Written by: Jonathan Hickman
Artist: Nick Dragotta
Colors: Frank Martin
Letters: Rus Wooton
Published by Image Comics
East of West has been on the slow burner building towards something big…something Jonathan Hickman does better than anyone. In issue #6 The Message has been heard, no one can be trusted, and the pieces to this giant game of chess are finally on the attack.
As I said before, nobody does a grand, layered story quite like Jonathan Hickman. East of West has been fairly light on action thus far, but that’s the beauty of a Hickman story. While this series is set in an ultra-violent, post-apocalyptic setting, what really sets it apart from other comics is it’s smart storytelling. Just like in his run in New Avengers, the banter amongst the characters ultimately set the stakes and conveys all of the high-intensity drama.
Nick Dragotta’s work in EoW is my absolute favorite art in comics. It’s rare to see a book that you could take literally any panel out of, frame it, and hang it on your wall. It’s THAT beautiful. In a story that relies so heavily on human story, it’s important for the art to tell the story too…this book does that and takes it to an entirely new level.
This issue has left me wanting more. This is the first time we see some suspenseful action and I really think things are going to start picking up. Hickman’s tale of the end of the world, ironically, has me really looking forward to seeing how things go. The pot’s been on the slow burner, but I’m happy to say that Hickman and his fantastic team of artists are finally turning up the heat.
4.5 out of 5 nerds
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