About.com Rating
Jonah Hex is a classic western character. He's full of vengeance and leaves a trail of blood, whiskey, women, and gunsmoke behind him. This is the first original graphic novel for Jonah Hex and coincides with the release of the Jonah Hex movie.
Title: Jonah Hex: No Way Back
Writers: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti
Artist: Tony DeZuniga
Publisher:DC Comics
Price: $19.99
Story:
Jonah Hex is fresh off his latest bounty, and fills himself with whiskey and womenfolk.
His reprieve is short lived when a mysterious man shows him a new bounty and the wanted poster brings back repressed memories and the news of a long lost brother. Armed with this new information Jonah seeks out the bounty, only to find that another man is hot on his trail with vengeance himself in mind for Jonah and everyone that comes into contact with him. What transpires is a tale of revenge, hatred, loyalty, and laying the past to rest.
Review:
It's great when publishers try to create new readers when movies come about. Many publishers do a graphic novel based on the movie, which in my opinion usually don't work out well. This however is an original graphic novel by the team on the current Jonah Hex series that tells an all new tale. It reveals to us some of Jonah's past and leads the reader an a wild ride full of bullets and blood. I thought this was a good move by the publisher, especially using the current team. It will hopefully give people a jumping on point for the main monthly series.
For fans of Jonah Hex, this one has it all. We get new insight into Jonah's past, bloody gunfights, an evil villain, and Jonah all right in the middle of it. What more could a fan want?
The story itself is well told, taking Jonah through highs and lows. We find out how a person could turn into a cold blooded killer, for both Jonah and the antagonist, El Papagayo. It is not a light hearted tale or a feel good story. Rather it is dark and grim, filled with terrible things happening to both good and bad alike
The art is also fitting as well. DeZuniga's rough style fits the gloomy story. There were times though when I felt it was a bit too rough, with some panels and pages having a lot more detail than others, even right next to each other. Overall it works though, as this is a gritty story that would look odd if it was too polished.
The presentation was also very nice, with the hardcover binding and high quality glossy paper making it a great addition to the bookshelf. I really liked the fake wear and tear on the sides and corners, giving it a very rustic feel. The flip side of this is the high cost - $19.99. This felt a bit steep, as I read it in a quick sitting.
Conclusion:
This is a well told, fitting story for Jonah Hex. Western fans will find a good read here that is reminiscent of Unforgiven or 3:10 to Yuma and leave you wanting more. Good thing you have the monthly comic by the same writing team to get your fix of Jonah Hex.
Like I said, I think fans of Jonah Hex will enjoy this tale. I too enjoyed it overall, but I didn't see myself running out and picking this up, especially with the higher hardcover price tag. I would probably wait for a softcover version to come out personally. If you like westerns or Jonah Hex though, check it out.
Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.