Marshal Holt departs the train in Canary, meeting geologist (or ‘Rock Doctor’) Edison Edwards at the station.

Edwards has his theory about the spate of killings around the area, relating to Canary’s mine. So with Holt accompanying him, he’s going to do his best to get to the bottom of whatever is going on.

Yet the town itself has a history, as does Holt himself, intertwined with the town’s infamous past glories.

This second issue of Canary once more does a great job of creating what feels like a truly authentic Western ambience; the dialogue and art pairing beautifully to create a perfect, gripping and foreboding atmosphere.

There’s a sense that Holt’s well documented past, which we see in greater, shocking detail throughout this issue, is going to be inextricably linked with the latest killings occurring in and around Canary, but we don’t quite get that far by issue 2’s climax.

Instead, we’re introduced to various personalities in the town, with Scott Snyder doing a great job of making them all distinct and, I suspect, all with a part to play as the series continues.

Once more, Dan Panosian’s art is stunning, with great use of colour; it’s worth noting that Panosian is on double duty as the colourist too.

It’s a great comic so far, with a grim backstory that we only get to see in passing. I can’t wait to see the mystery unfold as the series continues.