Sins of the Past #1 (of 3)

Posted: Tuesday, November 12, 2002
By: Darren Schroeder

Cover of Sins of the Past #1 (of 3) Writer(s): Jay Bonney
Artist(s): George Bailey
Publishers: Ministry Comics
From: England
Price: £1.00 (UK)

I have to admit at the onset that I'm a big calibre fan of western comics, so this book had both a head start in winning me over with its tale of a murderous quest by a big rancher to acquire the spread of the Ryder family. The father and several of his ranch hands are killed by rustlers, and before the funeral is even complete people are asking about the family's plans for their land.

It is obvious from this first issue that Jay has things well mapped out for a long story where things move along at a careful pace. We are introduced to the characters quickly, and Jay does without the need for long, awkward exposition. Jay trusts his artist to be able to tell the story clearly and for the readers to pick things up from there.

George's artwork makes for attractive and coherent storytelling. There's some great illustrations here, such as some nice action shots of cow hands roping steers and a stylish view from the wrong end of a pistol. His style is slightly odd for a western, with a faint Manga influence in the facial features. He also uses quite thin gauge inks which give some panels a scratchy texture, but for the most part this works to give the scenes a rustic look that suits an old west setting.

Jay and George collaborate well as evident from this entertaining book. Even if I set aside my bias for the genre, I can still recommend this as an absorbing comic with a nice mix of action and character development.

In a Word: Prime.



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