Longbox Junk Halloween - Jonah Hex #24

Welcome back to Longbox Junk, the blog stuffed FULL of comic reviews nobody ever asked for!

It's October.  Leaves on the ground and spirits all around! We're having a little Halloween fun here at Longbox Junk by taking a look at some of the spooky comics in my (and my daughter's collection).

This time out, we're taking a look at one of the more unusual issues of Jonah Hex and. . .

Wait?  What's that you say?  Jonah Hex is a WESTERN comic?

So it is, my friends.  So it is. 

BUT. . .

Like the Hulk series I reviewed the first issue of just a few days ago ( IMMORTAL HULK #1, REVIEWED FOR YOUR HALLOWEEN PLEASURE HERE ) Jonah Hex is a character that's USUALLY pretty straightforward, but sometimes his series heads into some strange territory.  This particular issue being a fine case in point.

What we have here is a Jonah Hex Halloween Special guest starring Bat Lash and El Diablo (that was published in DECEMBER, for some strange reason) fighting against demonic creatures and a Prairie Witch.  It doesn't just head into strange territory, it runs in with guns blazing!  Let's take a look. . .

JONAH HEX
DC (2007)
ISSUE #24

ALL HALLOWS EVE

Script: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: David Michael Beck

Cover: David Michael Beck

Let's talk about the cover a moment before we get into the story.

It's. . .pretty good.  Nothing spectacular.  The cameos of Bat Lash and El Diablo look good, but Jonah Hex has a sort of goofy expression on his face.  The monochromatic tone doesn't really work great here either.  It just sort of mutes the whole cover down when it really calls for a sharp contrast between night sky, full moon, and fiery whip.

Plus I'm still wondering why a Halloween issue shipped in December. . .

The Story goes like this:

We begin in a bar where Bounty Hunter Jonah Hex and Gambler Bat Lash are betting on bare-knuckle fights.  After taking on a challenge from Lash, Hex easily beats the local champion.  A messenger brings Jonah a telegram and he immediately heads for the town of Coffin Creek with Bat Lash tagging along out of boredom.

Three weeks' ride later, Hex and Lash arrive in Coffin Creek.  The head to the local brothel to meet with the Madam, Crystal Ray, who is an old friend of Jonah's.  She is the one who sent the telegram.  She's called in a favor Hex owes her because there's a man in one of her rooms that nobody can get to leave.  Every person she's sent up to oust him has come back beaten.  The stranger has been asking specifically for Jonah Hex. . .

Inside the room is none other than El Diablo.  A hellbound living spirit of vengeance that Hex has encountered several times before.  His human host, Lazarus Lane, is nowhere to be seen.  Normally they aren't far apart.  Jonah demands to know where Lane is.  

El Diablo ignores him and wraps Hex in his fiery whip, telling the Bounty Hunter that the town of Coffin Creek is marked for death that very night and he has been imprisoned in that room and separated him from Lazarus Lane so he won't interfere with the town's fate.

As Hex struggles against El Diablo's whip, the spirit tells him that a Prairie Witch named Esmeralda lured Lane away from Diablo, and unless he is reunited with his human host within three hours, El Diablo will be forced to return to Hell and everyone in town (including Hex) will die.

When Jonah leaves the room, Bat Lash is terrified when he sees Hex's eyes are glowing and he speaks with the twisted voice of El Diablo. . .who has possessed the Bounty Hunter!  Hex/Diablo demands that Bat Lash follow him.

As Hex and Lash walk through town toward the saloon where Esmeralda waits, Bat Lash sees everything as normal, but the possessed Jonah Hex sees twisted demonic entities roaming the town.  Two of them try to stop Hex and Lash from entering the saloon, but Jonah guns them down using the supernatural power of El Diablo . . .revealing their true form to Bat Lash as they die.

Once inside the saloon, Hex and Lash find Lazarus Lane bound and gagged, hanging from the ceiling.  The saloon is filled with dozens of people possessed by demons, as well as the Prairie Witch Esmeralda herself.  The demons all begin to whisper the name of Jonah Hex when he enters.

The Witch orders her demons to attack.  While the possessed Jonah Hex is able to gun down the possessed townfolk using the power of El Diablo, Bat Lash's bullets have no effect.  Seeing this, Jonah cuts down Lane and orders Lash to get him back to the brothel. . .

