers and the X-Men about to engage against the Scarlet Witch…
…and in the next moment…
…a brave new world is born!
The mutants are no longer a despised race, but instead now the mutantkind is the ruling species on Earth, with the House of Magnus: Eric Magnus (Magneto) and his children Pietro (Quicksilver), Lorna (Polaris) and Wanda, as the royal family with control over the whole world.
Now, you’re only chance of success in any line of business or politics is if you’re a mutant or if you have tight connections with a mutant.
Mutants in power! Humans eating the leftovers!
And it seems that this has been the way since the 1960s…
…but there is a mutant who remembers the history in a different way…
…Wolverine.
ENTER: LAYLA MILLER… SHE KNOWS STUFF.
Wolverine has been under so many memory erasing procedures that his brain is so f…ed up that even Wanda’s new version of life was able to hold to his already messed up memories.
Wolverine knows that something is very wrong with reality.
But he’s not the only one…
…meet Layla Miller, a teenager from Hell’s Kitchen,…
…she knows stuff…
…and the stuff that she knows is quite a bit…
…and not only that, but she’s able to make others to “see” what should be their lives.
However, you don’t need to know what Layla knows to foreseen that there is a super-powered battle in the horizon, BUT…
…nobody could anticípate the catastrophic repercussions due this event that even nowdays, twelve years later, the Marvel Universe still feels them.
This TPB edition collects “House of M” #1-8 plus “The Pulse: House of M Special Edition” newspaper.
Creative Team:
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Illustrator: Olivier Coipel
COMMUNICATIONS PROBLEMS
Before getting deep into the review of House of M story, I want to comment about the communication problems between the creative team and the guys whom did the covers for each single issue of the event.
I am telling this, since while the variant covers seems to be more accurate, even those had some of the same troubles than the regular covers, where it seemed that the creative team didn’t explain to the cover artists that Dr. Doom would look different in this event, even some used altered looks in the covers aren’t accurate with the inner look in the story; Spider-man costume would be changed; Magneto and his children won’t use their usual costumes in the story; just for saying what I notice easier.
Ok, I took out that from my chest, now we can proceed with more relevant matters.
WANDA MAXIMOFF: EARTH’S MOST DANGEROUS WOMAN
In previous storylines from The Avengers titles, Wanda Maximoff (aka The Scarlet Witch) got mind controlled with an unforgivable outcome…
…Hawkeye, Ant-Man (Hank Pym) and The Vision are no more. They’re dead.
Wanda’s Hex Powers got so off scale that Doctor Strange needed to intervene to stop her.
The Avengers are devastated and got disassembled.
Magneto and Professor X too away Wanda and they tried to help her to cure her very fractured mind where her desire to be mother are too overwhelming, but they’re losing her and they’re affraid of what Wanda may do next, since her mutant powers got so pumped that she basically can do anything she wants.
Professor X summons to the Stark Tower, to the Avengers and the X-Men, since due Wanda’s status of being a mutant and a member of the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, her future is an issue that concerns to both super-hero teams.
And it seems that they aren’t much options to deal with the crisis but…
THE HOUSE THAT WANDA BUILT
In a moment, there is a joint strike team of the Avengers and the X-Men about to engage against the Scarlet Witch…
…and in the next moment…
…a brave new world is born!
The mutants are no longer a despised race, but instead now the mutantkind is the ruling species on Earth, with the House of Magnus: Eric Magnus (Magneto) and his children Pietro (Quicksilver), Lorna (Polaris) and Wanda, as the royal family with control over the whole world.
Now, you’re only chance of success in any line of business or politics is if you’re a mutant or if you have tight connections with a mutant.
Mutants in power! Humans eating the leftovers!
And it seems that this has been the way since the 1960s…
…but there is a mutant who remembers the history in a different way…
…Wolverine.
ENTER: LAYLA MILLER… SHE KNOWS STUFF.
Wolverine has been under so many memory erasing procedures that his brain is so f…ed up that even Wanda’s new version of life was able to hold to his already messed up memories.
Wolverine knows that something is very wrong with reality.
But he’s not the only one…
…meet Layla Miller, a teenager from Hell’s Kitchen,…
…she knows stuff…
…and the stuff that she knows is quite a bit…
…and not only that, but she’s able to make others to “see” what should be their lives.
However, you don’t need to know what Layla knows to foreseen that there is a super-powered battle in the horizon, BUT…
…nobody could anticípate the catastrophic repercussions due this event that even nowdays, twelve years later, the Marvel Universe still feels them.
January 4, 2021
"Magneto turned himself from 'exiled mass murderer' to 'king of the world.' There ain't no X-Men. There ain't no Avengers. Mutants run the place - a damn mutant utopia." -- Wolverine, summing up the plot rather nicely in just a few sentences of expositionary dialogue
I think that, in theory, the teaming of Marvel's stalwart superhero teams the X-Men and the Avengers should be a guaranteed sure thing. And yet, my enthusiasm for this volume is definitely restrained to the point of a middle-of-the-road rating. Oh, the artwork is exceptionally good, and the dialogue-heavy scenes in the beginning (with the two groups thoughtfully debating on a course of action on a serious matter - that being the life or death of Wanda 'Scarlet Witch' Maximoff - and juggling a fair number of talking heads) are well-written. However, the storyline - which involved that serviceable plot angle of 'the mysterious event,' where our various characters wake up and life as they know it has changed tenfold - seemed a little too protracted at times, and I realized that I was looking forward to the conclusion . . . but only that I could then move on to another book.
I think that, in theory, the teaming of Marvel's stalwart superhero teams the X-Men and the Avengers should be a guaranteed sure thing. And yet, my enthusiasm for this volume is definitely restrained to the point of a middle-of-the-road rating. Oh, the artwork is exceptionally good, and the dialogue-heavy scenes in the beginning (with the two groups thoughtfully debating on a course of action on a serious matter - that being the life or death of Wanda 'Scarlet Witch' Maximoff - and juggling a fair number of talking heads) are well-written. However, the storyline - which involved that serviceable plot angle of 'the mysterious event,' where our various characters wake up and life as they know it has changed tenfold - seemed a little too protracted at times, and I realized that I was looking forward to the conclusion . . . but only that I could then move on to another book.
August 22, 2015
So I've never been a consistent comic reader and the unfortunate result is things can wildly change from one iteration to another. I saw it in Marvel Civil War when Nitro blew up Wolverine right down to his adamantium skeleton and two seconds later he was fully flesh and blood again. Another example happened here in House of M. I grew up remembering Scarlet Witch like this...
...you know glowing hands, red lingerie, and not that big of a deal, but now she does things like this...
...umm well wow. Just wow. At this point I'd just give her whatever she wants and when Apocalypse, Galactus, or whoever comes then I'd plead with her to just dissolve the threat.
Anyway so the story revolves around everyone being terrified of The Scarlet Witch and our heroes are debating if they should kill her on not. As if they could. I mean honestly if she was so easy to take down they wouldn't be having that conversation. Wanda finds out when they are coming to see her and she alters the whole world. The characters wake up in a world dominated by mutants and other super powered individuals.
