Although labeled as part 3 of however many, this issue is pretty much a stand-alone story with various “oooh, bigger spooky things going on” trimmings around the frame.

Harry, the bartender, reveals his early days in the house in the company of Abel (and Goldie!) in a piece illustrated by Henry Flint (Haunted Tank).

I really love the way writer Matthew Sturges makes the smaller scenes interesting to read. I’m sure that they add up to a bigger picture (if I remembered everything from earlier issues, which I don’t) or provide interesting hints to future revelations, but even not grasping either of those, I still stay involved in them due to the dialogue and the characters. And then there’s the humor, like catching nightmares in a Bundt pan. (Well, why not?)

I know I’ll like this more when I read it in bigger chunks, so I can better follow the overall storyline of what actually is going on with the house, but it’s still one of the very few comics I get monthly because I appreciate the skill with which it’s told. I’m not left feeling left out, which is sadly rare these days.