This was one of the best comics/graphic novels I have read in a while. I loved the storyline and I literally couldn’t put it down. I read the entire thing in one sitting and stayed up way too late but it was worth it and I would 110% do it again.

I have been a fan of this team for awhile now, so learning that they would be tackling a story regarding the satanic panic with Brubaker’s typical crime flare made me more than a little excited! I was soooo excited to get my hands on an early copy.

I thought this story & artwork were pretty much up to par with what we’ve come to expect from this team, and I loved the topic. I’ve always been fascinated with that particular time period so it was really interesting to read a story focused around the panic & hysteria that overtook our country at that time. I loved the way they danced on the line between reality & panic. For most of the story this would have been a 5 star read but the ending really diminished the story, it felt like it came too abruptly & left me wanting & needing more.

I have a bad habit of rating things according to my feelings about the ending but I am trying not to do so here. The story here is top notch, & while this classic crime noir art style has never been my fav i do think it works well with Brubaker’s content, including this on!! A strong 4 star read!

It takes an effed-up world for the person taking a teenaged girl out the trunk of her car and dragging her into a remote holiday cabin to be the heroine, but that's where we start. It soon goes a long way from there, as we see our lead, Natalie, dragged back into her past. For way back when, she was part of a gang of kids who colluded to pretend they'd been satanically abused by camp guardians, and caused more than one death and more than one lengthy custodial sentence in the people they wrongly accused. Now, someone (or is it something? No – it's someone) is seemingly killing them in turn, and after all these years Natalie is wrenched from anything like normality back into the loopy underground thinking of alleged satanists.

The "Reckless" series wanting to have a lot to say about the time in which it ended up being set, this can feel like a cousin to that – highlighting the way the Internet managed to kill off the idea of all those repressed abuse memories that were the height of fashion once, even as it still has a fascination with the occult underworld. One only has to look at the garbage about Hollywood being full of devil-treating paedos to see this as a historical piece with current relevancy. There's a line here, more or less to remind us that this kind of stuff is always being done, just by those nobody's accusing (and if not them, then by the church).

But for all the interesting spin on devilment, this is flawed by huge coincidences. <spoiler>Natalie and companion conspire to find the very last person they want; said companion is just such a way inclined; the wrong person is always there at the right time.</spoiler> The biggest player in all this here is not Satan, it's the god called Happenstance. Too much just happens to fall in place, and a book that was as inherently enjoyable and readable as this team's routinely are, on reflection feels too flawed. The message is that once you dabble with the devil your fingers are always marked, but boy this is too much of a collusion against our heroine to be anything like the really satisfying narrative it might have been.

Note: I received access to read this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Another Brubaker and Phillips noir that knocks it out of the park. I only wish the ending wasn't so ambiguous. It feels like there is a lot more story left to tell.

I liked this. I found the illustrations to be interesting. And the story to be fast paced and engaging. Overall I would recommend

I always read comics where Ed Brubaker is involved as i generally love them and this one was no exception. The story was really compelling and i found it really gripped me throughout. The art style also helped with that and i found that it helped to sell the narrative being shown by that way. I would like this continue as a series as i found this was such a great read.

This book was okay. I liked the idea of a graphic novel that focused of what happened to some kids during the Satanic panic and that part of the story was actually pretty interesting the start of this was really good but about halfway through things took a weird turn and I really didn't care for it. It felt like a cheap ending.
I also didn't care for the art style. It was just a little to dark and muddy for me. Having bad eyes means this is probably more of a me thing but I do wish illustrators would take that into consideration when they make these.
Anyways over all this was an okay graphic novel. It had some solid bits and it also had some not so great bits. Overall there is definitely an audience for this but the concept has been done before and done better.

Parts of this had real potential to be something wonderfully spooky/horrific, but ultimately it felt like it was overdone and convoluted. I also found the “twist” (which I use loosely) incredibly predictable. That said I enjoy this art style and I would read more from these creators! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

To me, Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips could do no wrong, until I read Houses of the Unholy. As much as I loved the Reckless series and other of their graphic novels, I just didn’t enjoy their new book. Plot wise, it got off to a great start, and then went totally south in the last half. Poor writing in the second half along with a lame ending (if you could call it an ending) marred any enjoyment I might have had in reading the book. The artwork didn’t seem up to par in my opinion.

Overall, far from their best effort.

My thanks to Image Comics and to Netgalley for providing me an ARC of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Image Comics for this title. 3.8 ⭐⭐⭐

📘I'M NEW TO GRAPHIC STORIES
I wasn’t expecting a graphic novel, which I’m sure was included in the description, but it sounded like something that would be an exciting read, and of course, it’s horror, so why not?

📘THE STORY
The children who were a part of the Satanic Six are being killed, and it’s up to one determined member of that group (Natalie) to get to the bottom of the killings before she is next.

