The visual and thematic rawness of Man of Sin is either stomach-churning or riveting, depending on your ability to consume horror titles. The first two issues of Andrew Guilde‘s raucous horror thriller reveal a world encased in tension and the creeping fear of the unknown. Currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter to raise funds for issues #3 and #4, thus completing the series and becoming a full-length graphic novel, Man of Sin is oddly heartfelt in its uncompromising art and menacing story.
Like all good horror, Man of Sin takes that fear of the unknown factor and builds upon it, layer by layer, but maintaining a sinewy sense of mystery throughout. That vibes of increasing trepidation evolves naturally through Damien’s surreal journey in attempting to uncover the mystery surrounding the disappearance and death of his son. Bereaved and tormented by a voicemail message left by his son right before his disappearance, Guilde mercilessly injects Man of Sin‘s fantasy elements with great aplomb when Damien’s attempts at suicide are repelled by a demonic spirit, who encourages him to discover the truth behind his son’s death.
Camilo Ponce‘s sharp, engrossing art makes Man of Sin‘s visual/thematic tipping-of-the-hat to the likes of The Sandman, The Crow and Hellblazer pretty obvious at first sight, but as the comic’s story progresses, Ponce’s art entwines itself around Guilde’s grim story like barbed wire. He lends Man of Sin a jagged, piercing style that makes the horror aspects superbly palpable. However, Ponce’s style is sensitive to Guilde’s story, and knows when to reign in its stabbing qualities in favour of a more nuanced style when the story demands it. There’s also an effective use of coloured borders is utilised to subtly show the passage of time. The end result is a well-paced style of art to compliment the story and characters.
With only the first half of Man of Sin bequeathed to us, I can only speculate on where this comic may be heading for, in terms of Damien’s psychotic journey into things he may not be fully prepared for. Demons lurk in the shadows everywhere he turns, giving his foray into learning the truth an enjoyably unpredictable edge. Perhaps the one drawback to Man of Sin‘s first two issues is its lettering. For the most part, it’s solid enough, carrying the beats of the action and plot along without mishap. When describing noise and screams however, it becomes visually caricatured, and doesn’t blend in with the ethereal nature of the rest of the comic.
Guilde and Ponce are crafting a sadistically engaging comic that clearly has great fun in drawing the reader in before pouncing upon them at all the right moments. If these first two issues are anything to go by, Man of Sin is a comic that’s well deserving of the funds its currently striving for on Kickstarter.
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