Dolls over all tend to be uncomfortable. M.R. Carey ups that ante with the comic The Doll House Family, as part of the Joe Hill House comics imprint from DC comics.  Alice loves to play with her dolls, and is known to have elaborate conversations with them. Normally imaginative child right? Maybe not. When she turns six, she's given a beautiful antique dollhouse complete with beautiful, realistic dolls. Life isn't easy for Alice, so she turns to the dollhouse and her new friends for comfort and understanding. This is, until they ask her to come into the doll house and play. As in, shrink down and be part of the house. They promise to grant her a wish, if only she'll agree to their request. 

Nope. No thanks. The comic is well written, the art beautiful, but it's still going to make your skin crawl. I love the fact that Joe Hill is lending his name to the comic imprint and that they are already working with folks like M.R. Carey. 

The Doll House Family is available today wherever comic books are sold.

I have never seen a dollhouse that I liked and this one just might be the worst one I have ever encountered in my horror genre loving life! This time is isn’t the dolls that are the problem, no sitting on a shelf or in a dark corner being spooky for them. No, this time I was rooting for the dolls.

The time jumps made this a very entertaining read and it was hard to put down because I couldn’t wait to find out how the stories would connect. While the style of the artwork wasn’t my absolute favorite to look at it was exactly right for this graphic novel.

There will probably be some people that dislike the ending, but I personally like how things turned out. Perhaps there is another story here just waiting for a sequel…?

<b>Recommended for:</b> fans of horror with pervasive evil and unexpected endings

<b>Content warning:</b> domestic violence, racist hate crime, harm to children

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

**I received a free electronic copy of this book from DC Comics through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. **

In 1979, Alice receives a mysterious dollhouse. She uses this toy to cope with her father's verbal and physical abuse towards her mother. What begins as figurative escapism quickly turns into something seemly innocent on the surface. The dark secrets contained within the rooms will follow Alice into her adult life and she must confront the evil that won't stop hunting her.

Since this is the second title I have read from Hill House Comics, I could not help but compare it to my first experience with The Low, Low Woods. The first title really blew me away, so of course it was a tough act to follow. At first glance, The Dollhouse Family's vibe fits in well with the genre of this imprint. It has an evil supernatural entity, disturbing childhood memories, and an ultimate showdown with pure evil. That being said, I did not feel that the execution of the narrative was very strong. I really wanted to love this title, but in the end, there were a few key factors that prevented me from truly enjoying it: a lack of suspense and messy lore development.

When I read The Low, Low Woods, I was clamoring for each issue. I was attached to the 2 main characters and wanted them to succeed. With each issue, I became more afraid that one of them would die due to rising stakes. With The Dollhouse Family, I got about 3 issues in and sort of stopped caring about the characters. Suspense is evoked through stakes. What is the worst thing that could happen? If it does, can the main character still emerge triumphant? Alice did not seem that interesting to me. I felt sad for her horrible childhood, but I found that she was a very flat character that was defined by her traumatic upbringing and daddy issues. Since I was not attached to Alice, I didn't see suspense in events that could have be more exciting.

My overall response to the lore in the story was a positive one. I wish I could get into it here, but it would spoil the entire book if I said much more than the fact that there is a mysterious entity in the dollhouse. The origins are a fun and creepy fresh take on a cursed object. The narrative shifts from Alice's present to the past of her ancestors. It is in this past that we can eventually understand the origins of the dollhouse. Again, execution was a big problem for me. I don't know if I missed something, but there don't seem to be enough breadcrumbs in the flashbacks to make the ending not seem abrupt. For example, there is a cat that seems like it may have a larger role to play in the beginning, and then we don't see it again until the very end. The pacing of the lore was disjointed with the modern narrative and the past storylines did not play off each other as Alice learns more about the past, while it is being revealed to us as readers in the other panels.

In the end, The Dollhouse Family seems like a poor attempt to capture the magical, yet often horrific world of comics like Locke & Key. The plot is great "on paper" but the end result is weak and leaves this reader wondering what could have been.

For fans of: Coraline, cursed objects, and sketchy family history

Verdict: 2/5

This review will be posted on my blog on 10/14/20.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

The Dollhouse Family is a story about a little girl named Alice, who was passed down an antique dollhouse from a deceased relative. One day, the dolls inside the dollhouse began talking to Alice and invite her to stay with them in their house. Then chaos ensues and whatnot.

I was incredibly excited by the premise of this graphic novel. It reminded me of this children's book, Among the Dolls, that I read back in elementary school. So, reading The Dollhouse Family premise gave me nostalgic vibes. However, it was clear to me from the first ten pages that I was not going to like the story. It was a lackluster, sluggish, non-scary version of what I was expecting. By the 40-page mark, I was so bored that I began daydreaming about taking a nap.

