Comics Review: "SINS OF THE SALTON SEA #2" Raises All Kinds of Hell

SINS OF THE SALTON SEA #2 (OF 5)

AWA STUDIOS

STORY: Ed Brisson

ART: C.P. Smith

COLORS: C.P. Smith

LETTERS: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

COVER: Tim Bradstreet

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Francisco Francavilla; Chris Ferguson

32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2023)

Rated: “Mature”

Sins of the Salton Sea is a new five-issue comic book miniseries from writer Ed Brisson and artist C.P. Smith.  Published by AWA Studios, the series focuses on a professional thief who finds himself protecting lives rather than collecting the money he was promised.  Letterer Steve Wands completes the series creative team.

Sins of the Salton Sea introduces Wyatt, a professional thief living off the grid.  His brother, Jasper, convinces him to join his crew for one of those proverbial “last big scores.”  What Walt scores is one human sacrifice and a war among factions of a doomsday cult.

Sins of the Salton Sea #2 opens in Oroville, CA.  Wyatt finds himself in possession of Madison and her son, Silver.  However, Madison's ex-husband, Cecil Currier, wants possession of them both, especially of the boy.  Now, Cecil believes he has something that Wyatt wants, and if Wyatt doesn't cooperate, all hell will break loose.

THE LOWDOWN:  AWA Studios' marketing recently began providing me with PDF review copies of their comic book publications.  Sins of the Salton Sea #2 is the latest.

I didn't have a lot to say about the first issue of Sins of the Salton Sea, but it was a damn good read.  Writer Ed Brisson offered a tale that suddenly blew up in the reader's face, leaving everything changed and the direction of the story totally different from what the reader expected.  There is more of that this second issue.  Brisson teases out just enough information and terse drama and tight suspense to make us chase him to this issue's shocking finale.

At the star of the series, artist-colorist, C.P. Smith, depicted the West in true grand fashion with a clean compositional style and panels that feel wide and cinematic.  Now, as the ultra-violence is kicking off, Smith brings in a cinematic storytelling style that is at once widescreen, but also close and intimate – even in those moments that make you, dear readers, want to pull away for the tough stuff.

Smith's colors, however, give the story a deeply intimate feel.  Not only the drama, but also the action scenes bring the readers up close and personal.  I felt like I was there and in trouble with everyone else.

I highly recommend Sins of the Salton Sea #2.  At the start, it promised a lot for the rest of this series, and this second issue delivers on all potentials and promises.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of action thrillers and conspiracies will want to try Sins of the Salton Sea.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

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