Warning: Spoilers forThe Nice House By the Sea#1!
Summary
As a sequel toThe Nice House On the Lake,The Nice House By the Seadistinguishes itself from its acclaimed predecessor by flipping its premise on its head.The Nice House On the Lakeopens on a group of friends all connected by the enigmatic Walter, who has gathered them together to save them from the end of the world - and to run a few experiments on them. The sequel revealsan entirely new cast of characters, and they’re nothing like the others: they’re rich, they’re famous, and best of all, they already know the world has ended. They just don’t care.
The Eisner Award-winning team ofJames Tynion IVand Álvaro Martínez Buenoreturn to a similar setting inThe Nice House on the Sea#1, except this time on the Mediterranean coast. Returning fans will be surprised to find a lack of heart in this new cast and, in its place, a whole lot of money.
As it turns out, these tenants knew before coming to the house that they would leave the world and everyone they loved behind. And on the two-year anniversary of their selfish survival,they do what rich people do to celebrate: they toast to their own success.
InOn the Lake,none of the characters knew the world was ending, and every time they found out, they got their memories erased. Tynion and Bueno pull a smart move by providing the exact opposite in their sequel toa story known for subverting clichés. Fans have already seen what regular people stoop to do in this heightened sci-fi situation, but what would their opposites do? In a satirical commentary,By the Seashows just how the über-rich and famous would react to surviving the apocalypse - by not giving it a second thought.
In a satirical commentary,By the Seashows just how the über-rich and famous would react to surviving the apocalypse - by not giving it a second thought.
In their secluded paradise, they have everything they need. Quinn, a 56-year-old scientist, modifies her body to when she was much younger, and the Hugo Award-winning writer Victor, 82, does the same. The historian Henry, 74, modifies his body to become the most buff out of the whole group. Never mind family or friends. The fact that they chose to come here, willingly, knowing what they were leaving behind, shows that they would rather play with toys than be human.The self-absorption of the one percent, both in society and in survival, might be the real horror here.
Award-winning though these protagonists might be, it’s hard to read through this issue and root for their success.These are not likable characters by any means.But that’s exactly what makes this sequel interesting and not just a repeat of the original. Compared to their predecessors, the one-percenters act differently in this horror comic by being as self-entitled as ever. With this knowledge, it seems the line is suddenly blurred between the villains and the victims ofthis story that has already convinced me it can follow its predecessor.
While the previous cast ran around like rats in a maze trying to solve an impossible mystery, the main characters of the sequel just argue about the weather so one of them can take their yacht out on the water. As long as the tenants ofThe Nice House by the Seaget everything they want, it doesn’t matter that the world has ended.
The Nice House By the Sea#1is out now from DC Comic Black Label!