📘WHAT BOTHERED ME MOST
I read this on my phone, and I had to do a lot of manipulation just to read the text and side bubbles, which is the advantage (I guess) of a printed copy vs a digital copy of a graphic novel. I didn’t need the images so much, but the back and forth of zooming out and in just to read it was cumbersome.

📘WHAT I ENJOYED
It’s a quick story based on the satanic panic in the 80s and early 90s. This infamous group was called the “Satanic Six,” which refers to six kids claiming that horrific things were done to them.

This story delves into a shared trauma, and while a graphic novel, that doesn't take away its effectiveness in telling this story. It may have some triggers because it shows just how vulnerable and susceptible children are to believe what you tell them and plant a seed that creates a narrative. If you hear something enough times, it becomes valid (in your mind) and your story. Children have some of the most vivid imaginations to create worlds of play or horror stories.

This is a great story, but I would have preferred a different format.

Houses of the Unholy is a dark dive into collective delusion, online conspiracy frenzy, cults, the satanic panic, and the ensuing fallout for the victims of the people caught up within it's web. It's engrossing and fascinating how it peels back the layers of the issues it talks about through it's well written, slow burn narrative. The author clearly has a lot to say here both literally, and metaphorically about the past and present state of the world we live in, and the real horror is how eerily close to home it hits.

*ARC provided by NetGalley & Image Comics*

Houses of the Unholy is an 80ies-inspired comic which tells the story of Natalie Burns, one of the last survivors of the "Satanic Six"—a group of children who became famous for their satanic accusations. A murderer is picking them off one by one and Natalie could be next. Together with FBI agent West, she tries to solve the mystery and save her own life.

I really wanted to rate this five stars, but some of the events in the book happen too conveniently. Natalie always seems to be in the right place at the right time. I think we needed volume 1 and 2 or maybe an additional one hundred pages to explore those moments “in between” during the investigation and flesh out the characters a bit more. I still enjoyed reading the story, though, and I definitely recommend it for fans of old-school comics. Natalie is a well written character, and the plot does keep you guessing until the bitter end.

"and I'm chasing a ghost right back to hell"

Thanks to NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange of an honest review!

The art style is amazing, per usual, the mystery is pretty solid and kept adding more intrigue to the story, the end felt a little rushed but that very last page really brought it all back, and the tension was THERE. Typical Brubaker/ Phillips W

The title and the creepy little (Poltergeist-esque) girl on the cover really intrigued me.

I had a good time with this comic, I found it difficult to put down at first, there were so many twists and turns. I did lose momentum towards the end and I felt there wasn’t a proper ending - could possibly mean there will be more instalments? But I did find the storyline interesting, it had lots of tension and suspense to keep the pages turning.

The illustrations were good and the colours set the horror tone, with their red and black vibe. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for more in this series.

Thankyou to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this for an honest review.

I love what Brubaker and Phillips do. One of the greatest teams in comics tackling the Satanic Panic? Yes please. Loved the style of the old Chick tracts as flashbacks and nods to real world elements like Michelle Remembers to keep it grounded.
My biggest issue with this volume is it ends too soon. Was building up so much and then it all gets resolved too quickly for my taste.
Still liked their dive into this side of reality and horror just wish there was more of it.

My thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics for an advance copy of this graphic novel series by an artist and writer who make noir masterpieces out of America's past, some popular, some forgotten, but all revealing about the world we live in today.

I grew up in the time of the Great Satanic Panic, in the 80's and 90's. I would come home from school, turn on the television downstairs and be inundated with different televisions hosts talking to doctors, cops, lawyers, grifters and the religious about the systematic abuse of children by followers of SATAN. My family were holiday Catholics, weddings, funerals, maybe Christmas if we couldn't get out of it, and most of this was unknown to me. However among the people in school, and my Mom's friends, there was a real fear, and a need to blame others for why there kids were acting so strange, and no we can't blame just the Reagan area where things in America got weird. One can look at this time, children being assaulted, punished and offered up to Satan as a precursor to Pizzagate, and QAnon and all the other fun stuff that makes social media so much fun. Houses of the Unholy is a graphic novel about the Satanic Panic, brought to the present day, reflecting both the time that was, and what we have made today, by the team of writer Ed Brubaker, artist Sean Phillips and colorist Jacob Phillips.

Natalie Burns is a private investigator with speciality in cults, and lots of bad luck. When an attempt to rescue a teen goes wrong, Burns finds herself in a police cell. Here she is approached by a special agent of the FBI, with an intriguing mystery. Burns was once known as part of the Satanic 6, a group of children who blamed a summer group for a whole lot of abuse, and Satanism, which was lapped up by families, cops and others, but was later proven to be all made up. Unfortunately one of those accused took her own life. Agent West is looking into a series of murders, murders of other members of the Satanic 6, and to get out of jail, Burns is asked to assist. As Burns investigates, she finds that there is a lot more going on than expected. All with roots to her past, and a lot of paranoia from today.

