Only sections of this book caught my attention and that wasn't enough to keep me going. I really wanted to love this novel, everything about it asked me to be spooked by it, especially that creepy dollhouse, but it just didn't work out that way. The illustrations at times would draw me in, but then many of them just didn't make sense to me... the style of it wasn't for me. But, it's not to say there weren't those chilling factors, because there were. Just wish it had been that way for all of it. Maybe I'll try again another time.

The story here is a good one, but something went a little off in the execution. I can't put my finger on it exactly, but something was lacking. It's still a good story, but it could have been better. Parts drag, other parts feel rushed, the characters feel a bit flat. Having said that, there's a good lot of creepiness to this tale, and the art is good (especially the issue covers!).

#TheDollhouseFamilyHillHouseComics #NetGalley

Of the Hill House Comics productions, this has impressed me the least. The story was fine, but I would have liked maybe a stronger background on the dollhouse. I can imagine this as successful in individual issues, as the collection seemed to move very quickly. I'm certainly interested in keeping up with the line of comics to see what's coming.

I received a copy of this book as an early review copy from NetGalley and DC Comics. All opinions are my own.

The Dollhouse Family

This is the story of a special dollhouse. Alice has the dollhouse for comfort, and it is passed down from generation to generation, but what happens when the dollhouse asks Alice to come play inside. This book has trigger warnings for domestic violence.

The colors were done so well that you can turn the page and the entire mood of the book shifts and you know things are going to become dark just like the pages did. The story was creepy, and the art, colors, and letters match that tone. I did not see the end coming. It kept me on the edge of my seat not wanting to put the book down.

5 stars.


Creative Team:
Writer: MR Carey
Layout: Peter Gross
Finishes: Vince Locke
Colors: Cris Peter
Letter: Todd Klein
Published by DC Black Label

I don’t have super strong feelings about this. I thought that the idea of the dollhouse family was ok. I love the idea of a world going on inside the dollhouse that can take our main character away. The plot was tied together in an interesting enough way for me to get through it. The art was ok. I wouldn’t read it again, but I didn’t hate it. I can appreciate the art even though it’s not my favorite style. I thought that the coloring was too dark sometimes. I’ve had this issue with some of the precious issues of this series as well. They’re cool concepts but they kind of just turn out “ok” to me. I don’t love them or hate them.

The Dollhouse Family is a delightfully spooky tale about a sentient dollhouse that haunts a family. Told sometimes from the point of view of the protagonist, sometimes from the dollhouse's cosmic nemesis, it's a glorious use of the comic format and a lovely addition to the Hill House imprint. Highly suggested!

'The Dollhouse Family' by M.R. Carey with illustrations by Peter Gross is a horror graphic novel about a creepy dollhouse and the terrible legacy associated with it.

At six, Alice gets a dollhouse from a relative she's never met. Alice's life isn't perfect, so she finds an inner world with the dolls, but that may not be the best thing to do because something dark lives in the dollhouse and wants Alice to live there permanently. Years go by and now Alice's daughter finds herself enthralled by the same thing that still wants Alice.

This book is part of the Hill House imprint at DC Comics. This story felt a lot scarier to me, and I liked it. The art is quite good. I liked the full painted covers, too.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from DC Entertainment and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

This one fits firmly in the hill house comics world! A dark demonic tale that spans many different eras & will satisfy the cravings of your horror graphic novels readers.

4/5 ⭐️
Hhmmm okay so I didn’t even know this was a graphic novel series but I’m so glad I read this! It’s super creepy! And seeing the show first it made this even more enjoyable.

I mean I liked it, but I wasn't terribly impressed. Considering this is the third Hill House Comic I read this is definitely the worst one. I mean it wasn't terrible, but the storylines jumped around a bit too much for it to feel consistent. It wasn't necessarily hard to follow, but it just didn't work for me.

The storyline although a bit jumbled had an interesting premise which is why I gave it 3 Stars. I did enjoy it but it could have been better. The art could have been far more polished which would have made the story more captivating. Some of the "fluff" storylines could have been shortened and more focus could have fallen on Alice.

M.R. Carey weaves a masterpiece of a story. A tale told over centuries alternating between the past and the present (ish) of a family and its lineage. What happens when a demonic presence targets generations of pf a family? This story. It's well illustrated, well developed and has bad ass women.

This book reminded me a bit of Joe Hill's Locke and Key series. It wasn't until after I read the book and looked it up that I found out it came out of his comics imprint. This isn't an important fact, but kind of interesting.