While possessed Jonah Hex and Esmeralda fight it out in the bar, Bat Lash carries Lazarus Lane through town, but all hell has broken loose!  Townfolk and demonic creatures are fighting in the streets.  Back in the saloon, Esmeralda is getting the upper hand on Hex.  El Diablo's powers are much weaker without his proper human host. . .

Suddenly, just when the battle between Hex and Esmeralda seems lost, El Diablo appears in the saloon with a burst of flame. . .now reunited with Lazarus Lane and at full power.  He takes over the fight from Jonah Hex, now free of El Diablo, and quickly defeats the Prairie Witch by beheading her with his fiery whip.   With the witch dead, the demons leave the townfolk and things begin to return to normal. . .

The next morning, Jonah confronts Lazarus Lane. . .barely restraining himself from doing some damage to El Diablo's meek human host. Bat Lash is friendlier, and offers to play cards with Lane, but the tortured demonic host is ready to move on to El Diablo's next mission of vengeance. . .

The End.

Like I said. . .NOT your usual Jonah Hex story.

Jonah Hex is one of my favorite comic characters of all time. His stories always feel like they're right on the edge of horror, but this one discards any ambiguity and jumps into the supernatural with both feet for a guns blazin', demon killin' adventure!

I like El Diablo a lot. He's like a DC version of Ghost Rider combined with Zorro. He's a perfect fit for this Halloween story! Bat Lash is there to provide the reader with a more grounded viewpoint of a regular human thrown into supernatural shenanigans.

The combination of these three characters is one I'd REALLY like to see more of! The writers play their strengths and weaknesses off of each other for a strange, wonderful, little western horror/ buddy cop vibe that just works so well.

I really liked the art on this one as well. It has a realistic (almost photo realistic) look to it that contrasts perfectly with the more fantastic elements of the story. Unfortunately, the artist was never quite able to capture Jonah Hex's face very well, which isn't good in a Jonah Hex story.

Other than the artist struggling with the main character's face, the only thing I can really find wrong with this is that it seems a bit rushed and too short. I guess that's a result of most of Jonah Hex's stories basically being one shots, but I think maybe this one would have benefited from being one of his occasional multi-issue stories. . .especially given the odd nature of the tale and having two great guest characters sharing page space with Hex.

Overall, this story is a really fun departure from Jonah Hex's usual adventures. It has great dialogue, a nice dynamic between the trio of main characters, and some damn fine art (except for Jonah Hex's face). Because of the one shot nature of Jonah Hex's stories, this one seems rushed and needs a bit more room to breathe, but that's just a small complaint.

If you are a fan of horror comics, western comics, Jonah Hex, or any combination of the three, then pick this one up in the bargain bin if you spot it for an unusual little nugget of gunslingin' Halloween fun.

Up Next. . .

You guessed it. . .MORE Longbox Junk Halloween fun.

Be there or be square!

Longbox Junk - Jonah Hex Part 3

The end of this long Jonah Hex trail is in sight.  
Last batch. . .Let's do this!

JONAH HEX (Vol. 2)

ISSUES 51 - 70

DC 2010 - 2011

ISSUE 51

Divining Rod

Script: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Dick Giordano

Cover: Dick Giordano

A pretty poor issue and not a very good way to start this final batch of Jonah Hex.

A tale of schemes and counterschemes ending up in murder and Hex hired to get to the bottom of it. One of the top 5 worst issues in the run, and the bad art by Giordano doesn't help. I've never been a huge fan of his art, I call it "Comic Status Quo". Art that is serviceable, but doesn't stand out in any way. It's just standard, bland, superhero art that doesn't fit Jonah Hex at all. Moving on. . .

ISSUE 52

Too Mean To Die

Script: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Jordi Bernet

Cover: Jordi Bernet

Not good. The second poor issue in a row. After the fantastic 50th issue, I guess I had my hopes up, but it seems Jonah Hex is starting on a downward slide. Not much to say good here about the story or art on this one, except to say that thank God they didn't lasso Giordano into doing another one. . .

ISSUE 53

You'll Never Dance Again

Script: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: William Tucci

Cover: William Tucci

Finally a decent issue after two stinkers. It's a pretty simple tale about Hex hiring a dance hall girl to help him nab a gang of train robbers. He doesn't realize that she's part of the gang. . .betrayal and bloodshed ensues. Not a great story, but not bad at all. The art by Tucci is very nice, and the cover is one of the best of the entire series.

