From DC Comics
Written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti
Art by Cristiano Cucina
Jonah Hex #45, Part Two of Six of “The Six Gun War” is an impressive page-turner and easily a great place to jump in. This series has gone through a number of artists since its relaunch with the shift in styles from one story to the next sometimes jarring. But the current story arc is looking quite good with the robust style of Cristiano Cucina. A dramatic page from the previous issue, a depiction of gunmen and horses swirling in a tornado, opens this multi-layered tale with a promising flair that delivers throughout.
Like any good Clint Eastwood spaghetti western, the beauty of the plot lies in its utter simplicity. Johah Hex has been wronged and he is out for revenge. And, like most Eastwood films, we are initially pushed away from an unlikable character while being pulled in as we become curious about what’s going on inside. Hex certainly has that push/pull dynamic. Half his face is hideously deformed from some past misadventure for one thing. He’s also a fairly ruthless bounty hunter. And yet he does have a sense of justice, however rough it might be. And he may even have a heart.
In “Six Gun War,” it looks like we’ll get to explore a bit more of what makes Hex tick. The writing team of Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti have done a great job of capturing the feel of the old existential spaghetti westerns that you can just about here an Ennio Morricone soundtrack in the background. The series has gone from one adventure to the next. A lot of fools have attempted to kill Hex and he ends up killing them in the end. This time out, Hex has the help of a supernatural entity, El Diablo,who prods Hex to explain himself. But what really spices things up is the inclusion of Tallulah Black, a female desperado whose face and outlook on life is as twisted as that of Hex and she seems to be a little sweet on him, even though she adamantly denies it.
I have to admit that I never really gave Johan Hex much thought until Megan Fox but now I’m glad I’ve gotten to know the guy even though he’s a mighty hard fella to understand. If you get a copy of the first collected trade, Face Full of Violence, of the new Hex under the capable hands of Gray and Palmiotti, I’m sure you’ll find yourself reading the book in one sitting. The character, as odd as he is, grows on you.
July 6th, 2009 at 5:54 am
I don’t mind a Tallulah-centric issue, really, especially since this particular interation of the title has been as much about the world in which Jonah exists as it is about the bounty hunter himself… As always, mileage may vary wildly…
July 6th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
Great book that just keeps getting better and deeper as it goes. It’s pretty obvious how much Jimmy and Justin and the various artists care about the title, as it does just about everything right. Awesome to see it profiled. Thanks.