The Nice House by the Sea #11 – James Tynion IV, Writer; Alvaro Martinez Bueno, Artist; Jordie Bellaire, Colorist
Ray – 10/10
Ray: We’re only one issue away from what might be the series finale of one of the best books of James Tynion IV’s career, and it’s time for everything to come together for one final showdown. For the previous 22 issues, the entire cast has been the subject of a grand experiment. First Walter created a little ecosystem of the people closest to them to survive the apocalypse, stranding them in what he intended to be paradise but quickly turned into a horror. Then his long-time rival, from the same alien world he comes from, Max, did the same – but they brought in a band of elite egomaniacs at the top of their field, allowing them to be Gods of the new world. It was no surprise when the two houses immediately collided, and while Max’s house brought a level of brutality to the game that no one expected, Walter’s house displayed a unique form of guile that allowed them to survive.
And now, every survivor is gathered for the denouement of the whole series, as Walter and Max are called to account for their role in the end of the world – or so it seems. Because there’s a huge lie at the core of this series, and it calls into doubt everything we’ve seen so far. While Walter in particular is one of the most viscerally terrifying characters I’ve ever seen once we glimpse his true power, there’s always been something truly human at his core, and this series has done an incredible choice of slowly parceling out the reasons why each and every one of his “subjects” was chosen. Max’s house, meanwhile, completely lacked any of that humanity. And what we’re left with is the world’s most awkward reunion, as all the players in this grand experiment start to realize that they’ve been nothing more than rats in a maze. I have no clue how this is going to be resolved in one more issue, which is why I hope there’s another act to come.
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GeekDad received this comic for review purposes
