Warning: Spoilers forThe Nice House By the Sea#1!
Summary
The Nice House on the Lakeintroduced the world to a set of ten characters, all with different abilities, taking a much-needed vacation — only to learn that their friend Walter had trapped them in a pocket universe and the world they knew had ended. In its long-anticipated sequel,The Nice House by the Sea,a new cast of characters is introduced, but they’re nothing like the other crew. Instead they’re award-winning, and these awards are the only reason they’re still alive.
From the Eisner-winningteam of James Tynion IVand Álvaro Martínez Bueno,The Nice House By the Sea#1 sets up a new Mediterranean location with similar archetypes within its cast: the artist, the scientist, and so on. Wherethese new characters differ from Walter’s friends in the original series, however, is that they each are the best of the best that humanity, supposedly, has to offer.
From Nobel Prizes to Tony Awards to MacArthur Grants, this crop of humans, picked by new alien Max — who is eerily similar to Walter — are sure to become the best experimental society of an extinct world, making the previous characters look like nothing.
James Tynion IV Heading Up Dark Horse’s Latest Creator-Owned Imprint
Comic creator James Tynion IV is taking his work to Dark Horse Comics with printed versions of his material from his Substack, Tiny Onion Studios.
The Nice House Experiments Are Competitions, and the House by the Sea Just Won
The New Nice House Includes Worldwide Luminaries
Max reveals to her friend Oliver that if this selection of humans forthe new seaside Nice Houseisn’t the very best, then one of the other houses will win. Not only does this change the game, but it reveals that the experiments have only ever been a game from the beginning. In this light, Max’s new cast of humans far exceeds Walter’s measly group of friends.Every member of the new Nice House cast is the forerunner of their field,from scientists to artists to priests.
If this cryptic alien species is counting success the way America counts success, thenThe Nice by the Seajust won the competition in a landslide.
The new Writer, Victor, though overly melodramatic, far outmatchesOn the Lake’s Norah, who had no awards to her name. The Actor slot, too — gone to Oliver this time — is far more respected than the penniless comedian David of the original. Even the most successful of the previous group, Sarah, only had links to the Democratic National Committee, while Margie of the new group is a two-term Senator. Ifthis cryptic alien species is counting success the way America counts success, thenThe Nice House by the Seajust won the competition in a landslide.
The New Nice House Exists for Best of the Best
This Is How the Game Was Supposed to Be Played
Oliver himself leads the first issue and has an instantly-iconic opening monologue detailing how he has been friends with the alien Max since high school and knew the world was going to end. Almost as if cheating, he was told how the best humans get picked, and so he truly fought for every award he received — because he knew he was going to die if he didn’t. And that’s saying nothing ofOliver’s mysterious connection with Walterand the originalNice Housecast.
The Nice House By the Seaflips the script on its own storytelling by providing a story that is the exact opposite of the horror masterpiece ofthe previousNice Houseseries. As opposed to the previous tenants, none of these people are friends. The only connecting factor they share is their success. The world is gone, and they’ve won the game of life. Now they get to survive forever with their awards, which don’t mean anything in an apocalyptic society. Even with nine other strangers, it’s lonely at the top. Until, of course, some strangers with no awards show up and ruin their paradise.
The Nice House By the Sea#1is available now from DC Comics!