I enjoyed House of M. It was fun to see so many of Marvel's finest together before and after Wanda changes the world. It was a bit crazy to see her demonstrate so much power along with witnessing how she chose to use it. The crossover is fun as the whole event is wrapped up in a single volume. For those who truly loved the concept there is a multitude of companion comics of the individual heroes in this new world.
...you know glowing hands, red lingerie, and not that big of a deal, but now she does things like this...
...umm well wow. Just wow. At this point I'd just give her whatever she wants and when Apocalypse, Galactus, or whoever comes then I'd plead with her to just dissolve the threat.
Anyway so the story revolves around everyone being terrified of The Scarlet Witch and our heroes are debating if they should kill her on not. As if they could. I mean honestly if she was so easy to take down they wouldn't be having that conversation. Wanda finds out when they are coming to see her and she alters the whole world. The characters wake up in a world dominated by mutants and other super powered individuals.
I enjoyed House of M. It was fun to see so many of Marvel's finest together before and after Wanda changes the world. It was a bit crazy to see her demonstrate so much power along with witnessing how she chose to use it. The crossover is fun as the whole event is wrapped up in a single volume. For those who truly loved the concept there is a multitude of companion comics of the individual heroes in this new world.
July 31, 2012
The Scarlet Witch has gone crazy after killing some of her fellow Avengers leaving the hero team along with the X-Men pondering what to do with her – do they kill her for what’s she done or because her powers have become unstable? Before they have a chance to decide anything she uses everything she has to change the world into a mutant utopia where humans are hounded and giving each mutant their heart’s desire.
Brian Michael Bendis writes a fascinating event book the equivalent of DC’s “Elseworlds” series where we step through the looking-glass into an alternate world representing the ultimate what if…? What if Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy were married? What if Scott Summers and Emma Frost were together? What if Xavier were dead and there were no X-Men – what would take their place? What if Magneto – head of the House of M – were ruler of the world?
While I thought the book was a great read there were a few things that bothered me. Scarlet Witch is just too powerful. She can change the world in the blink of an eye? It’s too much, not even Phoenix was that powerful. She goes from a mutant to Titan status in this one book before going back to mutant at the end. It’s a bit contrived.
Also the premise of giving everyone “what they most desire” is a bit selective: was it Rogue and Nightcrawler’s wish to become underlings to Wolverine? How about all Luke Cage’s followers – did they desire most to be Cage’s lackeys? I imagine each mutant would most desire to have the same status as, say, Spiderman or Wolverine – that is to say, be in the spotlight, the centre of attention. I thought it was unfortunate that Bendis left out Thor and Hulk who would’ve been interesting choices for this kind of storyline, though I did think his choice for Cap was very revealing in a touching and clever way.
The panel layouts are annoying too. Some panels stretch across two pages and then the panels beneath it stack up so it’s unclear whether they’re to be read up-down or across left/right. It’s either Bendis or the artist Oliver Coipel’s fault but it was overly complicated when it didn’t need to be. Very poorly thought out.
But these are minor gripes, I enjoyed the book and felt Bendis did a fine job of telling a great alterna-take on the Marvel Universe. Original and well written, “House of M” is for superhero comics fans looking for a different take on a raft of classic characters.
Brian Michael Bendis writes a fascinating event book the equivalent of DC’s “Elseworlds” series where we step through the looking-glass into an alternate world representing the ultimate what if…? What if Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy were married? What if Scott Summers and Emma Frost were together? What if Xavier were dead and there were no X-Men – what would take their place? What if Magneto – head of the House of M – were ruler of the world?
While I thought the book was a great read there were a few things that bothered me. Scarlet Witch is just too powerful. She can change the world in the blink of an eye? It’s too much, not even Phoenix was that powerful. She goes from a mutant to Titan status in this one book before going back to mutant at the end. It’s a bit contrived.
Also the premise of giving everyone “what they most desire” is a bit selective: was it Rogue and Nightcrawler’s wish to become underlings to Wolverine? How about all Luke Cage’s followers – did they desire most to be Cage’s lackeys? I imagine each mutant would most desire to have the same status as, say, Spiderman or Wolverine – that is to say, be in the spotlight, the centre of attention. I thought it was unfortunate that Bendis left out Thor and Hulk who would’ve been interesting choices for this kind of storyline, though I did think his choice for Cap was very revealing in a touching and clever way.
The panel layouts are annoying too. Some panels stretch across two pages and then the panels beneath it stack up so it’s unclear whether they’re to be read up-down or across left/right. It’s either Bendis or the artist Oliver Coipel’s fault but it was overly complicated when it didn’t need to be. Very poorly thought out.
But these are minor gripes, I enjoyed the book and felt Bendis did a fine job of telling a great alterna-take on the Marvel Universe. Original and well written, “House of M” is for superhero comics fans looking for a different take on a raft of classic characters.
February 13, 2021
This was a great jump back into the Marvel Comic universe for me. I’ve long had it recommended to me as one of the best.
House Of M is a very strong crossover comic, it handles featuring a large amount of characters very well.
My favourite heroes; Doctor Strange, Scarlet Witch and Spider-man all feature in some good moments throughout the 8 issues, which I was happy about.
But this is mostly an X-Men story, which follows Wolverine. He awakens to a new world where the mutants are now in charge and it is about him getting used to that. This is after Scarlet Witch has altered reality with her powers. It was being discussed whether she should be killed after her losing control of her powers results in three Avengers being killed.
There’s a lovely sibling-bonding moment between Wanda (Scarlet Witch) and Pietro (Quicksilver) as well. It shows Pietro really cares for his twin sister, that’s an unbreakable bond.
I have been really enjoying the Wandavision TV show, and have grown to really like Wanda as a character. Her powers really are on full display during this storyline.
The ramifications of House Of M affects the subsequent Marvel storylines for years to come.
This was my first time reading a graphic novel on my Kindle, and I must admit it took me a little while to get used to zooming in on the pages and I would keep accidentally skipping pages and have to skip back.
House Of M is a very strong crossover comic, it handles featuring a large amount of characters very well.
My favourite heroes; Doctor Strange, Scarlet Witch and Spider-man all feature in some good moments throughout the 8 issues, which I was happy about.
But this is mostly an X-Men story, which follows Wolverine. He awakens to a new world where the mutants are now in charge and it is about him getting used to that. This is after Scarlet Witch has altered reality with her powers. It was being discussed whether she should be killed after her losing control of her powers results in three Avengers being killed.
There’s a lovely sibling-bonding moment between Wanda (Scarlet Witch) and Pietro (Quicksilver) as well. It shows Pietro really cares for his twin sister, that’s an unbreakable bond.
I have been really enjoying the Wandavision TV show, and have grown to really like Wanda as a character. Her powers really are on full display during this storyline.
The ramifications of House Of M affects the subsequent Marvel storylines for years to come.
This was my first time reading a graphic novel on my Kindle, and I must admit it took me a little while to get used to zooming in on the pages and I would keep accidentally skipping pages and have to skip back.
January 30, 2021
All the references to House of M (Magnus) recently because of the new WandaVision episode has gotten me all anxious and suddenly too curious and annoyed about my knowledge of the Marvel Universe.
I mean, I am reasonably aware of all the big storylines. I just happen to know next to nothing about the House of M storyline.
But now, I know. And I'm loving it.
