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A review by crookedtreehouse
House of M by Brian Michael Bendis
4.0
Both Marvel and DC have big problems putting out event comics. They often feel too long or too short to tell the story that the creator envisioned. Often, they have to account for so many extraneous characters that it's hard to keep track of what's going on: see Secret Invasion, see Final Crisis, see Flashpoint, see Seige. In House Of M, Bendis finds a way to balance the scope of the story so that we focus on a core group of characters, while also seeing that all the other characters are involved, but they're not required to follow the story.
The problem with House Of M is that it feels too short, which is pretty rare for an event comic. The first two and final two issues are paced perfectly, but the middle four read more like a highlight reel or an outline than a Brian Michael Bendis story. The plot points themselves are marvelous, and perfectly set up the inevitable conclusion to issue seven, and the fallout in issue eight. But without proper breathing room, it's hard to really care for the characters, who are all having to process some major trauma, even for superheroes.
Coipel's art is exquisite on this (though the covers are totally tone-deaf to the interior art). It's like a more restrained Chris Bachalo.
If this were maybe ten issues, I think it would have been perfect.
The problem with House Of M is that it feels too short, which is pretty rare for an event comic. The first two and final two issues are paced perfectly, but the middle four read more like a highlight reel or an outline than a Brian Michael Bendis story. The plot points themselves are marvelous, and perfectly set up the inevitable conclusion to issue seven, and the fallout in issue eight. But without proper breathing room, it's hard to really care for the characters, who are all having to process some major trauma, even for superheroes.
Coipel's art is exquisite on this (though the covers are totally tone-deaf to the interior art). It's like a more restrained Chris Bachalo.
If this were maybe ten issues, I think it would have been perfect.