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.

This was weird… in a good way. This is dark and visceral. The art fits the story style really well. This also has a really cool story!

Natalie Burns has spent her whole life running from her past, but an FBI agent approaches her with a compelling story that has her mortality at the center. The two of them decide to work together, bringing Natalie back to all of those memories she never wants to think about.

This mixes the satanic panic, conspiracy and secret organizations perfectly, with a gritty and compelling narrative.

This book was quite engaging, though I rated it 4stars because it seemed somewhat rushed. The plot held great promise, and I found myself wishing for more depth and detail. I hadn’t anticipated that it was a graphic novel, but I was pleasantly surprised by how swiftly it captivated me. Despite the brevity, I’d be eager to dive into a sequel, hoping for a richer exploration of the intriguing storyline.

My thanks to NetGalley, Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, and Image Comics for providing this ARC!

Thank you, NetGalley and Image Comics for the ARC for review. That was super fun and only a little creepy. I have read and really liked comics by Ed Brubaker before, so I was happy to get a chance to read this one. I grew up in the 80's and I remember a little about the Satanic Panic on the news so this storyline brought back a bit of fun/creepy nostalgia for me with that. Woo-hoo for cults and demon worshipers.

Like all of Brubaker and Phllips' work I inhaled this. Catnip for crime fans, but this time with a satanic twist. I loved the way it subverts thriller tropes and expectations, and as always with Brubaker's writing, centers the crime with the emotional core of its characters. The artwork was excellent and felt reminiscent of classic EC genre comics, and especially shined on those full page splashes. If I had one critique, I wish it leaned a little bit more into the horror aspect, but a small gripe compared to how much I enjoyed the book overall. Already can't wait for their next collaboration.

Thank you to NetGalley and Image Comics for this eARC!

The visuals aspects of this were absolutely stunning! I loved the colour palette and drawing style. It had an old school comic book vibe about it and really drew you in

The story was certainly intriguing and has spurred me on to look into the Satanic Panic era as it wasn't something I was really aware of. I really enjoyed the flipping between present tense and flashbacks as it added depth to the story.

The characters were a mixed bag. I loved that Natalie was a strong female lead who had some depth to her and a good backstory but unfortunately West felt rather cliché and predictable in comparison.

Plot wise everything felt rather rushed and some parts were brushed over quite quickly so it seemed like we'd missed vital information.

Overall whilst I did enjoy this, if it had been maybe 50-60 pages longer it definitely would have felt more complete and fleshed out.

I have been a fan of Ed Brubaker for years. His crime graphic novels are classics. I enjoyed the subject matter of this one and the infusion of a little horror into his writing. Artwork was fantastic as well.

An interesting story! While the plot and characters were fine to read about, I loved the artwork. The colours were so vivid and the art style really added to the atmosphere of the story. I’m not usually a comic reader, but this was a lot of fun. I came for the plot but stayed for the art.

Ed Brubaker?
Phillips?
Cult devil worshipers? SIGN ME UP!

This is a dark tale of devil worshipping stories that went around A LOT in the 80's and 90s. And this is years later where a woman is reflecting back on those events as a child which lead to a current day mystery and murdering spree. Really enjoyed the characters, pacing, and even story even if the end kind of went off the walls and I didn't fully get it. Overall another knockout from the Brubaker as he always has such well done character and dialogue.

This story masterfully intertwines crime and psychological drama. Following an FBI agent and a woman with a past linked to the Satanic Panic, the story delves into a chilling hunt for a deranged killer hiding in the underworld. Brubaker's writing and atmospheric artwork create a gripping, suspenseful read. While some plot twists may feel predictable and pacing occasionally uneven, the novel is a compelling dive into dark themes and complex characters

Brubaker & Phillips + satanic panic crime thriller? That's an easy sell for me. Houses of the Unholy follows a woman on the run from her past, who as a child was swept up in the Satanic Panic and falsely accused counsellors of ritual abuse. The subject matter here is dark, but Brubaker deftly provides context on the true villains in this mass hysteria, and they are often closer to home than we are comfortable considering. This story covers guilt, shame, and grief in palpable ways, while also delivering a thrilling mystery that - like the subject matter - gets increasingly unsettling the more it unravels.

The art here is also stellar. In the flashback scenes, it's as if Sean Phillips is blowing the dust off boxes of newsprints and forgotten memories, the way he captures this dark time in the 80s is haunting, and this might be some of my favorite work of his.

I loved this read and I'll be considering its finale for some time.

Thank you to Image and Netgalley for the copy!

Will I read anything by Brubaker & Phillips? Yes. Does this make Houses of the Unholy any less worth reading, a resounding no,

Natalie was a young girl caught up in the satanic panic of the 1980s, her & 5 other children reported abuse as part of a satanic ritual. Now adults, several of those children are dead. Part thriller, part cult drama & horror story this was a thought provoking & twisting read.

Highly recommended for lovers of horror & “true crime”

Houses of the Unholy is another jam from the Brubaker/Phillips paring and though there are horror elements it is very much a crime story and structured like one. The horror creeps in at points to small and larger degrees but at its heart it's a PI story about chasing down what seems to be a cult going after people who were involved in a Satanic Panic case in the 80s about 35 years later.

Our lead and POV character is a woman named Natalie Burns who is something of a drifter after being involved in a Satanic Panic child abuse case where she was one of the accusers who were dubbed "The Satanic Six". A retrieval case she has picked up in something of a "private detective" role goes wrong right at the start and Natalie winds up in jail but finds herself being sprung by an FBI agent who tells her that three of the "Satanic Six" have recently been murdered and off they go to do some detecting and hopefully keep that murder number where it is.

The story structure is such that we go back and forth between current events with the chase and background the Satanic Six case and the other people involved in our story. They are alternating chapters, and colored differently to easily code what is going on. Interestingly when everything comes together the two color palates blend a bit. It's very clever, I think.

One thing I always admire about Sean Phillips' art in crime comics is that he does a great job with sifting through lots of talk and no action pages. The characters are very identifiable and it never feels static, he keeps your eyes moving as you go through the scenes. There is a lot of dialogue and inner POV narrative, but to Brubaker's credit it's never an overwhelming amount and it never interferes with the art.

A very solid overall effort, not my favorite by the duo but I fully buy into the structure of the comic and would recommend it to anyone. 3.5 stars but with no half stars, it gets a round-up to 4.