Now let's talk about the art style. The color scheme is a muted palette that gives the story an antique, vintage feel. While the colors do help bring about the spooky atmosphere, I would have liked to see a little bit more life in the illustrations. They were dull, and to me, if the story is not engaging, then the illustrations better be. I did not see this with The Dollhouse Family. Additionally, Alice's design changed in nearly every panel. Her face was not consistent, and she looked like a completely different person from one page to the next. This aspect of the graphic novel was jarring and distracting from the story. I expect to see some inconsistencies in comic artwork, but never to this extent.

Overall, I give The Dollhouse Family a one-star rating. Both the story and artwork were not for me, but I love DC Comics, so this graphic novel was more disappointing than usual. I feel let down and would not recommend reading this.

This is the second graphic novel I have read out of the Hill House series. I have to say- I liked it even better than The Low, Low Woods.

In the same vein, this installment was also absurd, disturbing, and fun. I loved how grotesque the story was and also quite liked the artwork. Some parts surprised me into a smirk just because of how absurd and horrific it was. I wouldn't go as far as to call it scary, but it definitely was a weird and entertaining read. I would recommend it to anyone into horror.

I got an ARC of this book.

I got super excited to see that Joe Hill has his own line of comics now. I needed to read all of them immediately. My partner is also obsessed with Hill comics, they were the only books he read before I came around. So it has been a part of our relationship that I hunt out and tell him about all the Joe Hill stuff so he doesn’t have to slog through a book he will never finish since he isn’t a reader. I just wish this was one I could be excited to tell him about.

This book can be summed up very easily: a bad adult reboot of Caroline. You know the one about the girl who goes through a magical door (dollhouse) and is offered what she really wants, a family that notices her (her dad to stop hurting her mom). Mix that with a bit of Locke & Key, magical multi generational demon hunting the family for some reason. Ta-da, you got this book.

The issue was this book didn’t do either of those plot lines well. The reason this is not just a solid one star, is I liked the art. The characters were forgettable, I couldn’t tell you any of the names of the characters, except Peggy-O and I just finished this book seconds before I started typing this review. The only reason I remember Peggy-O is every time it appeared I went “what the fuck?” at the name.

The plot jumped in time a lot which was probably the only interesting thing about the timeline. It really was a forgettable story and really poorly done. To really make this a story that could stand with Joe Hill’s name on the cover, it would need multiple volumes and a huge overhaul on pacing. There would probably need to be a volume for each of the dolls to really expand this into being a complete story.

Overall, it was a flop. It really didn’t stand up as a complete story. It had a lot happening, but it was so predictable that it didn’t really matter that there was even an attempt for a larger picture plot of angels and demons. I am also really annoyed that yet again sex was used to move a plot forward when it didn’t make sense. My first thought finding a woman that shouldn’t be in a cave in a cave would not be “huh, guess it is time for sex”. It is just so wild to me that this was the entire crux of the plot. Nope.

Big thanks to Netgalley and DC Black Label for the opportunity to read the arc!
I struggle with comics and graphics. I’ve only found one that I absolutely adore. And although this wasn’t a favorite, I was still impressed with it! The plot was so gripping and entertaining that I finished the whole thing in just a couple hours. I couldn’t put it down as I was so intrigued and wanted to know what happened next.
I also really enjoyed the main character, Alice. She’s a very strong, strong willed and independent character. I loved getting to see a female main character able to take things into her own hands without being the cliche damsel in distress. It was refreshing to see! Unfortunately none of the characters were as three dimensional. But I suppose that’s a little difficult to do in a comic.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone that’s a fan of classic horror or horror comics. Worth the read!:)

Thank you Net Galley and DC for giving a free ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Rating: 3.5

I like the overall story of this comic. Alice gets a dollhouse when she is young. The dollhouse has something sinister going on with it. Once you enter the dollhouse there is a room called the black room, which makes people bargain with it.

Overall it was a good read the only problem I had with it was the comic graphics just seemed a little too cartoony for a horror graphic novel for me.

I'm fairly new to the world of graphic novels, but I love fantasy/supernatural and horror to some extent. This combines all three into one action packed story. As the title suggests, the tale revolves around a dollhouse that is passed down in a family through generations. When Alice receives it in 1979, she discovers that the dolls have names and talk. She can also shrink to their size to play with the family inside. Then things start getting weird. And creepy.

Why not four or even five stars you ask? Because in the middle of the book the storyline got super weird and uncomfortably creepy. The art is solid and the story is as well. While other reviewers are excited for the series, I felt the storyline was wrapped up well and doesn't NEED another book. But because of the lack of loose ends to this storyline, any books following this one can go any number of creative directions.

If you like horror/fantasy and graphic novels, you will most likely enjoy this one. I would read the next in the series, but I would not recommend it for everyone.

I found this plodded along unlike other Carey and Gross collaborations. This is the story of a girl visited by a dollhouse filled with a family she can shrink down and visit. But there is something more menacing about the dollhouse as it continually tempts Alice. The storytelling moving through multiple times didn't really come together for me until the very end. Vince Locke's inks give Peter Gross's usually restrained and simple pencils a rugged, old-timey, vaguely oatmealy look. This was the rare miss for me in the Hill House line.

