Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities Jonah Hex

^Even though the film looks bad from the standpoint of someone who is already a big Jonah Hex fan, I actually hope it succeeds in a huge way. I want more readers getting into Jonah Hex (especially non-comic book readers). And I want a non-superhero star to really shine. Probably the last breakout western star from comic books into other media was Vigilante in the 1940's and he isn't really even a true western hero. (Imagine a Bat Lash movie? It would be awesome).

Anyway, I read #56 which I know several other Legion Worlders picked up for the incredible Darwyn Cooke cover. I'd forgotten that there were two stories within and I've got to say, I absolutely loved that we got two full stories. This is how a comic with two stories should be done; no scenes are wasted, each story delivers the way it should with the first one has the 'small scale epic' feel to it and the second being a great character piece on Jonah. The second 8 page story is now the quintessential back-up story blueprint I think all comic book companies should look at--it delivers better than any I've seen thus far.

Winslade is one of the artist's I kind of put on the back-burner in discussions regarding Graypal's Hex, since the comparison inevitably leads to Bernet and Cooke, but I think he really nails it everytime he does a Hex story (and in fact, every Hex story has great artwork). What I like is that he really is detailed in his panels--there is just so much going on and each character in the background has a different detailed look. In the scene around the campfire, as Hex's intentions become clear to the others that he intends to kill them, the panel layout suddenly gets very shaky and it adds a level of terror and excitement to it--very well done! It's not easy making action sequences which essentially involve drawing a gun and firing all that exciting but Winslade does a great job here and that is representative of what the various Hex artists do each month.

I hope those who bought the Cooke cover realized Cooke didn't do any of the interior work and were surprisingly delighted by it. This is a comic everyone should be collecting with each month's story being good enough to be turned into a movie.

The Cooke cover was a bonus, but I knew he didn't draw interiors. Knowing the facts that my CBS actually had copies out to buy, that I knew that the stories inside would be accessible and that the interior artists were still damn good (even if not Cooke) were the primary factors for me.

Did you purchase "No Way Back", Des?

^No, I didn't get it, though I might eventually since it's Hex by Graypal.

To be completely honest, I don't usually like Graphic Novels coming out without first coming out as monthly series. I feel companies miss out on the double-whammy of sales and I like at least the option of getting something in a monthly. Kind of just my own tastes. While I'll probably *one day* get the Hex GN, I won't get the 'Earth One' comics unless I find out they are the greatest things ever. (So it has to be even better than a normal single issue comic book would be).

Did you get it? If you do, let me know how it is and that might encourage me to get it sooner than later.

Nah, my CBS didn't have it, but I think I might've if they did because it was a slow week. From what I've read of the reviews, it seems like it would've been a good buy. It puzzles me, though, that you are in no hurry to possible ever get it considering how much you admire GrayPal's Hex work.

Personally, I like the idea that original GNs are still being made. If the creators feel the story needs to be experienced in that format and not serialized, I'm glad they have that option.

Just for comparison, you don't seem upset that Cooke's Parker adaptations are being released as GNs, so you must feel there are exceptions, deep down. (I know, I know--you'll say "only because it's Darwyn Cooke!" )

I've already told my CBS guy to order me JMS's recently-solicited, Superman: Earth One, btw, and am likely to do same with Johns's project. It's a slight risk, but I feel the talent behind them and DC's support of this format make it worthwhile.

Hm, I kind of see how my above comment overstates my opinion. It's not something I feel strongly either way about, but what I really mean is that my comic book reading and buying habits are such that I often spend the majority of my time & money on single issue comic books and it's usually an afterthought for me to look at trades and graphic novels. In fact, if something was not a series of single issues prior collected in a trade, there's a good chance I'd never remember about it unless someone on Legion World reviewed it.

Naturally, there are exceptions and you predicted my response already: it's Cooke afterall, so I'd buy anything he did in any format he wanted. He could make his next project the cover of Green Day's next album and I'd go out and find the vinyl version. (Actually that sounds really awesome now that I made it up).

I usually do a big trade order every 6 months of 6-8 trades, and those are based on great recommendations I've received or series I've committed to buying in trades (re: Scalped). So it's hard to get on that list! Still, there are exceptions to even that.

So in a roundabout way of answering, the Jonah Hex GN has everything going for it to make me inclined to buy it, but because its in that format, I kind of don't mind putting it on the 'long back burner' which could take over a year or more to buy.

Unless of course you get it and give me the greatest recommendation of all time, which could move it up on my list.

Cobie, I'm more and more leaning towards the graphic novel format. Most stories are crafted that way anyways.

I picked up the GN last night and will have a review for ya this weekend.

Looking forward to it! It could get me to buy it quicker than normal.

Like I said, it's more of a 'reading / buying habits' kind of thing than a 'taking a stand about something I have an opinion about', though I do wonder if companies miss out on the double-whammy of sales by not doing a monthly. I guess here that reasoning wouldn't apply (but it might with those Year One GN's).

I at least need a Legion Worlder to buy first and recommend so its a good thing I've got you guys to help guide me!

I'm still shocked you didn't pick this up, Des! I mean, you love GrayPal on Hex, so what was the drawback? You don't think they'll give ya a story worth the money? You just may be the biggest hypocrite I've never met!

Bah! I don't buy GN's until I feel the need to blow extra cash! I wouldn't have even know this was out until you asked me about it!

I have no problem waiting weeks, months--YEARS even to read anything that isn't easy to buy on a whim!

Damn your ignorance! (And damn your refusal to remove "Chief of Security" as your status!)

Oooo I sense a fued a'comin.

