Brubaker and Phillips are always great and Houses of the Unholy is now one of my favorites by them, a great crime story with a Satanic Panic focus.

Thanks to Image Comics and NetGalley for the ARC.

Unsurprised since it’s Brubaker, but this was fantastic. Dark, depraved, stylish and just plain messed up.

Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips' "Houses of the Unholy" dives into the murky waters of 80s Satanic Panic with their signature noir flair. The story follows Natalie Burns, a woman haunted by her childhood involvement in false satanic ritual abuse claims, as she's pulled into an FBI investigation concerning her fellow "Satanic Six" survivors. While the premise is intriguing and the artwork captures the gritty atmosphere perfectly, the narrative feels somewhat rushed and familiar. Brubaker's storytelling hits the expected beats, but doesn't quite push beyond the duo's usual formula. It's a solid, quick read for fans of the team, but might leave some wanting more depth in its exploration of conspiracy theories and trauma.

This atmospheric tale finds the team of Brubaker & Phillips examining childhood and religious trauma in the 1980s Satanic Panic and how that has impacted the life of our main character Natalie as an adult. Someone is killing people who were coerced into testifying about their counselors subjecting them to Satanic rituals as kids. Natalie is drawn back in by an FBI agent with demons of his own to track the killer.

This book has the usual dark and gritty atmosphere and dialog that's expected of Brubaker and Phillips. The art and coloring is top notch as usual. My only complaint is that the ending felt rushed and could've wrapped up loose ends a little better. Still a quality read and highly recommended! My thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

I love this team’s work and I was excited for the premise, but I’m not seeing any of the care Brubaker &co usually put into their work, and none of the perfect jigsaw bits, it’s still got the gritty-noir vibe, but I’m just not feeling this one.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own.

A fun story about the aftermath of the Satanic panic for for a struggling adult named Natalie. It's a good read and I can't wait for the next book to find out what happens in the cabin

What is there not to like about Brubaker? He's the best crime comics writer out there by a mile. Nothing he does is bad.

A fantastic delve into the Satanic Panic, cults, trauma, and conspiracy theories.

Houses of the Unholy is a character-driven piece that tackles everything all at once: childhood trauma, religious trauma, and what happens when people are drawn in the wrong direction. I loved reading the main character's journey as she revisited her past and how it's brought her to the present. The twists were well-executed as always from Brubaker, and I love the atmosphere in the art from Sean and Jacob Phillips.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for access to the eBook!

I really enjoyed the design, imagery, and artwork that went into House of the Unholy, but I have to admit, it felt too short. As I watched the page count dwindle and saw myself nearing the end, it felt like the story wrapped up too quickly. It also left off in a way that seemed to open the door for more. Given its setting during the era of satanic panic and all the real-life chaos of that time, I felt like the graphic novel could have taken so many different directions. There was such rich source material to pull from, but it almost felt like the creators played it safe—understandably so, yet I wish they had pushed the boundaries a bit more and given us a longer, deeper narrative.

That said, it’s still a fun read and a quick one. You get to dive into the characters and their pasts, but some of the twists felt a bit predictable. For example, when the FBI agent picks her up and tells her he’s the only one working the case, it seemed pretty obvious that something was off—yet she didn’t pick up on any of that.

Ultimately, House of the Unholy is a solid recommendation for someone looking to get into a thriller graphic novel without investing too much time. But for me, it left a lot of potential on the table.

I love anything horror so this book really excited me and the plot felt very nostalgic which when coupled with the fantastic illustrations made it a great read

Traumatic. Lovecraftian. Beautiful.

This isn’t something to be scarfed down in one sitting, like a lonely leftover. ‘Houses of the Unholy’ is to be savored, as if it were the last meal. With stark black ink and bright, vivid hues, this “Satanic Panic” noir thriller blends into an amalgam of ‘True Detective’ and ‘Midsommar’ works perfectly.

Damn, I flew through this! It was a great read and the art was so gorgeous. Satanic panic stuff is always interesting to me, and this story did not disappoint.

This was spectacular! It had all of my favorite things. I know how huge a thing satanism/cults were in the '80s/'90sand this really showcased that satanic and conspiracy theory panic that was rampant. This was a great graphic novel that had the perfect amount of thriller, mystery, and nostalgia. I thought the artwork was very fitting for this topic as well and reminded me of vintage comic books. I hate how things turned out for Natalie, but the ending is fitting to the rest of the book. I wish it were a tad bit longer in that it explored the other members of "the cult six" a bit more. It is a great read but needs a bit of fluffing. I would definitely read more from this duo!

Brubaker and Phillips, the dynamic duo behind “Criminal,” plunge us into the 80s horror scene with this chilling standalone. An FBI agent and a woman haunted by the Satanic Panic join forces to hunt an insane killer lurking in the underworld shadows.

Pros:
Atmosphere: The art feels like an old comic book, cozy and nostalgic.
Tone: Perfectly suited for the satanic conspiracy theme.
Twists: The story keeps you guessing, with a satisfyingly open ending.

Cons:
Brevity: The tale is too short; we crave more exploration.
Undercooked Idea: The connection between 80s Satanism and the internet deserved deeper exploration.

Houses of the Unholy leaves us wanting more, more pages, more depth. Still, it’s devilishly good.

4.5/5 stars rounded up to 5. Loved this book. It was evenly paced, propulsive, with gorgeous art style and fantastic coloring. My only critique is that I wish it were slightly longer, fleshing out the characters a bit more. Fantastic read! Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.

I don't know too much about the satanic panic that went around in the 80's, but there's something absolutely terrifying about the sheer terror and destruction that was caused by pure lies.

I think this graphic novel really captured the horror that was felt by the people effected by this panic; those brainwashed and those doing the brainwashing. This definitely kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what the next horrible turn would be!

3 stars

Thank you to Image and NetGalley for my digital review copy.

The plot for this is definitely paced well. It did not drag at all, though the ending did feel somewhat abrupt to me.

I loved how the "Satanic Panic" element of the plot created a sense of claustrophobia as Natalie is trying to outrun something from her past.

I did love the colouring of this as it felt almost nostalgic at times.

I wasn't too fussed on the ending as it felt kind of bland and I wish it did end better.

Firstly, a thank you to NetGalley and Image Comics for the ARC provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

5 out of 5 stars.

Houses of the Unholy by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips is a horror / mystery / thriller in graphic novel form about the eighties 'Satanic Panic' era of cults and the Devil and his followers. A one of the Satanic Six our main character finds out others of the six are dying and investigates further.

Can I just say that I haven't read a graphic novel this good in a long time, even with the back and forth I experienced I found myself really enjoying this novel and I struggled to put it down.

I would recommend this to all my followers and horror loving friends.

Fantastic.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Houses of the Unholy coming out September 3, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I was so excited to receive this book! I’m a big fan of graphic novels, especially from Image Comics! This book was the perfect amount of spooky and creepy. I loved the plot and the images went along with it perfectly. It was definitely a quick read, but I loved the twists and backstory. I think it’s a perfect spooky season book! I would definitely read more books by these authors!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys comic books!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC. I absolutely loved this storyline. I have been fascinated with the Satanic Panic of the 80s being a 90s baby I didn’t quite live through it. The imagery was perfectly matched with the storyline. Highly recommend for all lovers of horror.