Jonah Hex: Bullets Don't Lie
Writer/Artist: Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti, Darwyn Cooke, J.H.Williams III, Jordi Bernet, Paulo Siqueira, Mark Sparacio, Rafa Garres
Publisher: DC, $14.99
Why You Should Know It: Following the life of DC’s wild west bounty hunter Jonah Hex, the current series tells short self contained stories from issue to issue, usually switching artists out with each issue. This is a good book to push onto not only western fans but general DC fans since Jonah Hex is an established figure in the history of the DCU.
The only drawback to the series is that since the only consistent factor is the writers, interest might flow back and forth from issue to issue. I generally do try to push individual issues on customers more often simply because of the repetitive nature of the scripting at times. However, the collections are still great deals since they are priced reasonably and the entire series overall is very enjoyable.
Personal Review: The standout players in this volume are Darwyn Cooke and J.H. Williams III, both providing beautiful artwork in their self contained stories. The scripting can be a bit repetitive as mentioned before. Which isn’t to say that the writing is bad at all, Palmiotti and Gray always tell a fun story. I can imagine it being difficult to come up with innovative stories every month for the character, so when a fantastic artist comes along for a short arc or single story it feels like the entire creative team perks up a bit.
The Jordi Bernet segment is great as well and more of his collaborations can be found in other volumes. The Garres art feels a little bit like Richard Corben and lends itself to the morbid nature of the last story.
If you like this try: Blaze of Glory, Apache Skies, Desperados
Related Links: http://www.lonely.geek.nz/jonahhex.html