It's all Wanda, baby. It's all Wanda. So much power. Sooooo much power. And she's nuts. Muahahahaha
I mean, I am reasonably aware of all the big storylines. I just happen to know next to nothing about the House of M storyline.
But now, I know. And I'm loving it.
It's all Wanda, baby. It's all Wanda. So much power. Sooooo much power. And she's nuts. Muahahahaha
May 28, 2021
When hearing the TV series "WandaVision" was coming out, I wanted to read whatever source material I could find on the Scarlet Witch, this was the first comic I started with.
(I now realize this was published in 2005, if I wanted a better understanding, being a semi noob, I should have started with the other two comics I mention below, first.)
The artwork is fantastic! I loved the pixilated Scarlet Witch cover variation, that one is my absolute favorite! —Colorful, bright, the illustrator showed movement extremely well. I also enjoyed the X-Men/Avengers/Mutant, plotline.
Because I am not a super fan, but still enjoy superheroes, I was left with some questions at the end of my first read. If it's not laid out before me in a newer world, I miss it. Thankfully, I have a super fan in the house that can help me fill in the gaps.
After watching the TV series, I did a re-read of "The House of M". I had a significantly clearer understanding of the time-altering realities and timelines which was confusing me the first go around.
In the epilogue, was an array of cool insight!
—Sketches of rough drafts between author and illustrator, comic book development, detailed character descriptions, and a glimpse into "Secrets of The House of M".
Check me in for the next comic!
I also borrowed these Scarlet Witch comics to read next!
• Avengers: Vision and the Scarlet Witch (1982)
• Avengers: Vision and the Scarlet Witch -A Year In The Life (1985-1986)
Other characters I'm interested in checking out: CLOAK
I borrowed this comic from the Amazon Prime Reading Program. I was under no obligation to write a review, my honest opinion is given voluntarily.
(I now realize this was published in 2005, if I wanted a better understanding, being a semi noob, I should have started with the other two comics I mention below, first.)
The artwork is fantastic! I loved the pixilated Scarlet Witch cover variation, that one is my absolute favorite! —Colorful, bright, the illustrator showed movement extremely well. I also enjoyed the X-Men/Avengers/Mutant, plotline.
Because I am not a super fan, but still enjoy superheroes, I was left with some questions at the end of my first read. If it's not laid out before me in a newer world, I miss it. Thankfully, I have a super fan in the house that can help me fill in the gaps.
After watching the TV series, I did a re-read of "The House of M". I had a significantly clearer understanding of the time-altering realities and timelines which was confusing me the first go around.
In the epilogue, was an array of cool insight!
—Sketches of rough drafts between author and illustrator, comic book development, detailed character descriptions, and a glimpse into "Secrets of The House of M".
Check me in for the next comic!
I also borrowed these Scarlet Witch comics to read next!
• Avengers: Vision and the Scarlet Witch (1982)
• Avengers: Vision and the Scarlet Witch -A Year In The Life (1985-1986)
Other characters I'm interested in checking out: CLOAK
I borrowed this comic from the Amazon Prime Reading Program. I was under no obligation to write a review, my honest opinion is given voluntarily.
March 23, 2015
I originally intended to review all eight issues individually but due to some unforeseen time restraints IRL, I decided to simply post a single official review for its overall collection instead. And let me tell you something: writer Brian Michael Endis and artist Oliver Coipel have composed a formidable and pristine piece of comic book storytelling in the unbelievably catastrophic major event of House of M which had been dubbed ominously as "M-Day." And for a rather distressing reason at that.
M-Day not only affected X-Men's universe but also a great portion of the Marvelverse. Picking up right after the events of Planet X and Avengers Disassembled, as well as Claremont's Excalibur III, House of M explores the turbulent effects of Wanda Maximoff's degrading mental state as the Scarlet Witch. Something just broke inside the poor woman, and she went on in a blind rampage, killing a few of the Avengers she and her twin brother Pietro (Quicksilver) have been a part of.
Because of this disaster, their father, Magneto, who had been declared officially dead to the world at large but was in truth living with Charles Xavier so they can restore Genosha together (Excalibur III) was forced out of hiding in the shadows so he can whisk her away to safety. He sought Xavier's help to cure her but in the last six months even the world's greatest telepathic mind could not mend what was so broken in Wanda's psyche.
The House of M arc is composed of a grand total of fifty-three issues, crossovering with titles such as The Uncanny X-Men, The Incredible Hulk, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Cable and Deadpool, Spider-Man, Captain America, to name a few. However, I only decided to touch upon the major eight-issued series which contained this volume and it's been one of the most stressful and exhilarating adventure I've ever had the pleasure of reading!
What was immediately exciting about this story is the fact that the ensemble of cast featured (X-Men, the Avengers, Dr. Strange and other Marvel characters with a direct connection with either group) was gathered together for a strong purpose and whose stories were scattered and sometimes necessarily explored rather well in each issue. Writing-wise, this could have easily been clattered and confusing, but Bendis excellently divided the characters within groups and glossed over the finest details with a concise and cohesive sense of narrative and action without overwhelming the readers nor diluting the importance of these subplots. The build-up and suspense were present issue after issue, leaving readers definitely invested on what will happen next which is something I know is never always a sure route when it comes to crossover events in comics. I believe that House of M excelled in this respect, reeling in readers, weaving them into the fabric of the narrative, and untangling the seams and threads only when there is no other choice for them but to unravel. And it's quite an experience because not only do readers look forward to the climactic confrontations and resolutions, but they are also interested in the way these game-changing events have affected the characters as individuals and as a unit.
Speaking of the latter, there were clear standouts that grabbed my attention with their characterizations for this story: Peter Parker, Emma Frost, Wanda and Pietro, and Hawkeye. These characters were fascinating and a little bit heartbreaking to read about because I felt for them during their experiences during M-Day. Basically, to evade the X-Men and the Avengers, Magneto, Wanda and Pietro hide out in a new reality the Scarlet Witch created where it's the humans who are the minority and the mutants are free to do whatever they want since it's their world now. This means that every character in the Marvelverse had their lives rewritten for them, and it was later revealed that the Scarlet Witch was able to achieve this by combining her powers with Charles Xavier's whose mind she's been connected with for six months now when he was trying to mend her.
The only one who seemed to recognize that it was all an illusion was Wolverine, given his overall constitution and the fact that he had been mind-wiped so many times that once he actually remembered all the events in his life in the new world Wanda created, he immediately knew something was not right. He started to seek out the other heroes with the help of this mysterious girl named Layla Miller who can somehow restore memories once she comes in contact with them. Afterwards, a race to confront House of Magnus begins.
SPOILERS EXTRAVAGANZA AHEAD!
It's a widely acceptable notion to believe that it was Magneto who orchestrated all of this. After all, he wanted mutants to rule and govern as the superior species while humankind becomes the secondary citizens of the world in return. Scarlet Witch's new world was the utopia he had always wanted and so once the heroes recovered their memories and discovered the truth, they were livid because everything about this version of reality has Magneto's propaganda written all over it. But by the last two issues, Dr. Strange had a conversation with Wanda herself while she was tending to her imaginary children and he uncovered that it was her twin brother Pietro who had begged her to "cast a spell" on everyone in Marvelverse using her mutant powers of reality-bending. He did it because Pietro had always been so viciously protective of Wanda and seeing that their own estranged father was helpless to stop the X-Men and the Avengers from taking away (or even possibly killing Wanda), he convinces his sister, whose mind is already damaged to begin with, to "give everyone their heart's desire" in a new world she would construct. And so their will be done. Scarlet Witch reached Xavier to tap his powers and unite them with hers.
