ALL STAR WESTERN #2
Written by Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray
Art by Moritat
Review by Brian Verderosa
I’m fairly confident that All-Star Western is shaping up to be my favorite of the New 52 books. What Palmiotti & Gray started with issue #1 continues here, as we follow Jonah Hex and Amadeus Arkham in their pursuit of a mysterious league of murderers. The writers’ flare with Hex’s dialogue is picture-perfect, and it really lends to the credibility of the book. It should also be mentioned that in issue 2, we get some of the most awesome ass kickery you’re likely to see in a mainline DC comic.
The villains are bewildering and unsettling, and the cult they belong to is both familiar in structure but mysterious enough to keep us wanting more. This book does focus more on Hex than Arkham, though the latter still narrates it. Moritat’s art locks itself into the times (19th century Gotham). His old-style flavor is full of sepia tones that add legitimacy to the story Palmiotti & Gray are weaving. There’s a splash page early on that almost makes you pump your fist in the air at how cool it is.
Just as with the other New 52 anthology book, DC Universe Presents, I’m unsure as to how long arcs are going to last. There will be a third issue if our cliffhanger is any indication, and I truthfully hope there’s more than that on the horizon.
VERDICT
Buy it, buy it, buy it — but leave the kiddies at home. It’s Teen+ rating is no joke, and the violence is heavy (but so entertaining!).