Brubaker and the father and son team of the Phillips have a unique gift in that they are able to capture moments from the past, history that has been forgotten or neglected, and use them to build fascinating stories about today. Looking back at the Satanic Panic, I forgot that it was everywhere. Afternoon tv, news magazine shows, magazines. Books. So many lives were destroyed. And as one of the characters says, just think the Catholic Church was actually doing all these things they were blaming Satanists for, and yet so many priests got away with it. I love how these creators capture the time so well, the phone, the way people talked, and carry these forward to today. The story is good, along with the characters, they seem real. Naive in some parts, but real. And also damaged. The art is fantastic. These men must read each others minds in that everything looks so good. People look like people, tired, normal, no ugly, yet not attractive. Real. Cars, cabins, cave, cult hideouts. All rendered well. There is an atmosphere to these books, a darkness, and yet a hopeful aspect. That maybe tomorrow will be better. Though it won't be.

Fans will love it. Also this is a good book to get people on the Brubaker/Phillips train. A dark story, with a little bit of horror, and of course the paranoia that makes life in our United States so exciting. Excited for more works by these men.

In the 1980s, Natalie Burns and her camp-mates accused counselors of satanic ritual abuse, earning them the title of the Satanic Six, destroying their lives, except none of it was true. In the present day Natalie works on saving children from cults, but when a job goes wrong, she is drawn into a new case by an FBI agent. Other members of the Satanic Six are dying and Natalie might be next. Natalie needs to work with the agent to solve the case.

Once against Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips have delivered a great graphic novel. As someone who has listened to all of the You're Wrong About episodes about the Satanic Panic, the backdrop to this story got me very excited, and Brubaker and Phillips did a great job using the elements of that era as a backdrop to this present day story (I got unreasonably excited at the appearance of the book Michelle Remembers). Natalie was an exciting protagonist that I really rooted for, and the story builds to a thrilling conclusion. This was a great graphic novel combining a crime thriller and a satanic horror story that fans of Brubaker and Phillips will enjoy.

Thank you to Image Comics and NetGalley for a copy of Houses of the Unholy in exchange for an honest review

Thanks to NetGalley and Image Comics for supplying an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm always excited to read the latest Brubaker/Phillips joint. I can't think of any other creative team working in comics that have the same synergy, and you can always tell they had an absolute blast working together. This was no exception.

The dialogue and the images are both stellar as you would imagine if you've read anything of theirs since they shook the comics world with Criminal.

Using the satanic panic of the 1980's as both a fundamental backdrop for the story and the main character's past was incredibly interesting, especially for me who was only marginally aware of what happened during that time.

The exploration of how such a thing would go on to impact the people who lived through it was inspired.

For me though, the plot itself was a bit of a letdown, from about a third of the way through I knew exactly where it was going and wasn't ever surprised by what happened. If you've read or watched anything concerning cults and/or their fallout you'll be able to predict every twist.

Overall I enjoyed reading it but its not one I'll revisit, 3.5 out of 5 (rounded up) for me.

A dark, gripping graphic novel that intertwines themes of crime, horror, and psychological drama. The story revolves around an FBI agent from the cult crime division and Natalie Burns, a private investigator with a traumatic past linked to the Satanic Panic era of the 1980s. Natalie, part of the infamous "Satanic Six," is haunted by false accusations of satanic torture that ruined many lives. The plot centers on their investigation into a series of cult-related kidnappings and murders. The narrative delves deep into the psychological scars left by the Satanic Panic, exploring whether one can ever truly escape their past or if it continually haunts them. As they pursue an insane killer hidden in the shadows of the underworld, the story presents a blend of intense, atmospheric horror and noir elements. Brubaker's storytelling is characterized by a blend of hardboiled noir and psychological depth. Phillips's illustrations makes this graphic novel successful, establishing an eerie and sinister atmosphere.

Thank you Image Comics and NetGalley for a copy of Houses of the Unholy!

"In this new tale, an FBI agent from the cult crime beat and a woman with a past linked to the Satanic Panic are drawn into a terrifying hunt for an insane killer hiding in the shadows of the underworld. This pulse-pounding story asks: can you ever escape your past, or are all your bad decisions just more ghosts to haunt you, wherever you go?"

Finished this during a camping trip and boy did it spook me. I ended up researching Satanic Panic of the 80s and Ed Brubaker's other works. Love when a good read does that!

The Houses of the Unholy is perfect for those looking for a classic cult, horror story with a tight plot and retro/gorgeous comic illustrations!