A very good, intriguing start to what I hope is a solid mystery series that actually pays off. The setup is a little strange, with each issue spending most of its time focused on the larger story arc at play in the series, with a short, 4- or 5-page story in the middle that ultimately has nothing to do with the rest of the book and feels a little disruptive. These stories seem to be an homage to the original House of Mystery series that ran from 1951-1983, but they're jammed in so tightly and weirdly that I would almost rather do without them. 
 That said, a few of the shorts are pretty interesting and well-executed. A couple of them use very straightforward, borderline bland text, with the art interpreting the stories in an incredibly heightened way, that really pays off and does something unique. The rest are pretty run-of-the-mill Twilight Zone-y tales that I'd almost rather skip. 
 The good thing is, even if you hate the stories, they don't take up much time, and the central storyline is far more interesting. A woman, Fig, suddenly finds herself in the House of Mystery after being chased through the streets by a creepy-ass, faceless ghost couple (or something). The House sits at some location on the edge of The Dreaming (made evident by an opening scene featuring Cain & Abel, who Sandman readers will remember as Dreaming residents, and the respective caretakers of the Houses of Mystery & Secrets), and people who are forced into it are unable to leave. However, other patrons stop by the House's bar, which they are able to enter and leave at will, which further begs the question: how come some people can leave and others can't? 
 This question is not answered in this volume, but the creepiness of just winding up in a mysterious dream house that you can't leave is enough to keep me invested (as long as this thing doesn't pull a Lost "questions are more interesting than answers so we will never answer any questions" on me). 
 The standard-but-competent art supplements the story well, bringing life to the weirdo house and its environs. This volume does feel like an overture of sorts, without any huge forward movement, but as far as setup volumes go, this one really delivers. I very much hope this series stays on point, because I'm into it for now.