House of Mystery

Infobox comic book title
title=House of Mystery


caption=Cain and Gregory move out in the final issue of "The House of Mystery".
schedule=Varied between monthly and bi-monthly
ongoing=y
publisher=DC Comics
date=December 1951-October 1983
January 1986-January 1987
July 1998
May 2008-present
issues=321
Horror=y
main_char_team=
writers=
artists=
pencillers=
inkers=
letterers=
colorists=
creative_team_month=
creative_team_year=
creators=
subcat=Vertigo
sort=House of Mystery

"The House of Mystery" is the name of several horror-mystery-suspense anthology comic book series. It had a companion series, "House of Secrets".

First series

Genesis

"House of Mystery" started out as a horror anthology, featuring tales of the supernatural as well as supernatural-themed mystery stories. However, with the growing backlash against horror comics in the mid-1950s, as well as the advent of the "Comic Code Authority" and its restrictions on horror-themed storylines (banning stories dealing with such supernatural fare as werewolves, vampires, and such), the series quietly was revamped into dealing with science-fiction type monsters and other mystery-suspense type tales that were permitted by the comic code.

uper-Heroes

In the mid-1960s, the series was revamped to include super-hero stories: From House of Mystery #143 (June 1964) through #158 (April, 1966), the Martian Manhunter headlined the series, as his back-up feature from Detective Comics was moved to "House of Mystery". This was also followed up with the introduction of Dial H for Hero, who was introduced in House of Mystery issue #156 (January, 1966) and took over as headliner until #173 (March-April 1968).

Return of Horror

With issue #174, EC Comics veteran Joe Orlando was hired by DC to take over as editor of "House of Mystery". As the Comic Code Authority was now being challenged, by both DC and Marvel over content restrictions, the series returned to its overt horror themes. The first issue (House of Mystery #174) under Orlando would be a reprint issue of old horror/suspense stories as the new direction would truly begin with House of Mystery #175 (May-June 1968). The issue would introduce a new figure to the series, Cain, the "able care taker" of the House of Mystery who would introduce nearly all stories that would run in the series before its cancellation (Cain would also host the spin-off series "Plop!" and ultimately become a recurring character in "The Sandman".

Under Orlando's stewardship, the series won a good deal of recognition in the comics industry, including the Shazam Award for Best Individual Short Story (Dramatic) in 1972 for "The Demon Within" in #201 by John Albano and Jim Aparo, and the Shazam Award for Best Humor Story in 1972 for "The Poster Plague" by Steve Skeates and Sergio Aragones. The series also featured stories by writer T. Casey Brennan (#260, 267, 268 and 274).

Orlando would ultimately step down from the series, appointing Karen Berger as editor of the book, her first for DC Comics.Citation | last = Irvine | first = Alex | author-link = Alexander C. Irvine | contribution = House of Mystery | editor-last = Dougall | editor-first = Alastair | title = The Vertigo Encyclopedia | pages = 88 | publisher = Dorling Kindersley | place = New York | year = 2008 | ISBN = 0-7566-4122-5 | oclc = 213309015] Under Berger, the series experimented with long-form storyline with the popular "I...Vampire" serial. "I... Vampire" revolved around the heroic vampire, Andrew Bennett, who sought to defeat his nemesis and former lover Mary, the Queen of Blood. This series began in #290 (March, 1981) and would last until #319 (August, 1983), two issues before the title ended with #321 (October, 1983).

The classic "House of Mystery" series is widely regarded as one of the cornerstones of the Vertigo comic line. [Louise Simonson. "DC Comics Cover Girls"] In recent years, DC Comics has reprinted stories from the original run: two black and white "Showcase Presents" volumes have been published, reprinting the series from #174-194 and #195-211 respectively. A one shot reprint (in color), "Welcome Back to the House of Mystery", featured ten of the most highly-regarded stories as selected by Alisa Kwitney in a Cain wraparound by Neil Gaiman and Sergio Aragonés, under the Vertigo imprint. The first issue from 1951 was also reissued under the Vertigo imprint. [http://www.comics.org/coverview.lasso?id=229656&zoom=4]

Elvira's House of Mystery

In 1986-87, DC comics would published a new series, "Elvira's House of Mystery". It would last 11 issues plus a special. The series was a quasi-follow up towards the original series, with famed horror movie hostess Elvira temporarily taking over the job as caretaker of the House of Mystery, introducing horror stories similar to the original series.

2008 series

DC's Vertigo imprint began a new ongoing series in May 2008, written by Matthew Sturges and Bill Willingham. It features a different story each issue, told by people trapped in a "purgatory-like house." [ [http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=16084 NYCC: Vertigo - Welcome to the Edge] , Comic Book Resources, April 19, 2008] [ [http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=16316 Sturges is Big Brother of Vertigo’s "House of Mystery"] , Comic Book Resources, May 6, 2008]

The House

The House of Mystery also exists as a location in the DC Universe (in Kentucky) and the Dreaming. The origins of the House of Mystery are unknown. In fact, very little is known about the House of Mystery in general, lending credence to its name. The architecture is indeterminate and actually changes periodically. The same holds true for the inside of the house: the rooms constantly shift about, and one never enters the same room twice. The House of Mystery lies in the same graveyard as the House of Secrets, its companion. Whereas Abel resides in the House of Secrets, Cain makes the House of Mystery his abode.

Cain is not the only person to have resided within the House; in addition to boarders, including Mister Mxyzptlk, Elvira also took shelter within the House. Her brief stay in the House of Mystery is notable for two reasons: first, the House of Mystery is established as being the same House throughout its publication history. Three distinct personalities of the House are shown: the original horror House of Mystery, a dark humour "House of Weirdness"-style which harkened back to Cain's stint in Plop!, and the current version of the House of Mystery in Kentucky. The second reason is the timing of Elvira's stay. She took up residence during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, which resulted in an identity crisis for the House itself. Elvira, tasked by the House of Mystery to find Cain, took over his role of host for a brief period, while Cain was relegated to being the butt of jokes during occasional cameos.

The House of Mystery possesses sentience, along with mystic powers. It has possessed someone before, and merged with the House of Secrets briefly. This also ties into the constantly shifting appearance of the House of Mystery.

The House of Mystery appears mainly in various Vertigo titles, especially those tied into Neil Gaiman's Sandman; it has also appeared briefly in Resurrection Man. Most recently something called the House of Mystery appeared in 52 # 18, where it seems to have been used for some time as a base for a team of detectives called the Croatoan Society, which counts both Detective Chimp and Ralph Dibny as members. It is unclear if the Croatoan's House of Mystery this is meant to be the same as the original House of Mystery, a post-Infinite Crisis version of the original House of Mystery, or simply a different location with the same name. Cain's name did, however, appear on this house's mailbox, implying some sort of connection to the original House.

Superman (along with Mister Mxyzptlk) made an appearance in the house in issue #53 of "DC Comics Presents". Batman entered the house in "The Brave and the Bold" #93.

References

External links

* [http://eeweems.com/artandartifice/alex_nino.html House of Mystery #212 (1973)] Alex Nino artwork from the series
* [http://www.angelfire.com/comics/cainhom/index.html The House of Mystery] (fan page)
* [http://www.clockworkstorybook.net Clockwork Storybook] Discussion forum for the 2008 series.