ISSUE 54

Shooting Stars

Script: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Jordi Bernet

Cover: Jordi Bernet

Not the greatest issue, but not the worst. Just sort of average. It's nice that the writers continue their world building by bringing in characters from past issues. . .in this case, Chula (the young sister of the Matador from issue 32) and "The Star Man" (The corrupt lawman killer and badge collector from issue 27).

Hex accidentally finds himself part of one of Star Man's schemes to bring down another corrupt marshal. Bloodshed ensues after Hex is framed for Star Man's crime and he has to break out of jail before he gets hung. Either Bernet's art is getting better or it's starting to grow on me.

ISSUE 55

The Brief Life Of Billy Dynamite

Script: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Vincente Alcazar

Cover: Walt Simonson

An average story all around. A young boy witnesses the death of his parents and blames Hex. Years later, the same young boy stands up to a gang and loses his life. Hex accepts his part in the short tragic life of the boy and takes revenge for him. The art on this issue is as utterly average as the story. The cover is a little odd. It makes Hex's face look almost like a robot. . .I expected a little better from Walt Simonson.

ISSUE 56

More Than Enough & First True Love

Script: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: C.P. Smith and Phil Winslade

Cover: Darwyn Cooke

I really liked this issue a lot. It includes 2 very short stories by 2 fantastic artists. The first has Hex helping an old Indian woman protect her land. The artist nails it. . .the panels of Hex by firelight are horrific. The second story is a flashback to Hex's time as a boy enslaved by the Apache, letting us know that he still visits his first love's (White Fawn) grave every year. A rare moment of sentiment for the crusty bounty hunter.

The rest of the issue is taken up by an interview about the live-action Jonah Hex movie (such optimism that it would be a hit AND talk of a sequel! But THAT'S another story) and a preview of The Red Hood.

So for a Jonah Hex comic that's only half Jonah Hex comic, they did a great job! 
All that AND the best cover of the series so far. No doubt. Great issue all around.

ISSUE 57

Tall Tales

Script: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Jordi Bernet

Cover: Jordi Bernet

This was a very simple story, but I liked it quite a bit for all the DC western cameo appearances by Hex's All Star Western and Weird Western co-stars. . .Nighthawk, Cinnamon, Scalphunter, Bat Lash, and The Trigger Twins. Too bad El Diablo was missing. . .

Two boys swap unbelievable tales of Jonah Hex, then sneak out to see him for themselves when they hear he's in town. They stumble into the middle of all the heroes (and Hex) fighting a gang of bandits. Like I said, a simple story, but I got a kick out of the cameos. Unfortunately, hardly any of the other heroes get much time except for Scalphunter.

ISSUE 58

Every Bullet Tells A Story

Script: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Giancarlo Caracuzzo

Cover: Giancarlo Caracuzzo

A decent tale about plots within plots and betrayals within betrayals that Hex finds himself mixed up in. We get to see what's become of the showgirl Hex shot in the back and paralyzed in issue #53 (She's bitter and vengeful, of course), but other than that it's not the worst tale of the bunch, but not the best. The art is utterly average. 

ISSUE 59

Riders On The Storm

Script: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Jordi Bernet

Cover: Jordi Bernet

I was a bit confused by this issue. . .

It's not bad in itself. A pretty simple story about Hex helping a man escape from an ambush set by his brother, who wants to kill him. I was confused because the character of the Gray Ghost was really played up and introduced in the first part of the story (Gray Ghost is from Jonah Hex vol 1. . .he's like the Old West version of The Punisher, going after those he feels betrayed the Confederacy), and he shows up out of the blue at the end of it, but Hex acts like it's not even a thing. 

This issue definitely feels incomplete, like setup for a resolution in a later issue maybe.

ISSUE 60

Blood Lies Bleeding

Script: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Brian Stelfreeze

Cover: Brian Stelfreeze

A pretty light issue saved by the stellar artwork of Brian Stelfreeze. 
Just look at that cover! In the top 10 of this series, easily.

Hex guns down most of his bounty's family while trying to capture him. The lone survivor swears vengeance and in a 2 page epilogue with a "The end. . .for now" teaser, what seems to be a new villain for Hex is introduced (a Mr. Destry). Other than that and the fantastic art, there's really not much here. . .