Forgive me for inserting some Cherik commentary by this part of the review but I think it needs to be said. When Pietro requested that the new world will be able to give everyone's desire, this also includes the accomplishment of their own father's goals, and he is by now the sole ruler of the entire world under the House of M. Magneto is living in a clearly utopic Genosha (a place he and Charles have spent some gruelling time on during Excalibur III). However, it's worth nothing that, in this version of reality, his long-time best friend is dead. That was the price to pay for the ultimate realization of a dream he shared with the said man. And that explains why Erik Lehnsherr actually looks miserable, in spite of getting everything he desired since the beginning; a peaceful world where mutants are the majority while his family is intact. That should be suffice to explain why he was so goddamn infuriated when he found out what Pietro and Wanda did.
So my question is--and please, hear this on every level--HOW WOULD ANYONE EXPECT HIM TO LIVE IN A WORLD WITHOUT CHARLES XAVIER? Add that to the list of reasons why he was angry for what the twins did. Now this is actually a plausible theory, okay? I mean, he did play house with Charles instead of informing his own children that he's not dead. It's a good thing this remains unsaid because that's just going to further piss off Pietro and Wanda. They already feel neglected as it is and for years by their father. They don't want to hear the fact that he didn't even write, he didn't even call, but rather just straight-up eloped with his boyfriend in Genosha and continued to fake his death. YIKES.
Look at this miserable sack of sad shit. He wanted to rule the world but not without his oldest friend by his side.
Back to more serious matters: it looks like Magneto can still hurt his children worse that he already has which sucks sweaty donkey balls because he had all these heartfelt retrospection in Claremont's Excalibur III where he wants to be a better father and all that. So what the fucking fuckity fuck did you just do, Mags? Look, I get you're mad that Pietro and Wanda seem to think that a world without your boyfriend Chuck is something you desire the most, but it's not like you were ever open about that relationship with them. Also, don't be a fucking hypocrite and scold them for their arrogance because they believe they are better than everyone else. YOU GODDAMN TAUGHT THEM THAT, JERK. Clearly, this will piss off Wanda because it's not like she has any idea that Magneto has undergone some thoughtful changes in his outlook and philosophy during his stay in Gensoha with Charles. So hearing him say bullshit like that made her skin crawl.
OH, AND HE JUST KILLED PIETRO BY DROPPING AN ENTIRE INFRASTRUCTURE ON HIM.
FUCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKK!!!! Consider it a blessing that Charles is not alive to see what you have done, Erik!
So after Wanda resurrects her bro, she has every right to vehemently call out Magneto right there and then:
Driven to despair and already fragile and remorseful, Magneto hammers the last nail on Wanda's proverbial coffin of sanity by murdering her brother in front of her so now she makes this grand proclamation that I believe was only uttered as a whisper but with a level of apathy and reverence that would chill anyone who reads it:
And the Scarlet Witch proceeds to remake the world again, depowering almost every mutant across the world, leaving only a scattered few with their powers still intact, including some of the adult X-Men while the students of Xavier School were not even spared. Even Magneto can't even move a fucking fork. And it serves him right. Wanda's utter decimation of mutantkind made Cassandra Nova and the Sentinels laying Genosha to waste before seem like a practical joke. What Wanda Maximoff did was just...frightening and borne out of sadness and a desperation for love, just as Charles had said in the final issue of Excalibur III.
All she and her brother ever wanted was a father and a family where they could be accepted and truly belong to. They tried to find these things with the Avengers and in making the world a better place--but the one person whom they wanted love and affection from the most, their own father, considered to be a terrorist and a hard man through and through, has failed to give them that, and then hurt them in ways that can never heal. And so this is Wanda lashing out for the last time, which also happened to tragically affect everyone else in the process.
At its core, M-Day just proves that the world as we know it can end not with a bang but with a whimper.
An exemplary and well-crafted tale that is briskly paced and shocking, House of M is an enduring comic book you must have on your shelf. I might get around to reading the crossover titles for this arc some time but for now I would like to focus on reading and reviewing the next chapter of this game-changing event, more specifically Deadly Genesis, Messiah Complex and Second Coming volumes. I won't be updating my X-Men reviews this holy week because I'm going on a family trip but I'll also be reading Magneto Testament which is a rather gruesome material about young Erik's time at the Nazi camps which I considered only appropriate to browse after reading this.
RECOMMENDED: 9/10
DO READ MY REVIEWS AT:
M-Day not only affected X-Men's universe but also a great portion of the Marvelverse. Picking up right after the events of Planet X and Avengers Disassembled, as well as Claremont's Excalibur III, House of M explores the turbulent effects of Wanda Maximoff's degrading mental state as the Scarlet Witch. Something just broke inside the poor woman, and she went on in a blind rampage, killing a few of the Avengers she and her twin brother Pietro (Quicksilver) have been a part of.
Because of this disaster, their father, Magneto, who had been declared officially dead to the world at large but was in truth living with Charles Xavier so they can restore Genosha together (Excalibur III) was forced out of hiding in the shadows so he can whisk her away to safety. He sought Xavier's help to cure her but in the last six months even the world's greatest telepathic mind could not mend what was so broken in Wanda's psyche.
The House of M arc is composed of a grand total of fifty-three issues, crossovering with titles such as The Uncanny X-Men, The Incredible Hulk, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Cable and Deadpool, Spider-Man, Captain America, to name a few. However, I only decided to touch upon the major eight-issued series which contained this volume and it's been one of the most stressful and exhilarating adventure I've ever had the pleasure of reading!
What was immediately exciting about this story is the fact that the ensemble of cast featured (X-Men, the Avengers, Dr. Strange and other Marvel characters with a direct connection with either group) was gathered together for a strong purpose and whose stories were scattered and sometimes necessarily explored rather well in each issue. Writing-wise, this could have easily been clattered and confusing, but Bendis excellently divided the characters within groups and glossed over the finest details with a concise and cohesive sense of narrative and action without overwhelming the readers nor diluting the importance of these subplots. The build-up and suspense were present issue after issue, leaving readers definitely invested on what will happen next which is something I know is never always a sure route when it comes to crossover events in comics. I believe that House of M excelled in this respect, reeling in readers, weaving them into the fabric of the narrative, and untangling the seams and threads only when there is no other choice for them but to unravel. And it's quite an experience because not only do readers look forward to the climactic confrontations and resolutions, but they are also interested in the way these game-changing events have affected the characters as individuals and as a unit.