I really liked this graphic novel, I gave it a four out five stars. I really enjoyed the story and the art style I liked as well. I will definitely be getting myself a finished copy. The graphic novel, The Dollhouse Family kept me interested and kept me reading the whole time.

First of all thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this title.

I loved the concept of a haunted dollhouse trying to lure a child to agree to live in it forever. It took several turns I didn't see coming which I appreciated. However it seemed to move along at a snails pace. The time jumps were easy to follow but made it hard (especially in the beginning) to get sucked in. I liked the hint that more could come in way of a series however the ending did seem to wrap up a little conveniently.

Overall, it was very interesting and I might be willing to check out more if it does become a series, however, I don't know if I would ever reread this one.

Special thanks to NetGalley and DC for the free ARC I was provided in exchange for an honest review.

In The Dollhouse Family, a little girl named Alice inherits a mysterious antique dollhouse (complete with a small family of dolls) from a late great aunt whom she didn't even know existed. It is revealed that the dolls not only talk to her, but even give her the magic words to shrink down so she can play with them. It is only then that things begin to get weird.

I really enjoyed the story overall, especially watching Alice grow up all while the dollhouse continues to cast a sinister shadow over her life. I wasn't a big fan at first of the flashbacks detailing the history and nature of the dollhouse (which involves a cosmic battle of good versus evil) and its connection to Alice's ancestors. The flashbacks often felt like they were interrupting the story I was really interested in, and they didn't seem to have much connection. However, while the pacing probably could have been done better, it did eventually come together toward the end, and it pays off quite well.

The artwork is really good overall. It looks a little rough in some places (though this could be due to how it rendered on my iPad), but nothing stands out as being bad. I liked the color palette, and I thought facial expressions were especially well done.

This is the third graphic novel I have read in DC's Hill House imprint, and so far I am impressed. I look forward to future installments!

The overall concept of this Hill House Comics entry is pretty decent. A woman is haunted from childhood into her adult years by an heirloom dollhouse. The toy actually hides a dark secret that goes back generations in her family tree and began with an encounter with a demon. The problem lies in the third act where Carey rushes through some plot points and delivers what could easily be considered a cop-out ending. I am not a huge fan of M.R. Carey's work, to begin with, so I knew going into The Dollhouse Family I might find some elements that irked me and I wasn't wrong. This is probably the Hill House Comics series I have liked the least so far but still enjoyed many parts of it. If you have been lukewarm to anything else from the imprint then I don't expect you would enjoy The Dollhouse Family.

Really enjoyed this one. The artwork is so-so but the story itself is fantastic, with a great narration throughout. That ending really packs a punch, too.

I really enjoyed this comic! I found it interesting and the graphics were amazing. I was fearful at times considering this is a hill house comic. The only issue I had was the random switch of timelines throughout the story. I would often get confused or it would just send me out of the zone of what was happening in the book. Overall, very well done.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. The story was intriguing and I liked the dual story lines, I love when past and present collide. The art was enjoyable and the characters were amazing. I loved the main character, Alice, and was rooting for her. On Alice’s 6th birthday she receives an antique dollhouse from a great aunt and nothing in her life is the same again. She discovers it’s no ordinary dollhouse. When her parents fight and her father hurts her mother she slips into a smaller world while all seems magical when she is given the words to shrink down into the dollhouse. Meanwhile her ancestor’s storyline is more traditional Victorian/gothic horror. This storyline is the birth of the dollhouse and Alice’s birthright. I hope to read more in this world as this was an intriguing beginning!

Alice is six years old. When she inherits an antique dollhouse. Her father wants to sell it but her mom says no as she can tell that Alice is taken with the dollhouse. Alice goes into foster care when her mom kills her father. The dollhouse appears o her which made her happy. She loves the family that is in the dollhouse. However she discovers a dark side to it. She “leaves” the dollhouse behind and grows up. One day her daughter discovers the dollhouse in her daughter’s room with her daughter talking to it. It scares her. She tells her daughter to ignore it and not talk to it. When her daughter disappears, she knows that she is in the dollhouse. What will she do? Can she save her daughter?

The graphic book author has written an exquisite horror story. It is detailed yet the story keeps growing intense and creepy. This is due to the hints given throughout the story. The illustrations are colorful and well done. It’s a excellent horror story.

The artwork is not my favorite style, but I really loved the main character. The premise was sufficiently creepy. Awesome story and just enjoyed the twists & turns. I actually liked the pairing of history and present.

Alice is bequeathed a beautiful antique dollhouse when she is 6. But it's not an ordinary dollhouse. With a few words, she can shrink down and enter it and play with the dolls within. But there is an entity living in the dollhouse that will do whatever it can to get what it wants...

This started a bit slow for me, but really picked up. The story was fun and the art was terrific.