We gonna git ourselves a gun fight goin, Ol' West like?

Statuses are like GNs, I only know about 'em if Lardy tells me

Ceej, when you read this Jonah Hex GN, make SURE you rub it in Cobie's face how supern it is, 'kay? (if it ain't that good, LIE!)

Waitaminute! All this time, yer giving Cobie guff, and you ain't e'en read the durn thing yet?

Well...no. But in my defense I haven't been a Jonah Hex reader up to this point! I recently purchased (and have started reading already) the first trade and also bought this month's issue.

I posted a few days ago that if my CBS had ordered it, I would've bought the GN on impulse despite the fact that I'd yet to read a single GrayPal Hex issue at the time. The buzz on the book and the GN was so good that I was ready to take the plunge with an epic, oversized, totally original tale as my first Hex experience.

What's HIS excuse?

You have a knack for being right about these things. And this time, it truly scares me.

The bible is in trade format and after 28 years of being Catholic I still haven't read it all!

I read the trade of the first six issues Jonah Hex: Face Full of Violence last week. Those were some terrific one-offs, man! Though I'm usually in favor of continuing storylines, this method works really well for this book. Nice, compelling, fun done-in-ones that are a throwback to how genre comics were done back in the day.

Love the artwork, too! The art in this one was primarily by Luke Ross whose work I've seen here and there. But never more beautiful and memorable than what I saw here on Hex! I know Hex has a bevy of artists, but I'd love to see Luke Ross do more work in this genre. I know is art appears in the second volume, too, so I'll look forward to seeing more when I eventually pick up Volume 2!

Yep, more GrayPal Hex is in the cards for me!

Good to see another fan out there, Chief.


"No Way Back"

GrayPal bring the same Hex to this book they write in the ongoing. They write him as a solitary man, not kind to those who keep his company, even when he wants it. He's respectful when it matters, considerate even a few times, and downright vicious and stubborn for most of the book.

The bulk of the story is Jonah meeting his brother and their rather different lives. We get a chance to see Jonah can be civilized and respectful when treated as such. But he also does his best to keep his new family as distant as he keeps anyone else. There's a conflict looming with El Papagayo for most of the story, but it's very much in the background. The reslotuion is brutal, providing us with most of the violence you expect from a Hex story.

Zuniga draws the book with a texture befitting a western. From the rough characters to the dirty they wallow in, it's not pretty to look at. But I'm sure glad I did. Where GrayPal gave us their standrad Hex fare, Zuniga elevated with his artwork. This story probably could have been told in the monthly, but it would have killed to wait the 2 or 3 months it would have taken to see all the pages.

“Tall Tales” in #57 by Graypal and my favorite, Jordi Bernet, was yet another triumph in a long line of great stories in Jonah Hex. While not as serious as past issues, this one had enough charm to make me grin from ear to ear throughout most of the issue. I’m glad Graypal mixed things up with a lighter story here. The two brother’s curiosity towards Hex and little adventure reminded me some of the Golden Age tales I read last year when I was on a little Golden Age kick; in fact, this whole story felt very Golden Age.

It was awesome to see the collection of so many DC western stars, especially the Trigger Twins, who never really show up anywhere anymore. The Scalphunter/Hex fight was awesome and now I want to see a whole series of Scalphunter/Hex team-ups over the years.

The 2/3rds of a page panel by Bernet of them all on their horses is good enough to be a poster IMO.

Just when I think this series can’t get any better, the creators flex their muscles a bit more and prove me wrong. Great stuff.

At long last Graypal have gotten to a Mei Ling story so those of us who haven't read the 70's Hex stories (like me) can really get to see Jonah's wife, who we've seen referenced countless time. If that wasn't enough to really fascinate me, the artist is none other than my favorite Hex artist, Jordi Bernet!

Once again, another fantastic stand alone issue and even though we don't learn much, we learn enough to know that I'm a big fan of Mei Ling! More than anything, the loving relationship between Jonah & Mei (where Jonah is definitely still Jonah) makes the chemistry between them something I want to see more of.

Comic book fans who *still* haven't taken a chance on Hex really need to kick themselves. Every issue is a new reader-friendly issue so don't waste time and join in on one of comic's best series for the last 5+ years.

I obtained "No Way Back" off eBay a few months agoa and read it in mid-October. This was a handsome book just chock full of backstory on Jonah. We learn more about his father, mother and the half-brother we never knew he had. We also learn why El Papagayo has it in for Jonah and that he never wants Jonah to know exactly why he does. It's all very compellingly brutal stuff (especially the parts with Jonah's mom, IMO) which climaxes with a brutal battle between El Papagayo's gang and a town that has disavowed weaponry!

Tony Dezuniga, who illustrated many of Jonah's classic adventures, returns for this one, and his stuff looks as gritty and cutting edge as anything else being done as today's artists. Notably, his Jonah doesn't look particularly handsome on the unscarred side of his face, and the scarred side has never looked more menacing.

This was a great original graphic novel, much better IMO than Superman: Earth One. Well worth the price! Gotta start getting more GrayPal Hex, sooner than later....

^I think you've pretty much sold me on picking it up eventually (though probably not on the next round of TPB's, but the one after since I've amassed a large list of TPB's to grab).

Two things sealed it based on your description: the usage of El Papagayo, one of Jonah's best enemies, and Tony Dezuniga on the art, which I'm curious to see.

Which TPBs are priorities, Cobes?

The next Cooke GN (and others I missed along the way), Scalped, last 2 Air, next 2 Hellboy, Rocketo and I know there are at least two others I'm forgetting off the top of my head.

Oh, and Supreme: the Return if it's available.