Hex in the City

[arbre_rieur]

Jonah Hex gets a sidekick...



The narrator is Dr. Amadeus Arkham, who lately has been helping out the police investigate a string of grisly murders.

Comments

[coldfiredragon]

I loved this book! I really really did! I didn't even mind paying the extra dollar for it. The increased page length let them tell way more story in the first issue than any other DC book I read this month. It was a great first issue and I love the conspiracy and the idea of a secret society set up amongst Gotham's elite. Arkham's narration combined with Hex's need for action made a really good combo.

I can't wait for this book next month!

[pizoxuat]

Arkham's observations of Hex were totally pinging my slashdar.

[blackruzsa]

I am not ashamed to be reviewing the scans after seeing this comment.

[pizoxuat]

Something about one man going on and on and ON about how he is so frightened yet fascinated by other man just automatically creates that subtext for me.

[blackruzsa]

I need to read this whole issue now. I hope you're happy. >:I
:))

[nyadnar17]

This comic is getting bought. Looks like I am buy almost all the DCUn except for their actual super hero comics....smh.

[leikomgwtfbbq]

I'm liking all of the alternative-genre books, but I'm not digging a lot of the superhero books, except Justice League Dark; there are things I don't like about it, but it's really what I've been wanting for a long time--a teamup between the more famous mystic characters. Shadowpact was cool, too, but I'm always pleased to see John and Zatanna working together, plus Madame Xanadu is one of my favorite women in comics. (I just hope the Phantom Stranger pops up soon, too :P)

[nezchan]

Funny thing is, the main part I didn't like about JL Dark was the intrusion of Supers into the mix. I see why they did it, but it didn't sit right. Felt the same way about the random Superman appearance in Swamp Thing.

[leikomgwtfbbq]

I can see where you're coming from. I agree, really.

For my part, I guess I'm used to most of the mystic characters--not just John Constantine, but everyone else--being sort of... kept away from the regular "big" superheroes. Zatanna hangs out with Batman sometimes, and the Phantom Stranger visits the Justice League maybe once every few years, but other than that, the big-name mystic heroes seem to keep to their own posse, so it's weird to see them interacting with Supes and such.

But overall, it wasn't too bad. The characters were in-character, and the disasters were creepy (tornado of teeth D: yecch!)

They should just keep the mystics to their own group again, would be my suggestion. It would build the atmosphere and setting a bit more, I think.

[nezchan]

Yeah, I really liked where everything else was headed. And since I'm pretty sure this was basically an excuse to get the big supers out of the way right off the top I can't imagine seeing much of them from here forward.

The whole thing with Shade's girlfriend was suitably creepy, just the tone the book needs.

[drexer]

I have had this question sicne this was announced at the tip of my tongue and I never did get the courage to ask it.

What is the All-Star in the title from? It's notf rom the series of imprints they thought about doing after ASS and ASBAR certainly? Has it got something to do with the original Johan hex title?

[thandrak]

All-Star Western took over from All-Star Comics back in the 50s.

Win!

[capt_satellite]

Win win win win win win win!

[venatosapiens]

This is good, but for one thing; why the Hell is Gotham a western frontier town? Isn't it supposed to be on the eastern seaboard somewhere?

[ardat_lili]

That's been confusing me, too. Couldn't they have used Hub, or Opal, or Keystone, or something? Is it because the world revolves around Batman?

[icon_uk]

Or showing that Gotham has always been the sort of place to need the... unusual sort of crimefighter.

[pyynk]

Admittedly, Batman is DC's most popular character, but Gray and Palmiotti are doing their best to tie in events from Gates of Gotham as well as some of the stuff that Snyder has hinted would be happening in Batman.

[nezchan]

I rolled my eyes at that one too. Seriously, everything doesn't have to tie in to the superheroes.

[icon_uk]

What makes you think it's a frontier town? Hex is a frontier kind of guy, but the rest of it, seems to be more urban, with rich and powerful business barons including mill owners and a detective squad in the police force.

[nezchan]

The text was pretty specific that he was brought in as an outside contractor, so to speak. So no need for Gotham to be in the west at all (I always saw it somewhere in the neighbourhood of Boston, maybe a little further south).

