There’s really nothing like The Nice House by the Sea, one of James Tynion IV’s greatest works spinning out of The Nice House by the Lake. Both series masterfully blend sci-fi and psychological thriller and are elevated to great heights with the incredible art by Alvaro Martinez Bueno. It has taken the thought experiment of plucking the most worthy humans off a dying Earth and seeing how they react to each other. In The Nice House by the Sea, though, we learn there are multiple biodomes of humans, some thinking they are more worthy than others.
If there ever was an example of the “smartest” and “best” humans showing signs they deserve nothing in the end times, it’s The Nice House by the Sea #5. After the usual burning future opening (I’ll get back to that in a second), we see the seaside people are torturing Oliver for information. This is compelling as it shows the people who are the “smartest” and “best” are much more cruel than normal folks like the lake people, but the aliens running the show are going to be very angry. You see, both Max and Walter had a relationship with Oliver, and when they find out they’ve tortured Oliver, it probably won’t go well for them.
Speaking of the torture, Bueno will make you gag when you see his arms stretched into points and his mouth removed. Bueno and color artist Jordie Bellaire really lean into the horror of this issue, which also includes the aliens morphing in their trippy way. Bueno also makes the seaside people feel villainous and awful, while the lake people are clearly more humble and human. Distinguishing that visually is important.
Max and Walter are weird dudes. Oh wait, they’re aliens. I think.
Credit: DC
Back to the opening, we see Norah reflecting on Walter and the ongoing secrets that continue to wear on them. They knew Walter was never dead but hid it from the rest of the lake folks. The ongoing character work of Max and a better understanding of the aliens in general continue to enhance the narrative. A key detail about Walter’s interest in being human contributes to the choice of his biodome’s people and Max’s unfeeling nature and picking the best of the best.
Thankfully, the large cast isn’t a big problem with this issue. That’s thanks to Oliver becoming a central focus of both aliens and Norah’s ongoing larger role amongst the humans. Do I know everyone’s name? No, but I can fairly quickly gather which one is the sicko who augments bodies, and that’s about as much as you need.
The delay between issues isn’t helping, and it is an ongoing problem for a very big cast. It’s hard to remember who is who or their names. A caption reminding us of each issue would be a huge help, but I figure this is more of a trade paperback read at the end of the day.
The Nice House by the Sea #5 delivers a chilling and thought-provoking chapter filled with moral ambiguity, exceptional character work, and breathtaking horror visuals.
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