THE ATONEMENT BELL #2, from Red 5 Comics on January 4th, 2023, recounts the tragic events that led to a slaughter of a coven of peaceful witches and the deadly price that must be paid in atonement.
The Details
- Written by: Jim Ousley
- Art by: Tyler B. Ruff
- Colors by: Benjamin Sawyer
- Letters by: Ed Dukeshire
- Cover art by: Tyler B. Ruff
- Cover price: $3.95
- Release date: January 4, 2023
Is It Good?
THE ATONEMENT BELL #2 is clever, thoughtful, and downright terrifying storytelling. Nobody likes to see children die, so what better way to set your shorthairs on edge than to wrap an entire story around a centuries-old curse that puts child sacrifice at its center? If you have tender sensibilities, look away now.
The strength of Jim Ousley’s script is the thoroughly fleshed-out and horrific nature of the curse at the heart of this story. The circumstances of the curse’s creation are heartbreaking, the cost of the curse is devastating, and the price to undo it immediately sets mile-high stakes for everyone involved, especially Jake as the next “chosen.”
As if the curse isn’t bad enough, forces actively align themselves against Jake and his friends to make sure he doesn’t undo it. The death and violence associated with the coven rank with the same supernatural evil from masterworks such as The Omen. Seeing innocent people become victims when they cross paths with the worst evil somehow hurts just a little bit more, and you get plenty of hurt in this issue.
Ruff, Sawyer, and Dukeshire aren’t afraid to get the pages bloody in this issue. Skin flays, bodies fall, and blood flows in shockingly painful ways. Your heart goes out to Jake and his friends when you see the looks of shock and fear on their faces when the truth of what’s coming starts to dawn on them. The characters’ facial acting is just as effective as the violence, and those elements make this a powerful horror comic.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our THE ATONEMENT BELL #1 review to find out how Jake found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time.
We begin with Ms. Wheldon calling into the church to speak to Father Lietrum about the unsettling conversation she had at the potluck. Suddenly, Ms. Wheldon drops the phone and heads to the roof for an unsettling stroll.
Later, Jake and his friends head to the local library to research Jake’s vision and the mysterious Latin words scorched onto his chest. During the subway ride, Jake slips into a trance where the skinned children recount the truth behind the curse, its deadly price, and what it means for Jake as the next payment.
We conclude the issue with the revelation behind the curse’s dissolution and the army of forces making sure Jake never succeeds.
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Final Thoughts
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THE ATONEMENT BELL #2 fills in the backstory of the curse that’s named Jake as its next sacrifice. The violence is brutal, the fear is palpable, and the stakes in Jake’s fight for survival rise exponentially for an increasingly impressive supernatural thriller.
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