Speaking of the latter, there were clear standouts that grabbed my attention with their characterizations for this story: Peter Parker, Emma Frost, Wanda and Pietro, and Hawkeye. These characters were fascinating and a little bit heartbreaking to read about because I felt for them during their experiences during M-Day. Basically, to evade the X-Men and the Avengers, Magneto, Wanda and Pietro hide out in a new reality the Scarlet Witch created where it's the humans who are the minority and the mutants are free to do whatever they want since it's their world now. This means that every character in the Marvelverse had their lives rewritten for them, and it was later revealed that the Scarlet Witch was able to achieve this by combining her powers with Charles Xavier's whose mind she's been connected with for six months now when he was trying to mend her.
The only one who seemed to recognize that it was all an illusion was Wolverine, given his overall constitution and the fact that he had been mind-wiped so many times that once he actually remembered all the events in his life in the new world Wanda created, he immediately knew something was not right. He started to seek out the other heroes with the help of this mysterious girl named Layla Miller who can somehow restore memories once she comes in contact with them. Afterwards, a race to confront House of Magnus begins.
SPOILERS EXTRAVAGANZA AHEAD!
It's a widely acceptable notion to believe that it was Magneto who orchestrated all of this. After all, he wanted mutants to rule and govern as the superior species while humankind becomes the secondary citizens of the world in return. Scarlet Witch's new world was the utopia he had always wanted and so once the heroes recovered their memories and discovered the truth, they were livid because everything about this version of reality has Magneto's propaganda written all over it. But by the last two issues, Dr. Strange had a conversation with Wanda herself while she was tending to her imaginary children and he uncovered that it was her twin brother Pietro who had begged her to "cast a spell" on everyone in Marvelverse using her mutant powers of reality-bending. He did it because Pietro had always been so viciously protective of Wanda and seeing that their own estranged father was helpless to stop the X-Men and the Avengers from taking away (or even possibly killing Wanda), he convinces his sister, whose mind is already damaged to begin with, to "give everyone their heart's desire" in a new world she would construct. And so their will be done. Scarlet Witch reached Xavier to tap his powers and unite them with hers.
Forgive me for inserting some Cherik commentary by this part of the review but I think it needs to be said. When Pietro requested that the new world will be able to give everyone's desire, this also includes the accomplishment of their own father's goals, and he is by now the sole ruler of the entire world under the House of M. Magneto is living in a clearly utopic Genosha (a place he and Charles have spent some gruelling time on during Excalibur III). However, it's worth nothing that, in this version of reality, his long-time best friend is dead. That was the price to pay for the ultimate realization of a dream he shared with the said man. And that explains why Erik Lehnsherr actually looks miserable, in spite of getting everything he desired since the beginning; a peaceful world where mutants are the majority while his family is intact. That should be suffice to explain why he was so goddamn infuriated when he found out what Pietro and Wanda did.
So my question is--and please, hear this on every level--HOW WOULD ANYONE EXPECT HIM TO LIVE IN A WORLD WITHOUT CHARLES XAVIER? Add that to the list of reasons why he was angry for what the twins did. Now this is actually a plausible theory, okay? I mean, he did play house with Charles instead of informing his own children that he's not dead. It's a good thing this remains unsaid because that's just going to further piss off Pietro and Wanda. They already feel neglected as it is and for years by their father. They don't want to hear the fact that he didn't even write, he didn't even call, but rather just straight-up eloped with his boyfriend in Genosha and continued to fake his death. YIKES.
Look at this miserable sack of sad shit. He wanted to rule the world but not without his oldest friend by his side.
Back to more serious matters: it looks like Magneto can still hurt his children worse that he already has which sucks sweaty donkey balls because he had all these heartfelt retrospection in Claremont's Excalibur III where he wants to be a better father and all that. So what the fucking fuckity fuck did you just do, Mags? Look, I get you're mad that Pietro and Wanda seem to think that a world without your boyfriend Chuck is something you desire the most, but it's not like you were ever open about that relationship with them. Also, don't be a fucking hypocrite and scold them for their arrogance because they believe they are better than everyone else. YOU GODDAMN TAUGHT THEM THAT, JERK. Clearly, this will piss off Wanda because it's not like she has any idea that Magneto has undergone some thoughtful changes in his outlook and philosophy during his stay in Gensoha with Charles. So hearing him say bullshit like that made her skin crawl.
OH, AND HE JUST KILLED PIETRO BY DROPPING AN ENTIRE INFRASTRUCTURE ON HIM.
FUCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKK!!!! Consider it a blessing that Charles is not alive to see what you have done, Erik!
So after Wanda resurrects her bro, she has every right to vehemently call out Magneto right there and then:
Driven to despair and already fragile and remorseful, Magneto hammers the last nail on Wanda's proverbial coffin of sanity by murdering her brother in front of her so now she makes this grand proclamation that I believe was only uttered as a whisper but with a level of apathy and reverence that would chill anyone who reads it:
And the Scarlet Witch proceeds to remake the world again, depowering almost every mutant across the world, leaving only a scattered few with their powers still intact, including some of the adult X-Men while the students of Xavier School were not even spared. Even Magneto can't even move a fucking fork. And it serves him right. Wanda's utter decimation of mutantkind made Cassandra Nova and the Sentinels laying Genosha to waste before seem like a practical joke. What Wanda Maximoff did was just...frightening and borne out of sadness and a desperation for love, just as Charles had said in the final issue of Excalibur III.
All she and her brother ever wanted was a father and a family where they could be accepted and truly belong to. They tried to find these things with the Avengers and in making the world a better place--but the one person whom they wanted love and affection from the most, their own father, considered to be a terrorist and a hard man through and through, has failed to give them that, and then hurt them in ways that can never heal. And so this is Wanda lashing out for the last time, which also happened to tragically affect everyone else in the process.
At its core, M-Day just proves that the world as we know it can end not with a bang but with a whimper.
An exemplary and well-crafted tale that is briskly paced and shocking, House of M is an enduring comic book you must have on your shelf. I might get around to reading the crossover titles for this arc some time but for now I would like to focus on reading and reviewing the next chapter of this game-changing event, more specifically Deadly Genesis, Messiah Complex and Second Coming volumes. I won't be updating my X-Men reviews this holy week because I'm going on a family trip but I'll also be reading Magneto Testament which is a rather gruesome material about young Erik's time at the Nazi camps which I considered only appropriate to browse after reading this.
RECOMMENDED: 9/10
DO READ MY REVIEWS AT:
May 12, 2022
This was a buddy read with my bestie @SK (if you haven´t checked out her profile yet, feel free to do so. She is amazing and her reviews are always good)
This was the first ever Marvel comic for both of us, so we are trying to get into the Comic-verse here after both being big fans of the movies for several years.
I have to say, I loved every second of it. My only complaint is that it wasn´t longer.
First of all the illustrations are just beautiful, the colors, the drawings, everything. I love that I bought this in the paperback format and I feel like it was worth every cent.
I loved the family relationship, especially the sibling relationship between Wanda and Pietro. I can see the parts of House of M that were used for the movie Multiverse of Madness which is so cool.
Some parts were a bit confusing to me, since we more or less started in the middle of the comics, so some characters were new to me and I needed a bit to get to know that.
But it was so amazing to read about the characters that you know and love from the movies. This definitely won´t be my last Marvel comic and I am excited to dive into the comic world of Marvel and read more about this fantastic characters.
Overall it was an amazing read that I really loved. It felt like something new but something known at the same time which I really liked. I am looking forward to continue my journey with Marvel comics.
