The “Winchester House†is considered both an architectural wonder and one of America’s most haunted places. The wonder and intrigue are still strong even almost a hundred years after Sarah Winchester’s death. What has rarely been done is write a story about the house or its maker. Comic writer Peter J. Tomasi just wrote a comic about this very person in “House of Penance†with art by Ian Bertram and the first volume is a wild ride.
Based on real life events, Sarah Winchester is obsessed with constantly renovating her mansion to the point of madness because she feels that’s the only way to appease the spirits haunting her. Now she has people work around the clock to add new additions to her mansion.
Making a story based around the “Winchester House†without making it about modern day people seeing ghosts is hard. Tomasi so far has the right idea on how to write about Sarah Winchester. That way being focus on her madness and show how really insane she is.
One way this is done is to make the tone of the comic similar to how someone who is insane is constantly feeling. The tone is frantic, with a burst of action and tense moments and it does not let up.
The only real minor problem is the character Warren Peck. He comes off as this comic’s “hero†which goes against what history tells us. Just having Sarah Winchester do herself in is more than enough. This story does not need a “hero.â€
Bertram’s art is just as hectic as the writing. There are parts that look magnificent and there are parts that look horrible. The character designs are constantly changing from basic to “this took eight hours to draw.†It’s hard to decide if this is a smart design or it hurts the comic.
“House of Penance†has a great start with fast-paced storytelling. The art may be erratic in places, but the overall experience will leave readers wanting more.
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