East of West #10 Review


After a worthwhile run does this series maintain its own level of quality or does it start to falter? Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

“OLD MAGIC”

Death finally tracks down someone who knows where his son has been hidden, right as the Ranger finds that exact same man. Someone shoots, someone gets shot, and someone dies.

East of West 10_Preview Page 1There’s a simple lesson that this tries to hit home: never get in the way of a father that’s looking for his son. And it’s within that arc we find a worthwhile debate between two varied perspectives on these the End of Days. That’s what the creative team has successfully built and after ten issues I can say that this entire franchise is of a caliber that few poses.

Jonathan Hickman once again proves his mastery over this alternative history, while feeding his frequent readers just enough narrative meat to sate their appetite. The questions revolving around the offspring of Death, and his place within the apocalypse are interesting on surface level. But what really got my attention is the fact that we’re given some depth for our secondary players. Truth be told it was nice to see these followers get some attention, no matter how brief it was. There’s a weight to this release. And within that heaviness the journey continues as this gunslinger is pushed onward toward his next encounter.

In this medium the written word can only carry so much of the load, as the visuals more often make or break what we see on the finished page.  With that said we have Nick Dragotta, and he handles each otherworldly creation with a level of honest fluidity few can muster. I especially enjoyed when the antagonist transformed into a beast, and in just a handful of panels the talent captured his inherent ferocity. Add in the more than competent colors done by Frank Martin and we have visceral treat.

East of West #10 is an adventure that carries interesting dynamics within its themes. It may not be revolutionary at this stage but it easily earns my recommendation.

OUR RATING
8
  • + The relationship between a father and son takes center stage!
  • + Jonathan Hickman's western odyssey continues to be compelling.
  • + The art by Nick Dragotta continues to be a source of strength.
  • - Need some more info on Death's two companions.

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