Thanks to my bestie for starting this journey with me and if you want to know @SK´s thoughts on the comic, please do check out her review as well!
This was the first ever Marvel comic for both of us, so we are trying to get into the Comic-verse here after both being big fans of the movies for several years.
I have to say, I loved every second of it. My only complaint is that it wasn´t longer.
First of all the illustrations are just beautiful, the colors, the drawings, everything. I love that I bought this in the paperback format and I feel like it was worth every cent.
I loved the family relationship, especially the sibling relationship between Wanda and Pietro. I can see the parts of House of M that were used for the movie Multiverse of Madness which is so cool.
Some parts were a bit confusing to me, since we more or less started in the middle of the comics, so some characters were new to me and I needed a bit to get to know that.
But it was so amazing to read about the characters that you know and love from the movies. This definitely won´t be my last Marvel comic and I am excited to dive into the comic world of Marvel and read more about this fantastic characters.
Overall it was an amazing read that I really loved. It felt like something new but something known at the same time which I really liked. I am looking forward to continue my journey with Marvel comics.
Thanks to my bestie for starting this journey with me and if you want to know @SK´s thoughts on the comic, please do check out her review as well!
September 18, 2021
8.0/10
One of the best crossovers/big events.
One of the best crossovers/big events.
September 11, 2019
Classic. Showstopping. Phenomenal. Queen.
September 13, 2018
Just like the Civil War event, this huge Marvel comics superhero event is fairly bloated and overcrowded, with messy developments that are nowhere near as worthy of the great premise as they should be. It wallows a lot in it's own clever ideas but it's too much in a too short amount of time to really craft a truly engaging story.
It has such a great alternate universe idea of mutants essentially ruling the world but such a big idea needs to be really explored. It only lasts like 6 issues so it's not very exciting when the real universe is finally restored. But I appreciate that the events in this book were really game-changers for the entire Marvel Universe, with repercussions felt even today.
I've also never really enjoyed the idea of the X-men being in the same world as the rest of the Marvel universe. A defining trait of the X-men is the persecution they endure at the hands of regular humans afraid of their abilities. So why aren't the Avengers treated the same way? Why is Mr. Fantastic treated with respect, but Professor X treated as the "other?" Why does Spider-man, with his altered DNA, not have to face the same discrimination that Cyclops does? How can people tell the difference? I've never understood that. But that's my personal nit-pick, and aside from that, I really wanted to enjoy this more and it's a really cool idea that forever changed the Marvel Universe.
It has such a great alternate universe idea of mutants essentially ruling the world but such a big idea needs to be really explored. It only lasts like 6 issues so it's not very exciting when the real universe is finally restored. But I appreciate that the events in this book were really game-changers for the entire Marvel Universe, with repercussions felt even today.
I've also never really enjoyed the idea of the X-men being in the same world as the rest of the Marvel universe. A defining trait of the X-men is the persecution they endure at the hands of regular humans afraid of their abilities. So why aren't the Avengers treated the same way? Why is Mr. Fantastic treated with respect, but Professor X treated as the "other?" Why does Spider-man, with his altered DNA, not have to face the same discrimination that Cyclops does? How can people tell the difference? I've never understood that. But that's my personal nit-pick, and aside from that, I really wanted to enjoy this more and it's a really cool idea that forever changed the Marvel Universe.
March 13, 2026
While I was reading The Avengers at the time, I was not reading X-Men. At the time meaning the whole death of Avengers and Scarlet Witch breaking bad.
It stopped me reading Marvel for awhile. That and Ine More Day. So I had not read this though I knew the basics and the fall out.
I didn't really like it. Layla was just a Deus Ex Machina and a character created for just one thing rarely works. Spider-Man is the only one who's reactions I feel are "real" as he gets trapped on again. Marvel refuses to allow him to be happy.
Otherwise this just feels eh.
It stopped me reading Marvel for awhile. That and Ine More Day. So I had not read this though I knew the basics and the fall out.
I didn't really like it. Layla was just a Deus Ex Machina and a character created for just one thing rarely works. Spider-Man is the only one who's reactions I feel are "real" as he gets trapped on again. Marvel refuses to allow him to be happy.
Otherwise this just feels eh.
January 5, 2021
This was an epic event, Avengers and X-Men think about putting down the Scarlet witch but she changes the reality around them and everyone is in their ideal life until they start remembering. Its interesting to see the dream life of heroes but its Wolverine who remembers it first and then he goes on a crusade to remind everyone and how he does is the most of the story and that scene with Spider-Man and how they remind him just breaks your heart. And then how they confront MAGNETO who they think is behind this but when the revelations happens and what Scarlet Witch does just wow, the fallout and ending of this is massive and remembered for days to come! Epic story and the art is just gorgeous and yes its wordy but the emotions of the story resonate with me so much and Spidey and Wolverine remembering all his life in the end!! Just too good! BMB's greatest work easily!
January 26, 2016
I guess I would have enjoyed this more if I had read the events prior to this, but I didn't. So.
The artwork was great, and the dialogue was good too. There were a lot of likable characters (obviously). I just wasn't very entertained by this like I thought I would be. The plot was very original, but something about this just didn't grab me. I guess because it was so brief and everything happened so quickly. But to be fair, I usually don't like these big Marvel events that much anyway, so maybe I should have expected this.
But I would say this is required reading for dedicated Marvel comic fans because of the implications it has on the mutant population.
The artwork was great, and the dialogue was good too. There were a lot of likable characters (obviously). I just wasn't very entertained by this like I thought I would be. The plot was very original, but something about this just didn't grab me. I guess because it was so brief and everything happened so quickly. But to be fair, I usually don't like these big Marvel events that much anyway, so maybe I should have expected this.
But I would say this is required reading for dedicated Marvel comic fans because of the implications it has on the mutant population.
January 31, 2021
Wandavision brought me back to House Of M as it's been a while since I've read it.
It holds up. I forgot how freaky-deaky it was.
It holds up. I forgot how freaky-deaky it was.
February 13, 2021
El primer gran evento de Marvel en el siglo XXI fue el acontecimiento que cambio el destino de los mutantes para siempre. Con un primerizo Brian Michael Bendis a los guiones y desconocido en el momento Olivier Coipel, Marvel cimento el futuro de la compañía con una historia accesible para cualquier nuevo lector, de lo más atractiva y hasta sugerente éticamente en algunos momentos.
Los Vengadores y La Patrulla-X hacen frente común para luchar contra un enemigo que se ha convertido en la mayor amenaza del mundo: Wanda Maximoff. La Bruja Escarlata ha enloquecido. Sus poderes están más allá de todo control, y el planeta mismo está en sus manos. Todo ha cambiado. El homo superior es el dominante, y la Casa de Magnus es la gobernante en una nueva realidad. Sin embargo, alguien con garras parece haber despertado de su letargo…
Ocho números que concentran el evento principal (hay decenas de tie-ins) que ofrecen algo distinto del típico enfrentamiento de héroes y villanos para salvar el mundo. Pese a la tosquedad de algún diálogos vacío y cierto deux machina sacado de la manga (¡Hola, Layla!), el acontecimiento principal es tan interesante, el debate de trasfondo (matar o no a una persona por el bien mayor) y la idea en si tan atractiva, que los ocho números se leen a toda maquina. El ritmo es un crescendo constante hasta que estalla la gran batalla que nos deja inesperadas consecuencias para el futuro.
