All-Star Western #0 Review

All-Star Western #1 dropped us into the action with little explanation of who Jonah Hex is and where he came from. For those who first encountered Hex in that issue, All-Star Western #0 will serve as a bare-bones but helpful reference concerning Hex’s origin story. Readers who have been following him since the beginning are likely to be a bit more frustrated by the recapitulation.

Hex veterans Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray guide the story from Jonah’s youth to the modern day, but the task proves too large for just one issue. The book gets off to a great story, with all of the heart-wrenching details of Hex’s family life coming through. As soon as he strikes off as a young man, things begin to fall apart. The story feels like it’s in fast-forward, with major life junctures coming almost every page. The narrative is interesting, but it becomes annoying to read because space limitations leave it so fragmented. In retrospect, it might have been better to tell half of his origin and leave the rest for another time.

The artwork for this book is, once again, in the capable hands of Moritat, the regular artist for the series. The emotions of Moritat’s characters are eminently apparent through their expressions and posture, especially when the story has a bit of room at its opening; however, the abbreviated nature of the story causes problems for the art direction. The amount of action necessitates more panels than there is room for, leading to pages that are frequently overcrowded and a disorienting sense akin to a movie camera crossing over the action line (were there enough panels to establish an action line to begin with).

This month’s issue fulfills its obligation to tell Jonah Hex’s origin, but it’s not the smoothest process. I’ll give points for cramming so many of Hex’s formative moments into such a small space; however, the experience is hampered greatly by the project’s ambition. I do look forward to Moritat’s inks every month, and the team of Palmiotti and Gray once again put together some of the most natural dialog in monthly comics. Verdict: green light for interested newcomers and fans of the creators, yellow light for everyone else.

Poet is a freelance writer, mid-core gamer, and frequent IGN contributor. Follow Poet on Twitter, or post a message on his IGN profile.

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