One major difference between this book, and Joe Hill's is the style of the art. This art reminded me of the style you would see in '80s horror comic. Shadows, expressive faces that give off emotion, all while being understated and a tiny bit old fashioned. Which fit pretty well with a story that was encompassing so many decades. And, then the art of the monsters kind of jumps out, and differentiates itself from the rest of the book, and it is more in your face and loud.

The story was interesting. Aside, from a spot here or there I couldn't guess exactly where the scary plot was going. I found the way the story was summed up to be satisfying. And, it made me look forward to what could possibly come next in the series.

I got this book as an early review from NetGalley. This did not affect my review.

I wanted to like this graphic novel, but it was predictable, and just kept getting worse with little redemption for the main characters. I like the premise, but it just fell flat.

Published by Hill House Comics, under DC Comics. Written by M.R. Carey. Illustrated by Peter Gross. Inks by Vince Locke.
(A review copy was provided by NetGalley.)

I had no idea what to expect from a haunted doll house story. Bunch of toys. What kind of damage could they do to a full grown adult? Thankfully I couldn’t have been more wrong because the twists and turns in this book grew into a too terrified to turn the page conclusion.
A dollhouse appears for young Alice. Over years the dollhouse calls to her, and to say nothing good comes of the house’s desires is an understatement. Throughout the graphic novel a history of the house and powerful forces behind it is revealed.
The older I get the more I believe certain places are just cursed. The Dollhouse Family shows an origin for such an idea and follows it from beginning to end. I enjoyed the time travel and the origins sprinkled in between the main story of Alice. The entity behind the house is the biggest horror of the book but is also so powerful it inspires smaller horrors within its gravitational pull.
Alice is such a great protagonist because I cared about her life. In any horror story the audience wants the main character to survive at the end but it has been years since one made me scream and beg for her safety. The evil is so strong I reluctantly accepted that the story will not have a happy ending but if it can end for the safety of others – that’s okay. A tale like this should never be spoiled but I’ll say I was excited by an ending I never saw coming.

Nice artwork and great concept and some really creepy children characters. However the plot takes a bit to get into but overall did enjoy it.

A pleasantly creepy comic, which is to be expected from Mike Carey. Loved the twists and turns along the way. Did a video review on YouTube for the comic: https://youtu.be/bw15pGst7Cw

A dollhouse lures generations of people into its clutches, but why?

In 1979 Britain, Alice mysteriously receives an elaborate old-fashioned dollhouse from a great-aunt that she was unaware of. She loves to play with it and the dollhouse family to escape the abuse that her father is inflicting on her family. With a child’s innocence, she accepts it when the dolls talk to her and is thrilled to use the chant they teach her so she can become small and join them. There is an unusual balance in the house, the dolls seem content yet they are aware there is an evil entity in the house that soon draws Alice in and tries to make a Faustian bargain with her. This is where the plot goes sideways to me- a tragedy befalls Alice and she spends years in a foster home. But as Alice grows up and has a daughter herself, we get odd flashbacks to Ireland in the late 1800s and how a surveyor’s exploration of a cave and his meeting with a succubus lead to the dollhouse. We get the expected fight of good vs evil at the end, but only after the narratives of past and present are confusingly knit together.

The art was good, and I actually found the illustrations portraying the past to be evocatively authentic and more to my liking than the modern-day depictions. I enjoyed the chapter openings that showed creepy dolls that gave a hint of what was to come. Some of the lettering in my online copy was off, such as additional details to the side of the illustrations were covered by the art or so faint as to be unreadable. I would hope in a print edition this would be corrected.

Despite the strong start with the Hill House label, this third graphic novel isn’t up to snuff. It felt like a mix of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline plus a weak Locke and Key, which Joe Hill wrote. In fact, Hill’s single-issue Small World was all about a dollhouse, so this felt like a convoluted British knockoff of it. But I still look forward to the last two titles in this label and am glad I was able to read an early copy through NetGalley.

Give me a book with a kid and some creepy doll stuff and I'll love it. This was is no different.
I loved the very unexpected ending and how unnvering it is. The art was gorgeous. I loved Joe Hill's touch to this one. Great for Halloween.

While I liked this latest Michael Carey graphic novel from Joe Hill's horror imprint, some of the plot details (or how they were teased out) left me wanting ... and I was mixed on some of Peter Gross & Vincent Locke's character illustrations. There was some good haunted/creepy house-slash-childhood toy elements in play, though, which made for a good read.

This comic was interesting but not my cup of tea. People can go into the dollhouse and become a part of the doll family. It was too much in the 1800's for me.