[pyynk]

Yep, it's in the East, but this wouldn't be the first time Hex's travels have brought him that way.

http://scans-daily.dreamwidth.org/1284271.html

[airawyn]

I was wondering that, too. They tried to make it a Western town in the Bruce Wayne time-traveling stuff, too. Doesn't quite work for me.

[espanolbot]

Ah, Hex's travels have brought him to Gotham and New York before, he's worked all over the place, and was brought in in Return of Bruce Wayne and in this series because he's THAT good.

I like the dynamic they're going for here, taking Hex out of his element and placing him in an urban setting is kind of interesting.

[kamino_neko]

It's quite explicitly NOT a frontier town. Arkham's narration on the first several pages revolve around the difference between big urban cities (Gotham) and the frontier (Hex's home range), and much of the rest involves ponderings on how Hex deals with cities.

[aaron_bourque]

It is. Hex took the train for a job.

[pyynk]

This, so far, has been my favorite of the new titles. So very, very good and the opening page and narration were PERFECT.

[skjam]

Also have a Johah Hex visits Gotham City post coming up.

[meowshi]

I loved the scenes of Doctor Arkham psycho-analyzing Jonah Hex throughout the entire book. Gave you a feel for both of their characters.

[midnightvoyager]

The last page has a seriously great layout. The coloring style is rather cool, very appropriate for the type of work. And it's used very well.

So, looks like only comics I'm interested in from the DCNU are indeed not superhero comics at all. Oh well. At least there's SOMEthing.

[nezchan]

Funny part is, I'm barely qualifying Wonder Woman as a superhero book, based on its first issue. It's more in line with the out of genre stuff.

[meowshi]

It's totally a mythology book. I just hope I don't lose interest once she starts fighting criminals again.

Or maybe I hope that just doesn't happen.

[joasakura]

Oh, i am lookin' forward to pickin' this up XD

[nezchan]

Just got finished reading it.

Wow.

I am very impressed with this. The art is wonderful, the story solid, the characters are distinct without getting in your face, it's fast paced but events never seem to come out of nowhere. All in all a stellar effort, and I'm seeing why people are calling this one of the top stars out of the relaunch. Definitely sticking with this one.

I'm also amused by our dear Oswald's ancestor showing up. It ties nicely into his drive to gain respectability, one of my favourite parts of the character.

[an_idol_mind]

Jonah Hex is never not cool.

[nezchan]

Not even this version?

[eyz]

Haaaa! Why did I click?! Make it go away!! Haaa! My eyes!!!

[an_idol_mind]

Doesn't exist.

[aaron_bourque]

To be fair, he wasn't the problem with that thing.

Well, he wasn't the only problem with that thing.

. . .

Okay, he wasn't the BIGGEST problem with that thing.

Man that thing sucked.

[eyz]

The previous Jonah Hex series was extremly readers friendly, and I had a couple friends here (Europe...Switzerland(!!)) that don't read US comics, actually following it and buying the trades as they came along.

Hope this one will be true to that...

[espanolbot]

Heh, currently I've been watching the old Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes series on DVD, and coming off that to this leads to some interesting comparisions.

A medical doctor teaming up with a professional crimefighter-for-hire to assist the police in crimes that they're stuck with, makes for an interesting dynamic, no?

Though from what I see Arkham seems to slide into the Watson role a might easier than Hex does Holmes'. ^^

And, man, Gotham was as lousey with secret societies in olden times as the current DCU is with clandestine organisations NOW. I mean, they had the Black Glove and Dr Hurt's associated skullduggery, they have the upcoming Council of Owls, they had the informal grouping that the Gotham Elders had in Gates of Gotham...

I wonder if they had any overlap?

[northstarfan]

I love Moritat's art, but I'm going to hold off on this until I see whether or not the issues with the last Hex series carry over into this one. Considering that it's the same writer, my hopes aren't high, but the change of scenery may mean a change of theme, so we'll see.

[bariman]

They wear rings with a crying human skull. How can they possibly not be evil? I mean, come on.