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House of Penance Kindle & comiXology

by Peter J. Tomasi (Author), Ian Bertram (Illustrator), Dave Stewart (Illustrator) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 74 ratings
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A horrific take on the true story of the Winchester haunted house and one woman's mission to wash away the blood curse of the Winchester rifle from claiming her own life and soul.

This is a tale about guilt, ghosts, and guns...of how fortune brings misfortune, as a grim and determined woman oversees the construction of a house twenty four hours a day for twenty years with the simple motto of keep busy building or get busy dying.

"Peter Tomasi and Ian Bertram make you want to sleep with the lights on after reading this tale of horror and dread that wraps you around the throat and doesn't let go. There's a price for everything, and we are reminded of that in the most entertaining, and disturbing, way."
- Geoff Johns (Justice League)

"House of Penance is Peter Tomasi's finest work to date, a haunting, macabre experience that will stay with any thoughtful reader long after its conclusion. A fine tale well told, and highly recommended."
-Garth Ennis (Preacher)
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  1. Part of Series
    House of Penance
  2. Print length
    176 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    Not Enabled
  5. Publisher
    Dark Horse Books
  6. Publication date
    January 24, 2017
  7. File size
    577572 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Not Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Not Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Not Enabled
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Peter J. Tomasi is an American comic book editor and writer, best known for his work for DC Comics. As an editor, he oversaw numerous books featuring the Justice League, including books starring various members of that team, such as Batman, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Green Lantern and the Flash. As a writer, he has written books featuring Batman-related characters, such as Batman and Robin and The Outsiders, and Green Lantern-related books such as Blackest Night, Brightest Day and Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01MSYDFRA
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dark Horse Books (January 24, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 24, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 577572 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Not enabled
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 176 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 74 ratings

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
74 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Angel
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Creepy!
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2020
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If you want to read something that has a creepy feeling to it, this is a must. Great story line and the art work is AMAZING!
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Maika
4.0 out of 5 stars A lurid and macabre tale of a haunted house and a haunted, grief-stricken woman
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2019
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This eerie, blood-soaked tale is set during the construction of a very real place: the vast and curious Winchester mansion in San Jose, CA, known today as the Winchester Mystery House. Owned by Sarah Winchester, widow of gun magnate William Wirt Winchester, construction of the Winchester house began in 1884 and continued for 38 years, until Sarah’s death in 1922. According to tabloids of the time, during a séance in Boston a medium informed Sarah Winchester that the vast fortune she’d just inherited from her husband was cursed by the countless deaths caused by the Winchester Rifle. The medium instructed Sarah to move to California and build a house to appease the angry spirits of the rifle victims. Once in California, Sarah conducted nightly séances herself in order to receive building instructions for the mansion. Construction was funded by the tremendous wealth from her inheritance, including 50% ownership of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, which provided an income of “roughly $1,000 per day, equivalent to about $23,000 a day in 2013.” Because Sarah feared that she would die at the hands of the angry spirits should construction ever stop, work on the Winchester house went on nonstop 24 hours a day, all year round. House of Penance is a lurid and macabre tale of a haunted house, a haunted, grief-stricken woman, and her desperate efforts to atone for the bloodshed caused by the source of her wealth.
2 people found this helpful
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Jessica Young
5.0 out of 5 stars just my style of read
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2017
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This book had me hooked from the start. Amazing art style. Glossy crisp coloured pages. Relatively short read but I will be reading this book again and again. Very eerie ambiance about this tale. Very dark story.
4 people found this helpful
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Nathan B
3.0 out of 5 stars not bad but not great
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2023
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very interesting book that does a good job bringing the time period to life. with that said, the art (which I actually really liked) was so abstract at points that it muddles the storytelling ability. I don't regret reading it at all but definitely won't be revisiting it.
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KINDLED CUSTOMER
5.0 out of 5 stars What a bloody good read.
Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2017
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What a bloody good read...literally...LOTS AND LOTS OF BLOOD! Ofcourse, the fact that it is loosely based on a true story makes this classic gothic yarn even creepier!
2 people found this helpful
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Dave Carter
2.0 out of 5 stars Dull, unmoving.
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2017
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This isn't the first time a 'horror' comic has taken on the winchester story. This rendering doesn't really get to the horrific nature of the story. It tries, there's lots of blood and paper cut-out psychological trauma but the characters are thin and unrealised. This isn't a problem for something like a slasher story, but the house of penance wants to trade on the creeping horror of guilt, mortality and consequence and so this lack of depth to the characters (and plot, which is stock) meant it failed to connect with me.

Swamp Thing engaged with the same material infinitely better.
8 people found this helpful
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Dave C.
5.0 out of 5 stars This was a good story. Interesting take on the Winchester Mansion
Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2017
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This was a good story. Interesting take on the Winchester Mansion. So mysterious. Spooky-scary!
2 people found this helpful
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Clay+Jay
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read, great art!
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2017
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Interesting take on the legend of the Winchester mansion. I visited the actual mansion earlier this year after I had read this and now I feel like I will have a whole new perspective reading through this story again. I really enjoyed the art style and use of color in this comic. Would recommend for that alone.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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The Thomas
5.0 out of 5 stars Nice artwork, cartoon style some might say but I ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 24, 2018
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Nice artwork, cartoon style some might say but I like it, got it at a great price too, oh and nice twisted story too, think for me is even better because I have visited the Winchester house, and we have an unexplained photo !
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Mack
5.0 out of 5 stars Their past weighs heavy on their conscious
Reviewed in Canada on March 8, 2017
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House of Penance was a dark gem of a read. Like the characters in the story, there were several instances were I was unsure of what was exactly happening. This was a book that I felt myself slip into its world and witness the lengths that someone will go to for redemption. The artwork reminded me of Guillermo del Toro's films and was a visual treat. The characters were interesting to read about and everyone who resided in the titular house was not without sin. The guilt that these characters carry is heavy and takes its toll on them. Overall, a wonderful read that I am very glad is a part of my library
One person found this helpful
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Simon
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in Canada on October 20, 2019
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Parfait merci bcp
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