Todo ello combinada con el dibujo de Coipel, un dibujante procedente del BD que combina dichos recursos con los típicos de comic americano. Así, el autor es detallista, trabaja mucho los fondos y deja unas ilustraciones a doble página repletas de protagonistas para enmarcar. Sin duda, cierta escena con toda la Familia Real seguro que la habéis visto en alguna ocasión.
Un evento imprescindible.
Los Vengadores y La Patrulla-X hacen frente común para luchar contra un enemigo que se ha convertido en la mayor amenaza del mundo: Wanda Maximoff. La Bruja Escarlata ha enloquecido. Sus poderes están más allá de todo control, y el planeta mismo está en sus manos. Todo ha cambiado. El homo superior es el dominante, y la Casa de Magnus es la gobernante en una nueva realidad. Sin embargo, alguien con garras parece haber despertado de su letargo…
Ocho números que concentran el evento principal (hay decenas de tie-ins) que ofrecen algo distinto del típico enfrentamiento de héroes y villanos para salvar el mundo. Pese a la tosquedad de algún diálogos vacío y cierto deux machina sacado de la manga (¡Hola, Layla!), el acontecimiento principal es tan interesante, el debate de trasfondo (matar o no a una persona por el bien mayor) y la idea en si tan atractiva, que los ocho números se leen a toda maquina. El ritmo es un crescendo constante hasta que estalla la gran batalla que nos deja inesperadas consecuencias para el futuro.
Todo ello combinada con el dibujo de Coipel, un dibujante procedente del BD que combina dichos recursos con los típicos de comic americano. Así, el autor es detallista, trabaja mucho los fondos y deja unas ilustraciones a doble página repletas de protagonistas para enmarcar. Sin duda, cierta escena con toda la Familia Real seguro que la habéis visto en alguna ocasión.
Un evento imprescindible.
January 7, 2021
Mi primer cómic....
January 24, 2014
This is definitely one of my favourite collections from the Marvel Universe. It continues with the events which were started in the "Disassembled" stories, that is to stay, House of M deals mainly with the fallout of Scarlett Witch's emotional/mental breakdown that ended with the deaths of several Avengers.
Not sure how to imprison a reality-bending, unpredictable mutant, the X-men and Avengers must come together to make a final decision on how to handle Scarlet Witch. Fearing that they will opt to kill her, Wanda, her brother and Magneto, her father, take matters into their own hands, and in a flash, alter the universe in a drastic and, seemingly, irreversible way.
A lot of this collection is comprised of superheroes sitting around and talking about the stresses and consequences of their job (which is one of my biggest comic-nerd turn-ons). House of M also captures a lot of the mystery and intrigue of an Elseworld comic, where everything is recognizable and familiar, yet upside down and twisted (another big turn-on for this nerd). But, what makes House of M so brilliant is that the stakes are set so high for every character involved.... so even when people are sitting around unsure of what to do, the tension is thick, and you can feel the pressure that the characters are feeling.
Of course, when the story ends with an epic battle involving practically every major Marvel Superhero, it is an even greater payoff and feels even more climactic because of all the inaction that comes before it. (That's not true. There is plenty of action throughout this whole story.... But the most important material is when the heroes converse with each other).
Bendis is at his best in this collection with some truly beautiful and subtle emotional moments written for some of Marvels most iconic characters.... I mean, I don't think I've ever liked Wolverine as much as I do in this series, or Spiderman. And the way that Scarlet Witch is written makes her one of the most complicated and compelling villains in the MU. Oliver Coipel shows off his talents with some really slick artwork, beautifully coloured, dramatically angled and very specific, emotive facial expressions. As a team, Bendis and Coipel can take a one word sentence and give it layer upon layer upon layer of meaning.
It's brilliant stuff. A comic that pushes boundaries and carries itself with gravitas. And it has an amazing cliff-hanger.
5/5
Not sure how to imprison a reality-bending, unpredictable mutant, the X-men and Avengers must come together to make a final decision on how to handle Scarlet Witch. Fearing that they will opt to kill her, Wanda, her brother and Magneto, her father, take matters into their own hands, and in a flash, alter the universe in a drastic and, seemingly, irreversible way.
A lot of this collection is comprised of superheroes sitting around and talking about the stresses and consequences of their job (which is one of my biggest comic-nerd turn-ons). House of M also captures a lot of the mystery and intrigue of an Elseworld comic, where everything is recognizable and familiar, yet upside down and twisted (another big turn-on for this nerd). But, what makes House of M so brilliant is that the stakes are set so high for every character involved.... so even when people are sitting around unsure of what to do, the tension is thick, and you can feel the pressure that the characters are feeling.
Of course, when the story ends with an epic battle involving practically every major Marvel Superhero, it is an even greater payoff and feels even more climactic because of all the inaction that comes before it. (That's not true. There is plenty of action throughout this whole story.... But the most important material is when the heroes converse with each other).
Bendis is at his best in this collection with some truly beautiful and subtle emotional moments written for some of Marvels most iconic characters.... I mean, I don't think I've ever liked Wolverine as much as I do in this series, or Spiderman. And the way that Scarlet Witch is written makes her one of the most complicated and compelling villains in the MU. Oliver Coipel shows off his talents with some really slick artwork, beautifully coloured, dramatically angled and very specific, emotive facial expressions. As a team, Bendis and Coipel can take a one word sentence and give it layer upon layer upon layer of meaning.
It's brilliant stuff. A comic that pushes boundaries and carries itself with gravitas. And it has an amazing cliff-hanger.
5/5
September 14, 2015
"House of M" was something I had read several years ago, but felt the need to reread it. I am glad I did.
Bendis' great story, backed with very good art, makes for a truly epic read. The Scarlet Witch has gone a wee bit nanners. She has convinced herself that she has children and they are real. She is powerful enough to have even created such a world.
She was brought "under control" by Charles Xavier and Magneto. They housed her on Genosha and are trying to heal her, but her reality warping powers are starting to break through Xaviers control. Thus the Avengers and the X-men meet up to decide her fate.
At this point Pietro decides to try and convince Magneto to try and save his daughter. Suddenly the world as we know it is different. A white light blinds everyone, and when they wake up their lives are different. This is the world of "House of M".
Mutants rule the world and humans are a subspecies. Everything is different- Spiderman is married to Gwen Stacy, Dr. Strange is a psychologist, Steve Rogers in 90, etc. Only Logan seems to remember a different world.
No more spoilers. A really entertaining read. I enjoy much of Bendis' work and this one is par for the course. Do you like Avengers or X-men? Want to know how the whole "No more mutants" came about? Then this is the book for you.
Bendis' great story, backed with very good art, makes for a truly epic read. The Scarlet Witch has gone a wee bit nanners. She has convinced herself that she has children and they are real. She is powerful enough to have even created such a world.
She was brought "under control" by Charles Xavier and Magneto. They housed her on Genosha and are trying to heal her, but her reality warping powers are starting to break through Xaviers control. Thus the Avengers and the X-men meet up to decide her fate.
