The Gun Queen.
Creative Staff:
Story: Peter Tomasi
Art: Ian Bertram
Colors: Dave Stewart
Letters: Nate Piekos of Blambot
What They Say:
Warren Peck is surprised to discover how far he is willing to go to protect the tormented widow. Their connection deepens as Peck contemplates his bloody past and Sarah grows more determined than ever to atone for her family’s sins.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, I know I’m late on this one, but I have several good reasons: 1) I got the dates mixed up; 2) I had a migraine that knocked me for a loop all last week; and D) shut up.
But I’m back, and there’s no way I wasn’t going to review this issue, considering how this is one of the finest comics I’ve read in the past five years (which is saying something, because there are so many excellent titles out on the shelf right now. It’s kind of like choosing the best $1,000 French wine: no matter what you choose, you’re in for something special).
Sarah’s sister Mary returned with the president of the Winchester rifle company in tow. After hearing about Sarah’s grand plan for the mansion and histories of the men who make up her workforce, the two attempt to institutionalize Sarah. Warren Peck saves her, but in doing so he might have finally unleashed the spirits that prowl on the edges of the house, red tentacles that weep blood, that seep up through the floorboards, through the seals of the windows, stretching, stretching for Sarah and everyone inhabiting the house.
Peck broke into the gun vault and used a rifle to wound the two orderlies dragging Sarah to her padded cart. This is the incident that the previous four issues have been leading up to: the moment the hammer finally strikes the firing pin, igniting the gunpowder and unleashing hell. Events tumble one after the other after that, leading to doozy of a cliffhanger that I won’t spoil here.
One of the best aspects of House of Penance is that this is a comic book through and through. The meshing of words and lines and colors are perfect and the effect they create isn’t replicable in any other medium. Prose could never quite capture the sense of impending doom and madness, and film could never create the effect that the story struggles against the confines of its form. You could never pull off the ragged panels, the moments when the sound effects or actions almost break into gutters, nor could you allow us to linger at our leisure on the dizzying, beautiful, and disturbing images that Ian Bertam and Dave Stewart have created. This is a creative team that utilizes every tool in the box, and they use them to create something singular and haunting.
In Summary:
There aren’t enough superlatives in the dictionary to adequately describe just how good House of Penance is. It’s beautiful, haunting, disturbing, and captivating, and it tells a story in a way that only comics can. Dr. Josh gives this an….
Grade: A+
Age Rating: N/A
Released By: Dark Horse
Release Date: August 10th, 2016
MSRP: $3.99
