Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Art: Nick Dragotta
Colors: Frank Martin
Published by: Image Comics
East of West 7 came in with a bang, and it shows no signs of slowing down.
When East of West made it’s dystopian debut, I was pretty excited. I mean who wouldn’t love a science fiction story that also features the Four Horse Men of the Apocalypse. Still, it’s not something I was jumping up and down to read, that is, until I read it! Hickman does a wonderful job setting up the story with ease. We meet the main characters, and can relate to them. That is what makes East of West one of the best comics Image is putting out.
There are so many things I love about this issue. We see Ezra, one of the chosen, merged with the beast. In the last issue, Bel Solomon shot them both creating them to become one. He is in agony. He is begging to be let out if his current torturous situation. I can’t help but feel a little bad for him, especially since they show him a few pages later as a baby. He is trying so hard to please “his mother”. He is asked if he is an Agent of the end of times, and each time he says “not yet, I can be more.” He finally becomes what The Message demands, but he would rather not be. It ends up being more than he can handle.
Then we follow Death, who shows us a new mystical place, The Mirror. Death is such an interesting character, and I’m not sure if I love him or hate him. His journey into The Mirror produces my favorite pages in the whole comic. Dragotta’s work is flawless. The Face of the Lake is done with beautiful lines, and the detail is impeccable. The stairway that goes “all the way” is dark, and endless. Death is of course all white, so the colors behind him are vibrant. Frank Martin’s color palate is brilliant. The look of the comic is just as important as the story, and when you have this deadly combination it rocks!
I like the fact that we can read comics that don’t always have a clear hero. It keeps us guessing, and hoping. Image has been on fire lately with titles such as The Walking Dead, Saga, Ten Grand and so many more books. You can add East of West into that exclusive group! Image books move to the top of my read pile this week!
4.5 out of 5 nerds
Irwin Fletcher
I'm an LA journalist who really lives for his profession. I have also published work as Jane Doe in various mags and newspapers across the globe. I normally write articles that can cause trouble but now I write for FTN because Nerds are never angry, so I feel safe.
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