At this point Pietro decides to try and convince Magneto to try and save his daughter. Suddenly the world as we know it is different. A white light blinds everyone, and when they wake up their lives are different. This is the world of "House of M".
Mutants rule the world and humans are a subspecies. Everything is different- Spiderman is married to Gwen Stacy, Dr. Strange is a psychologist, Steve Rogers in 90, etc. Only Logan seems to remember a different world.
No more spoilers. A really entertaining read. I enjoy much of Bendis' work and this one is par for the course. Do you like Avengers or X-men? Want to know how the whole "No more mutants" came about? Then this is the book for you.
May 6, 2023
Am I the only person that finds these alternate/altered reality mega-crossovers utterly pointless? This nonsense consumed the entire Marvel line for months, and, shockingly enough, it all went back to normal at the end. (Yes, there was the "No more mutants." gimmick, but how long did that last...?)
Idiocy.
Idiocy.
November 25, 2017
I could have sworn I read House of M but I guess not. I read Avengers Dissembled and then skipped over house of M and just read some individual x-men type titles.
So we all know what comes from House of M. "No More Mutants" the famous words utter by Scarlet witch, the power force of the Marvel Universe, and like The Flash, can alter and fuck up the entire universe. She can alter reality. That's what House of M is actually about. Scarlet Witch is going nuts, like not able to control her OWN reality, and begins to alter other ones. So the X-Men and Avengers decide they have to do something. This worries quicksilver and he runs to tell his sister she has to run, escape their clutches, or she'll die.
Then it happens. She alters reality and BOOM we're in a whole new world. A world I'd actually like to revisit one day. Peter Parker grows up without losing Ben and Gwen and has a baby boy. Wolverine becomes the new Nick Fury. Luke Cage...well he becomes a undercover cop. See the world is supposed to be what the character want or hope for, and everyone seems happy. Then when they begin to snap out of it they know who's behind it and decide to do something about it.
Good: The storyline is super fun in my honest opinion. I love "what if" universes and this was great to see how the characters could so radically be different. I also loved wolverine in this, and I usually dislike him. Peter has to deal with some dark shit in here and it also works really well. Amazing Bendis is Peter's best writer even for the 616 version. Also how awesome was Magneto in here? His last few pages are great. I also liked that this had big after effects after done.
Bad: The art wasn't all that great at times. The covers are fucking wonderful but the inner coloring is a bit off and rough at times. I also thought a little exposition heavy at the end. We got that the mutant race was in trouble no need to explain to us that it is. You can just show it.
Overall, this might be one of my favorite events ever. Super fun, solid dialog, lots of great moments from characters I usually don't care for (Wolverine/Magneto) and the "what if" world is pretty awesome. So yeah, super enjoyable. I'd give it about a 3.5 but I'ma hit it to a 4 for rating system cause usually events don't work for me!
So we all know what comes from House of M. "No More Mutants" the famous words utter by Scarlet witch, the power force of the Marvel Universe, and like The Flash, can alter and fuck up the entire universe. She can alter reality. That's what House of M is actually about. Scarlet Witch is going nuts, like not able to control her OWN reality, and begins to alter other ones. So the X-Men and Avengers decide they have to do something. This worries quicksilver and he runs to tell his sister she has to run, escape their clutches, or she'll die.
Then it happens. She alters reality and BOOM we're in a whole new world. A world I'd actually like to revisit one day. Peter Parker grows up without losing Ben and Gwen and has a baby boy. Wolverine becomes the new Nick Fury. Luke Cage...well he becomes a undercover cop. See the world is supposed to be what the character want or hope for, and everyone seems happy. Then when they begin to snap out of it they know who's behind it and decide to do something about it.
Good: The storyline is super fun in my honest opinion. I love "what if" universes and this was great to see how the characters could so radically be different. I also loved wolverine in this, and I usually dislike him. Peter has to deal with some dark shit in here and it also works really well. Amazing Bendis is Peter's best writer even for the 616 version. Also how awesome was Magneto in here? His last few pages are great. I also liked that this had big after effects after done.
Bad: The art wasn't all that great at times. The covers are fucking wonderful but the inner coloring is a bit off and rough at times. I also thought a little exposition heavy at the end. We got that the mutant race was in trouble no need to explain to us that it is. You can just show it.
Overall, this might be one of my favorite events ever. Super fun, solid dialog, lots of great moments from characters I usually don't care for (Wolverine/Magneto) and the "what if" world is pretty awesome. So yeah, super enjoyable. I'd give it about a 3.5 but I'ma hit it to a 4 for rating system cause usually events don't work for me!
November 22, 2013
I have been making it a priority of mine this year to catch up on comic arcs that I had heard plenty about. And yes, that basically means I have discovered the fun of interlibrary loans. Following the events I read about in Avengers Disassembled, you end up with many of the Avengers and X-Men deciding whether or not they should kill Scarlet Witch. This is the lead in to House of M, a reality shaking comic book arc like few other modern stories.
A white light hits the combined Avengers and X-Men as they go to deal with Scarlet Witch. The next thing they know, they are living in a world where their ultimate wishes are fulfilled. Only, they don't even know it. None of them know, except for Wolverine for he has retrieved all of his memories - his ultimate wish - and he knows that Magneto and Scarlet Witch are behind it all. For they now rule the world, through their House of M.
As far as comic books or graphic novels go it has all the hallmarks of the best ones. It has humour, action, grit, powers, colour and also that touch of frenetic silliness that provides charm for the reader. However, I do recommend getting into Avengers: Disassembled and some of the New Avengers stories before reading this, just to understand what is happening. As far as jumping straight into the story goes, it has nothing on Marvels. But it does show that Brian Michael Bendis knows his Avengers material and knows how to write Avengers based stories.
February 20, 2019
I had originally read this a couple of years as ago. It was before I was on goodreads. So when I first joined up on here, I was thinking of books I had read and threw some scores for them up so I had some books under my belt. I gave this 4 stars. Now I’m in the middle of reading all the New Avengers/Mighty Avengers stuff from Bendis so I figured I’d read this again in the order it was meant to. After this re-read I had to bump this up to 5 stars. This was really well done. Great idea and great creativity went into this concept. Def was something new that hadn’t been done before. Plus I felt like it hit harder now that I have read Avengers Disassembled. Plus it was dope to read Disassembled and re-read this while Wandavision is going on. They definitely pulled some vibes from this. The artwork was great throughout as well. A lot of times when things happen in comics, they don’t stick. The next writer will come along and change things. Not this. The fallout from this event lasted some years. There were several books and story ideas that spun out of this. Anyway, awesome read and if you somehow still haven’t read this or are new to comics, definitely check this out.
December 5, 2008
Great re-imagining of the Marvel universe upside-down. When I originally read this, I didn't realize it would spawn so many side-stories. Not sure if this is Marvel just cashing in on another Bendis-fest, or if there's really a rich set of ideas worth exploring here. I'd like to think the latter, but the way that the tie-ins seem to have spiked so fast and died off not long thereafter, it seems like the former. Nothing against Bendis, just frustrated that Bendis gives these guys so many grand slams and they squander the opportunity to score a whole bunch more home runs.
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