I'm a little disappointed in myself.  Every month, like clockwork, House of Mystery comes out and every month I pick it as my pick of the week.  I try to pick other titles.  This week, I gave nearly every title I bought a four.  It was a good solid week, full of good solid storytelling.

Then there was HoM.  Every month this book hits exactly the right notes, for me.  Every month, this is exactly the book I want to be reading.  The characters are distinct and consistent and include a poet, a pirate and an architect, three professions that are under-represented in comics.  The meta-plot is interesting and moves at exactly the right speed: not so fast that I get annoyed at the digression of the story being told in each issue, and not so slow that it never moves. 

This issue, in particular, had a number of charming moments.  Strange talking creatures in the main story set up the climax.  The story-within-a-story wasn't clearly related, as they often are, but was mythical and poetic.  House of Mystery is a comic that benefits from repeated readings, which means that I get extra enjoyment from my $2.99.  In these hard economic times, a little density of prose is a money-saving measure.

Month after month, this is one of the most enjoyable books on the stands.  Last issue started a new arc, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who likes Vertigo books, storytelling or houses.