The Nice House on the Lake #1, pages 18-19

The Nice House on the Lake was my favorite title of 2021, and it all started with this first issue. I love the premise of the story (no spoilers if you haven't read it) and the mix of characters that populate the titular house on the lake. It might also be my first introduction to the art of Álvaro Martinez Bueno, and I love how expressive he's able to draw the characters.

This page is a good example of how Álvaro uses double-page spreads in the series to tell the story using a wider layout. There's the big panel that shows everyone gathered at the pool on the first night, surrounded by lots of smaller panels that set the scene before shifting focus to the issue's spotlight character, Ryan. We see her as someone who is (physically and emotionally) isolated from the rest of the group, and as a result, she finds it easier to just get up and walk away. And I love how the last four panels slowly zoom in on her face to capture her reaction as she's checking her phone. Just a great example of how Álvaro is able to fit all these character moments in a jam-packed double-page spread.

The downside is that all of the art to the series was done digitally, so this is a monoprint rather than an original. That said, it's still amazing to have a large format version of Álvaro's art in black and white.

[Spoiler warning?] As a bonus, Álvaro was kind enough to send a little doodle of one of the characters to everyone who purchased a monoprint from the first issue. From what I've heard, his wife Icíar drew a random shape, then Álvaro filled in the rest, so each sketch is a randomly unique creation.

Thanks, Álvaro and Icíar!