ISSUE 61

Honeymoon Bullets

Script: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Jordi Bernet

Cover: Jordi Bernet

It's nice that the creators decided to tell a tale of Hex's married days to Mei Ling and her beginning to try and "civilize" him, but there's really not that much here. There's a pretty good bit of sarcastic humor at the end of the story. . .a punchline which the rest of the issue just feels like setup for. Nice to see Mei Ling, but it feels like a waste. . .

ISSUE 62

The Package

Script: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Eduardo Risso

I'm a fan of Risso's art, and it's reliably great in this issue. . .too bad the story isn't as good. It's a fairly simple tale about Hex being hired to escort an. . .octopus. . .yeah, an octopus. . .to a circus freakshow. When competitors try to steal it, bloody mayhem ensues.

ISSUE 63

Bury Me In Hell

Script: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Jordi Bernet

Cover: Jordi Bernet

I thought this was a pretty good issue. Not great, but better than average. Hex is hired to track down and kill a child molesting murderer called Loco. During the hunt, Hex flashes back to his younger days when one of his friends was killed by a similar monster. This series has always delved into the darkness of the human heart, so even though the writing has been uneven, I like that it goes places most mainstream comics won't even touch.

I sort of wish this book had been a Vertigo title. I think it would have been a perfect fit for that line. Also, Bernet's art seems to be getting better. When you read the whole run at a time, you can see the evolution from 2006 to 2011 of their (mostly) regular artist.

ISSUE 64

Lovesick

Script: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Nelson DeCastro

Cover: Nelson DeCastro

A pretty thin, but pretty funny, tale about Hex coming to a Mexican town in the middle of a festival and a woman who tries her best to seduce him. Hex refuses until she tries to kill him, then he teaches her a lesson by giving her what she wants, then leaving when the sun rises.

Her running after him shouting "I love you, Gringo!" is hilarious. Reminds me of the scene in "High Plains Drifter" where Clint Eastwood grabs the hotel owner's wife and drags her upstairs and she's totally in love with him in the morning. All in all, a fun read.

ISSUE 65

Snowblind

Script: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Jordi Bernet

Cover: Jordi Bernet

Not a great issue at all. An extremely thin story about Hex snowed in and wounded with a man who doesn't know Hex is hunting him and saves his life, then is shown rare mercy by the normally-ruthless bounty hunter. The art seems rushed, the cover is lousy, and the story is weak. Moving on. . .

ISSUE 66

Casket Canyon

Script: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Fiona Staples

Cover: Fiona Staples

A thin story elevated by the fantastic artwork by Fiona Staples. Hex stumbles on a town forced to cannibalism during a lengthy blizzard. . .and that's about it. There's a few good moments with a woman and her children, where Hex tries to convince them they don't have to do what they've been doing, but other than that, not much else. The art is the best part of the story, perfectly capturing the thin, wasted look of the starving townfolk.

ISSUE 67 

Ghost Town

Script: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Jordi Bernet

Cover: Jordi Bernet

A pretty poor issue about a man who wants revenge against Hex for killing his father, so he scars his face, dresses in a Confederate uniform, and goes on a killing spree so that Hex becomes the one hunted by bounty hunters. 

Hex catches up to him in a town devastated by pox and collects the bounty. . .on himself. A nice twist that doesn't keep the story from feeling like it's rushed and half-baked with a wasted villain they could have done a better two parter with. One and done is nice, but sometimes it just doesn't work.

ISSUE 68

Murder in Cottonwood

Script: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Rafael Garres

Cover: Rafael Garres

A pretty decent story about Hex wrongly accused of a killing and him finding the right man for the posse who comes to hang him. The art is good (I like Garres' dark, twisted, exaggerated style), but it is so wrong for this pretty straightforward story. So not a bad issue, but not great. 

Here's the thing that confuses me, though. . .It's issue #68 and the series ends with issue #70. This is the first issue with a letters page. Did the creators NOT know that there were only 2 more issues to go? It just seems extremely strange to have a letters page BEGIN 2 issues from the end of a series. . .

ISSUE 69

The Old Man

Script: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Jeff Lemire

Cover: Jeff Lemire

First off. . .that cover! It's about one of the craziest covers I've seen on ANY comic. Fantastic!

The issue itself is about Hex meeting his father for the last time as he dies in the desert after finally striking gold and getting shot by bandits. It's a good story piece. . .too bad it seems a bit rushed. 

