As much as I enjoy reading this series, it's a touch disjointed at times. The story jumps around between multiple "nows" and previous stories told by the characters, and half of the time there isn't any indication besides the art style changing slightly. They can get away with it (mostly) in the graphic novel format, but trying to make sense of the once-monthly releases must be rather trying. ( )

I really started loving this by 13, so now I'm a fan of the series. The complications and the revelations are spot-on, too, shortly afterwards.

The stories are getting much more interesting. I still don't know how it all ties together, but that's certainly a lot better than having seen it all before. :)

And Cain! Yup. Always liked Cain. ( )

In this volume, the House of Mystery ends up in the Space Between, and there's a dragon, and... well... I'm not really sure. Everyone talks a lot, but did the plot even advance? Only if adding more (meaningless) mysteries counts as advancement. The frame story grows a little frustrating in this volume, especially when characters in the bar pop up out of nowhere. (Maybe they were there before, but Sturges and Rossi didn't make them noticeable if so.) I do continue to like Rossi's art a lot-- simple lines, but very expressive, I think.

The best part of The Space Between is that it collects House of Mystery #13, containing three stories based on the number 13, spooky standalones with twist endings-- very much in the vein of the old House of Mystery comics of the 1960s and '70s. There's even a maze drawn by good old Sergio Aragonés!

The Houses of Mystery and Secrets: « Previous in sequence | Next in sequence »

Summary: Bethany and Harry, two of the people seemingly stuck in the House of Mystery, finally give in to their mutual attraction, but Bethany's dad doesn't take it particularly well. He's got some nasty truths to tell, particularly about Harry, and about the reason all of the "regulars" are stuck inside the house.

Review: I thought this volume was a little bit weaker than the previous two. While there were some interesting things going on - we find out who's under the black and white swirly mask, as well as a little bit more about Conception, for starters - the main plot didn't have a particularly strong storyline, and sort of wandered all over the place. Despite "The Space Between" being the title of the volume, I was never entirely sure how it motivated what little plot arc there was. In fact, I think this was the first time I actually enjoyed the interlude stories (which were plentiful, fascinating, and poignant) more than I did the "main" action. Still, it's an interesting set-up, and I think both the story and the characters have enough depth and potential to take the series to some very neat places. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: Not quite as good as what's come before, but good enough to keep me interested, and keep me wanting the next volume. ( )