“The Atonement Bell” is the latest release from writer Jim Ousley collaborating with artist Tyler Ruff. It follows a young boy named Jake and his mother as they travel to St. Louis to visit their family during the Thanksgiving holiday. What begins as a hopeful family reconciliation soon takes a dark turn as Jake, his cousin Baby Al and Al’s friend Sara stumble upon a deadly secret dating back hundreds of years. Ousley has proven time and time again that he is someone who is more than capable of delivering great characters and a quality narrative. “The Atonement Bell” shows off that skill set once again with characters that immediately demand the reader’s attention and a story that hooks you from the very first page. This is the first time I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Tyler Ruff’s artwork, but I can say with certainty that it matches up well to the storytelling style that Ousley provides. I can count on one hand the number of times that I’ve read a comic book that has actually given me chills, but the first issue’s big reveal did just that! If anyone is looking for a new comic to read this month or just loves to support independent creators, then I highly recommend asking your LCBS to add “The Atonement Bell” from Red 5 Comics to your monthly pull list.