I can't decide if I like the art or not (Except the awesome cover, that is). The artist has a very exaggerated style that I like, but doesn't really fit the intimate nature of the story of a son watching his father die in the desert. 

All in all a pretty good issue that brings closure to all the flashbacks to Jonah's early life we've seen during this series.

ISSUE 70

Weird Western

Script: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Ryan Sook and Diego Olmos

Cover: Ryan Sook

Here we are at the end of the trail. . .70 issues of Jonah Hex Vol. 2. The final issue is basically a mix of visions Hex has of different versions of his own death while he lies injured. Or are they visions? The question is never really answered. It's a pretty good ending to the series, with excellent artwork. 

CONCLUSION

The main conclusion I've come to at the end of this series is that although it's great that they maintained the same writing team through 70 issues, I feel that this title would have been better off with rotating creative teams doing one shots and short story arcs, which worked well on Batman's Legends of The Dark Knight, and would have been a perfect fit here.

The regular writers were pretty good, but they rarely managed to reach a level beyond "pretty good". The rotating artists were great, but it seems that 50% of the issues relied on Jordi Bernet. He definitely evolved as an artist through the series' run, but more artists would have been even better.

Last. . .I feel this book would have been not just good, but great, if it had been under the Vertigo imprint, where the artists and writers would have been able to delve even more deeply into the darkness that dwells in mankind.

All in all, I enjoyed this series, but I feel sad that, on taking it all in at once, and with the hindsight that ten years down the road affords, I see that it COULD have been so much better.

Up next. . .

More western action with another of my all-time favorite characters. . .ZORRO!
Dynamite's 20 issue run of the classic shadowy swordsman.

Be there or be square!

Longbox Junk - Jonah Hex Part 2

How about some more Jonah Hex?

This series started off on a good foot with a solid two years and only a few clunkers.  Can they keep it up? 

Once again. . .this is a 70 issue run I'm trying to do here, so even though there's 25 issues worth of entries in this post, they're pretty short and sweet in order to keep it a quick and easy read.  You're welcome.  Let's do this!

JONAH HEX (Vol. 2 )

Part 2: Issues 26 - 50

DC (2008 - 2010)

ISSUE 26

FOUR LITTLE PIGS: A GRINDHOUSE WESTERN

Script: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Guiseppe Camuncoli 

Cover: Guiseppe Camuncoli

Now HERE'S a disturbing little tale. . .

2 sisters with a vendetta against all men capture travellers (including Hex's bounty), cut off their arms, legs, and tongues, and keep them in their barn as animals. Hex falls into their trap, but narrowly escapes. He returns to exact bloody justice on the sisters, then mercilessly brings in their victims for his bounty. Like I said, disturbing. Still a great little story with very nice art. The insane expressions on the sister's faces, as well as on Hex's own are on a whole other level of creepy than usual for this series.

ISSUE 27

STAR MAN

Script: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Jordi Bernet

Cover: Jordi Bernet

This was a pretty good story. On a trip to New York City, Hex saves a boy whose father is killed by a corrupt sheriff. Years later, Hex is hunting the same boy, now a man who kills corrupt lawmen and collects their badges (hence the name and title Star Man). It's a decent story about how the past never really dies. I'm not such a big fan of Bernet's art on this series, but for some reason, I really liked it on this issue. Maybe his style is better suited for crowded city scenes.

ISSUE 28

TOWNKILLER

Script: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: John Higgins

Cover: John Higgins

A so-so issue about a man who unsuccessfully hire Jonah Hex to kill an entire town after they lynched and burnt his gay lover. He takes matters into his own hands and learns a cruel lesson about 2 wrongs not making a right. Not the best issue of this series, but not the worst. Hex seems a bit out of character here with the extreme brutality he shows, even though the same writers worked on this issue as the rest of the series. The art is nicely done, with very detailed faces.

ISSUE 29

RETURN TO DEVIL'S PAW

Script: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Rafael Garres

Cover: Rafael Garres

This sequel to the events in issue #21 is long on action and short on story. It involves Hex and a group of Pinkerton men returning to the rocks of Devil's Paw to try and recover money lost there in the previous tale. Instead of just 1 indian, as hex believed, there is an entire band of indians hiding in the rocks, who take Hex prisoner, put him to a test of death that he survives, and invite him to join them. Hex declines and the tribe is decimated in a massive attack by the U.S. Army, except for 1 survivor that Hex saves.

