Images & Words – Jonah Hex #69
[images & words is the comic book pick-of-the-week at OL. equal parts review and diatribe, the post highlights the most memorable/infuriating/entertaining book released that wednesday]
As of late, it seems that all comics-related discussions are concerned with the crumbling state of the industry. Headlines of doom and gloom are absolutely proliferating, inspiring fear in otherwise satisfied fanboys. DC REBOOT BLAMED FOR NERD SUICIDE! MARVEL MEGA-EVENT BANKRUPTS SINGLE FATHER OF FOUR! DIGITAL SALES THREATEN RETAILERS’ BUSINESS!
In the midst of all this bullshit, it’s easy to forget that worthwhile comics are being released every damn week.
And the newest issue of Jonah Hex is a necessary reminder of just how sick comic books can be.
I’ve been hooked on Jonah Hex ever since I gave it a read about a year ago, and with good reason. As the industry standard seems to be storylines that stretch across months, self-contained issues are always appreciated. What’s even more appreciated are single-issue stories that consistently astound. Considering that The Old Man is the sixty-ninth entry in the series, writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti have proven that their well of Western woes is plenty deep.
The titular figure is Hex’s father, a prospector with a sordid past. After Pops suffers mortal wounds at the hands of some scruffy nogoodniks, he’s shocked to see his infamous son approaching on the horizon. He’s then forced to run the emotional gauntlet, wondering if Jonah has come to make amends or to simply put him out of his misery. Hex hasn’t come for either of these purposes, but the ensuing conversation is bone-rattling.
Acting as guest artist on this issue is comics-superstud Jeff Lemire. While Sweet Tooth is (damn fine) evidence that Lemire can work as writer-artist, and he’s lent his writing talents to other books, it’s also great to see him illustrating the scripts of others. From the get-go, it’s easy to see why Lemire’s somewhat scratchy style works for a Western, providing the facial accoutrement that cowboys and bounty hunters are sure to collect over their lifetimes.
But where Lemire really shines is in his paneling, his masterful decisions in how to break down a page into its most narratively effective. Sometimes this means outlining a character in his own panel, allowing him to ride forward from the wreckage of other images. Other times, this means putting characters on opposite sides of corresponding panels, thereby depicting conversations with the somber solitude of the Sergio Leone visual style.
In a summer filled with creators releasing movie promotions thinly-disguised as events and precursors to reboots, Jonah Hex proudly swims against the current. There’re no capes, no superpowers, or prerequisite readings. But what there is, is a truly affective story.
A tale of a father’s regrets and a son’s lack of forgiveness.
Gunslinging of emotions.
A showdown of sentiment.
A brawl of brutal truth.
