From DC Vertigo comes the first issue of House of Whispers.
The cover perhaps plays with the gothic visual theme of a woman and a house but takes it in an entirely different direction. It’s a woman’s eyes, and the mansion is a shack on stilts. With tree trunks growing out of it. It’s not the only straying off the path in this very unusual title.
Writer Nalo Hopkinson, and illustrator Dominike Stanton, with colourist John Rauch, really open the gates of imagination with House of Whispers. And it all starts with a houseboat. Erzulie Fréda’ boat, called the House of Dahomey, invites followers of Voodoo to take a nap. And when they do, they search for their heart’s desires. Whether wise or unwise. And the party is just getting started!
But while Erzulie is busy, the four children in her care are being ignored. Which is also unwise, especially in the land of magic…
From my limited perspective, this comic is totally unique. Hopkinson has captured the atmosphere, cajun ‘patois’, and speech rhythms of the New Orleans area. The characters are complicated and rich. The visuals are almost psychedelic, which under the circumstances, makes sense. One could be seeing dreams or reality. The magic and voodoo permeate throughout the story, weaving a hypnotic spell. A whispered spell….
DC Vertigo, House of Whispers #1, $3.99 for 24 pages of content. Rated: Mature
Newsdesk