It's an extremely average story that serves only to tie up loose ends from the previous story. The dark and twisted art fits this tale of death perfectly.

ISSUE 30 

LUCK RUNS OUT

Script: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Jordi Bernet

Cover: Jordi Bernet

A pretty good story about what happens when train robbers take over a town and interrupt Jonah Hex on a three-day drunk. There's a good amount of humor in this story, which is a welcome change of pace, but that's about all it has going for it. I'm still not a fan of Bernet's art, but the silent 2 page opener is great. . .showing scenes passing through Hex's drunk mind that nicely recap his origin and story to that point.

ISSUE 31

THE RED MASK

Script: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Paulo Siqueira

Cover: Richard Corben

When I saw the sweet Richard Corben cover on this issue I was like "Awwwww. . .YEAH!" thinking he'd be on the art inside as well. Sad to say that the art is very nice and super-detailed, but it's not Corben.

That aside, this is a pretty good story about Hex hired to hunt down a masked bandit and discovering a man who has the whole town fooled into thinking he's nothing but the town drunk. He tries to outsmart Hex also, but it doesn't end well. Not the best, not the worst. Awesome cover, though. . .one of the best in the series.

ISSUE 32

THE MATADOR

When Hex finds himself south of the border in Mexico and refuses an offer from a wealthy man to kill his wife's former lover, the jilted man makes the last mistake he ever will when he tries to kill Jonah Hex and doesn't make sure the job is done.

A simple story of betrayal and revenge that seems like a bit of a filler issue. The art by Bernet is decent, but not great. The cover, on the other hand is about the worst one of the series yet. The proportions are all off and it looks like someone slapped some color on a rough sketch.

ISSUE 33

THE HUNTING TRIP

Script: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Darwyn Cooke

Cover: Darwyn Cooke

I didn't like this issue very much. It WANTS to be great, but doesn't quite succeed. It's an exploration of Hex as a force of nature as told from the perspective of a boy he saves, then abandons in the snows of Canada. It has Hex as an expert dog sled driver for some reason, his surviving being dropped under the ice of a frozen lake in his long johns, and the gunning down of dozens of men in a pretty ridiculous story.

Like I said, it wants to be great, but ends up being pretty bad. Even art by the usually-great Darwyn Cooke isn't that good. It looks like something he threw together on extremely short notice. The cover looks like an unfinished sketch. Not the worst, but not good.

ISSUE 34

OUTRUNNING SHADOWS

Script: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Mark Sparacio

Cover: Adam Kubert

Set following the events of issue #28, Hex decides to hang up his guns and live the quiet life. Guess what. . .it turns out that death follows Jonah Hex no matter what he tries to do. This was a really good story about Hex fighting against his own nature. It's not a funny issue, but the scenes of him chopping wood to avoid conflict, then the scene of a giant heap of firewood about 10 feet high was hilarious! The art is nicely detailed and I'd say this is in my top 10 favorite issues of this series so far.

ISSUE 35

A CRUDE OFFER

Script: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: J.H. Williams III

Cover: J.H. Williams III

The title of this strange little tale tells the whole story. Hex meets a sheriff and his wife and learns he can't have children and she wants a family. One thing leads to another and Hex finds himself drugged and them trying to make him an unwilling. . .donor. It's a pretty good story with great artwork. The double page picture of Jonah Hex on the title page is one of the best I've seen in the whole series.

ISSUE 36

SEVEN GRAVES SIX FEET DEEP

Script: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Rafael Garres

Cover: Rafael Garres

A grim tale that tries to explain why Jonah Hex wears a Confederate uniform. It seems he wants everyone to hate him as much as he hates everyone else. Not a bad tale, I'm not a big fan of the art in this story (being very exaggerated), but the dark and twisted style match the dark and twisted frame of mind of Jonah Hex.

ISSUE 37

TROUBLE COMES IN THREES

Script: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Jordi Bernet

Cover: Jordi Bernet

It looks like this issue was a bit of filler and a good excuse for the artist to throw some cheesecake into the series. The story is about 3 women who decide to try to steal a bounty from under Hex, but the story doesn't really matter in this case, it's all about boobs and butts. . .don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with boobs and butts. Actually, Bernet's art is starting to grow on me. Er. . .that sounded wrong. All in all not the best issue of the series so far.

