NEW COMICS: Dept.H #1 & 2 and House of Penance #1 & 2

Last updated on: May 19, 2016 at 11:48 am by J. Ryan Parker

NEW COMICS: Dept.H #1 & 2 and House of Penance #1 & 2 2016-05-19T11:48:08-07:00 J. Ryan Parker

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

We’re into two new series from Dark Horse this week, Dept.H and House of Penance. Though the narratives take place in wildly different settings–at the bottom of the ocean and a madhouse–they’re equally compelling mysteries that leave us anxiously awaiting their next issues.

Dept.H (written and drawn by Matt Kindt) is a classic murder mystery who-dunnit that takes place seven miles below the surface of the ocean. Mia is a special investigator hired to look into a death at USEAR, Underwater Science Exploration and Research. Her father is the victim, and the suspects are a ragtag group of scientists and engineers that even includes her brother Raj. Everyone involved in USEAR is ready to write the tragedy off as an accident, but Mia suspects foul play. That she treats everyone as a suspect, further alienates her in this volatile setting.

The narrative’s mystery is enough to keep readers hooked, but the unique setting–with its potential for so many things to go wrong and all the surrounding “alien” inhabitants–should have readers lingering over every panel. In his introduction tot he series, Kindt points out that every issue is one day in the life of the main character and that there are “small details in every issue that will lead you to the answers.” This is the kind of storytelling that rewards close, repetitive, and monthly reading. It also benefits from a beautiful watercolor aesthetic with fantastically drawn creatures and the mechanics of undersea life.

I mean just look at the cover of the first issue of House of Penance! It’s classic Dark Horse and hints at all the gory, nightmarish events we’ve come to expect from many of their most popular series. This is the kind of story that I love…taking a bizarre, real place or event and mining it for its supernatural possibilities. House of Penance plays with the Winchester House, which, in reality, is “an extravagant maze of Victorian craftsmanship–marvelous, baffling, and eerily eccentric, to say the least.” In House of Penance it’s something of a supernatural prison in which Sarah Winchester mourns the untimely deaths of her husband and daughter and hires teams of workers–many of them hardened criminals–that remodel the house around the clock. Sarah is also plagued by grotesque visions, which only intensify with the arrival of the mysterious Warren Peck, who brings nightmares of his own.

Even as Sarah seems to be atoning for all the destruction that the family business breeds, violence bathes almost every page of House of Penance. Mysteries about in Peter J. Tomasi’s rich storytelling, which is made even more engrossing (pun intended) by Ian Bertram’s haunting artwork. I’m really intrigued by the intersections of grief, shame, absolution, penance, and sin, and it’ll be interesting to see how they all play out in future issues.

Previous Post

May 19, 2016

#KillerSerials: THE PATH, Ep. 9

Next Post

May 20, 2016 Swimming Alone: Radiohead's A MOON SHAPED POOL

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Classics DVD Film Music News Pop Culture Events Print Sports Television Uncategorized Video Games

Select a Month March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What prophet was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Elisha Isaiah Jeremiah Elijah