ISSUE 38

HELL OR HIGH WATER

Script: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Jordi Bernet

Cover: Jordi Bernet

Leading on from the events at the end of issue #26, where Hex humiliates the sheriff of Highwater, Hex is taken prisoner by said sheriff and forced to endure listening to his tale of woe before we're treated to a picture of a man getting bitten in the junk by a rattlesnake. Not a great issue.

ISSUE 39

COWARDICE

Script: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Rafael Garres

Cover: Rafael Garres

This is the third pretty poor issue in a row. Hopefully things will start picking up again, seeing as I'm only halfway through reviewing this series. A tale of escaped prisoners, cowardly lawmen, and Jonah Hex stepping in to help keep a saloon open. Not a great story. It doesn't help that the art doesn't fit the tone in any way. I don't mind the twisted, exaggerated style of Garres for certain Hex stories, but this one was a bad fit. Moving on. . .

ISSUE 40

SAWBONES: THE FIRST HALF

Script: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: David Michael Beck

Cover: David Michael Beck

Part 1 of a 2 parter that brings back Tallulah Black! Hex is hired to hunt down a frontier serial killer. . .a doctor that likes to capture and torture young girls before killing them. Hex stumbles into a gunfight, gets shot, and finds himself under the doctor's. . .care after Sawbones finds the wanted poster with his picture in his pocket. Hex manages to escape and is found by Tallulah Black near to death.

Not a great story on its own, but a great setup with great art. I wish David Beck was the regular artist on this series. He pretty much gets it all perfect.

ISSUE 41

SAWBONES: THE FINAL CUT

Script: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: David Michael Beck

Cover: David Michael Beck

After the great setup last issue, I was a bit disappointed with the conclusion. Not saying it was bad, not by a long shot, just not that great. The killer meets Hex's style of gruesome justice, we get to see Tallulah Black being badass, David Beck's art was fantastic, and it all wraps up neatly. . .but it felt like it was missing something.

ISSUE 42

SHOOTING INTO THE SUN

Script: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Jordi Bernet

Cover: Jordi Bernet

Back to the one and done stories again. A decent story flashing back to Hex's childhood and his father's brutal efforts to toughen him up. It's a simple story and short by about 6 pages due to a Power Girl preview, but I liked it. Not great, but not bad at all. Even Bernet's art was pretty good. Power Girl and Jonah Hex don't really go together, but I don't make the rules. . .I just follow them.

ISSUE 43

THE HYDE HOUSE MASSACRE

Script: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Paul Gulacy

Cover: Paul Gulacy

A pretty simple tale of Hex being hired to rescue some hostages and trying to get paid when the job is done. What I liked about this issue was the art by Gulacy. 75% of the story was silent, told only by the art for 20 pages. . .half the book! It seems this series is given to a bit of "silent storytelling" from time to time, but other issues haven't taken it this far. I think the most before was 4 pages' worth. Nicely done.

ISSUE 44

SIX GUN WAR PART 1

Script: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Cristiano Cucina

Cover: Cristiano Cucina

It's the first extended story arc (6 issues) and the gang's all here! Jonah Hex, Tallulah Black, Bat Lash, and El Diablo! Look like it's going to be a pretty good team-up tale. It all starts when Hex is lured into a trap by Quentin Turnbull and his henchman, El Papagayo. Hex killed Turnbull's son at some point in the previous issues (I forget which one exactly) and he's out for revenge. Unfortunately, he doesn't make sure Hex is dead when he buries him in a shallow grave. Now it's Hex's turn.

Elsewhere, Bat Las and Tallulah Black meet by chance in Mexico during a run in with El Papagayo, and El Diablo comes in (barely) at the end of the story. This opening issue is pretty good for setup, but other than bringing the players into the game, there's not much else here. The art is dark, sketchy and nicely done. I think they picked a good artist for this first long story.

ISSUE 45

SIX GUN WAR PART 2

Script: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Cristiano Cucina

Cover: Cristiano Cucina

Bat Lash and Tallulah Black are imprisoned in Mexico by El Papagayo, Jonah Hex and Lazaraus Lane are making their way to Mexico after Hex makes a deal with El Diablo to safeguard Lane. Another "Gun" joins the game. . .Blue Eagle, a Comanche warrior, teams up with Hex and Lane.

Not much going on but the players moving closer together. It ends with a nice cliffhanger. . .Bat Lash and Tallulah Black against a wall facing a Mexican firing squad. Second issue in this arc is still setting things up. Not great, but pretty good.

ISSUE 46

SIX GUN WAR PART 3

Script: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Cristiano Cucina

Cover: Cristiano Cucina

With a last-second rescue of Bat Lash and Tallulah Black by Hex, Blue Eagle, and El Diablo, The gang is all together, El Papagayo and his men are defeated, and we're halfway through the arc. Turnbull is revealed to be hiding in some Mayan ruins and that he's hired some exotic killer to take care of Hex. 

There's also an extended flashback of Hex during the Civil War that gives a little background to the feud between Hex and Turnbull. Still not the best story in this series, but pretty good. Hopefully the resolution will be worth the buildup.

ISSUE 47

SIX GUN WAR PART 4

Script: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Cristiano Cucina

Cover: Cristiano Cucina

There's a good bit of comedy in this 4th issue of the 6 part "Six Gun War" story. Most of it during a desperate showdown with Mexican bandits while riding for Turnbull's stronghold. A trap is set for the united friends in a small Mexican town, but another character from past (Chako, from the first batch of issues) warns Hex. . .but not before the seeming death of Blue Eagle.

Some nice back and forth insults between the unfriendliest group of friends ever make this issue stand out, but it still seems like setup mainly to put Chako into the story. With only 2 issues left, I hope the payoff is worth all the setup.

ISSUE 48

SIX GUN WAR PART 5

Script: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Cristiano Cucina

Cover: Cristiano Cucina

Quentin Turnbull's trap is sprung, Hex is betrayed by Chako, and he faces Turnbull's exotic assasins by himself. Unfortunately (for them) they all brought knives to a gunfight. . .literally. Not a one of them are armed with guns, and Jonah takes them all out before finally ending Chako's occasional comedy relief appearances in this series with a bullet to the forehead. Too bad, I liked Chako.

This issue was long on action and short on story. I was actually a bit disappointed. The exotic assasins seemed like they would have been a bit more interesting, being from Africa and Persia, 2 twin women, a boxer, and an Indian who can block bullets with his knife (??). It seemed a bit of a waste. Not the best issue of this story. Moving on. . .

ISSUE 49

SIX GUN WAR PART 6

Script: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Cristiano Cucina

Cover: Cristiano Cucina

I was disappointed in the ending of this 6 issue story. Hex and crew finally bring the fight to Turnbull in his Mayan ruin stronghold, only to have Turnbull rescued by the Mexican army and leaving the feud between them unresolved. El Papagayo also was left alive a few issues back, so hopefully there will be a more satisfactory conclusion to come sometime in the remaining issues.

The ending seemed rushed and half-hearted. . .almost like the writers came up with a great idea (Hex teams up with all his outlaw "friends" from past issues), but they didn't quite know what to do after the team-up. The arc started strong and ended with a whimper. Bring back the one and done stories if this is how extended arcs are going to go. . .

ISSUE 50

THE GREAT SILENCE

Script: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti

Pencils: Darwyn Cooke

Cover: Darwyn Cooke

After the tepid "Six Gun War" we get a fantastic double-sized 50th issue telling a tragic tale of what happens when Tallulah Black gets pregnant with Jonah Hex's child and she hangs up her guns. The story is extremely sad, but Darwyn Cooke's art adds a few comedic touches during the separate tale of Hex continuing his bounty hunting without knowing that he's a father.

I didn't like Cooke's art the last time he was Jonah Hex (it seemed half-baked), but this time around it was PERFECT. Funny where it needed to be funny and tragic where it needed to be tragic. And the cover is one of the best of the series so far. I wonder if the writers gave us such a great story this time to apologize for the mess that ended "Six Gun War". In any case. . .one of the top 5 issues of the series so far.

CONCLUSION

The middle batch of Jonah Hex was a bit more hit and miss than the first 25 issues, but overall I still enjoyed them.  The kind of stories in this batch were just as varied as in the first. . .from brutal violence to light hearted.  From straightforward to thought-provoking.  The variety of stories that the Jonah Hex character can inhabit is one of the things I've always liked most about him, and 50 issues in, Gray and Palmiotti are still keeping things nicely mixed.  Speaking of mixed. . .we also got the first extended 6 issue story, but it was a bit disappointing at the end after a strong start.  I think that Hex is better suited to shorter stories.  

Next up. . .

Jonah Hex rides into the sunset of DC's New 52.  Issues 51 - 70.

Be there or be square!