Customer Reviews

Jonah Hex: Origins

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I grew up reading Jonah Hex in 1970's in the pages of Weird Western Tales. You must understand the westerns I grew up on was John Wayne, The Lone Ranger, Wagon Train and the Virigian. It was later that I discover the Magnificent Seven and the Clint Eastwood Man with No Name series of films. My first exposing to the idea of the anti-hero was Hex.

In this graphic novel,the lucky reader has a rewritten original more suited to HEX, the bounty hunter and the man. In this graphic novel, which reprints three comic novellas, we are reintroduced to Jonah Hex. Thosde who do not know the comic nor the character will enjoy the intro to him.

The writing is crisp and to the point, not like a monthly comic more like a well told novel. The art is the stuff you frame when buying an uncolored one sheet at auction. (Does anyone know if this art is available to buy, I would love a piece from this Hex book)

Those who bought Showcase Presents: Jonah Hex, Vol. 1 would not be disappointed. Hex seems gritter for the times. Jimmy Palmiotti is an able scribe, similar to John Byrne when he rewrote the Man of Steel origins(Superman: The Man of Steel, Vol. 1

So if you like the anti-hero western, pick this up. If you have not tried Jonah Hex, start with this one. Worth five stars in my book

Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD

Being a big fan of Jonah Hex from way back in the 70's, I wanted to see what the new update would look like. After all, the character was nearly killed off in the 80's when he started fighting monsters and demons. Now Jonah is back as the western (anti-) hero he was supposed to be (though the Albano stories are still unbeatable).

I was a little disappointed with the first two books, as most of the artists where a let down and incapable of drawing a decent western (jeesh, isn't there a single artist nowadays who can draw a horse?). But with the third volume we get at least an artist who can draw westerns (Torpedo's Jordi Bernet). The storyline which goes through three chapters, takes us back to when Jonah was a kid and of how he got his scarred face (and no, he wasn't kicked by a mule).

For old fans like me, there is nothing new on the horizon, as this story was already told before (and much better) by Michael Fleischer. However, we can see that DC has taken an interest in bringing the character back again the way he was meant to be, instead of transforming him into some sort of futuristic superhero. Also, this time around he at least speaks in his southern western drawl (as opposed to the modern PC English he spoke in the first two volumes).

The other two artists in the volume are worthless, the second one faring only slightly better than an inept artist called Phil Noto.

Now DC, how about getting Russ Heath out of retirement and have him draw a story?

Not a bad TPB but some serious historical issues that killed more than half the book for me. First off, why would Jonah fight for the South if he had been raised as a slave by the Apache? Maybe not fight for the North I could see, but fighting for the South makes little or no sense. He doesn't seem politically minded, certainly has no favor towards slavers, and is not interested in helping out his fellow Southerners. Just makes no sense. Then of course there is the Iroquois indian that he knows who is locked in a prison camp for Indians in Arizona. Poor story details aside, the comic is well drawn and inked and has its entertaining and diverting moments. I particularly liked the last segment.

`Jonah Hex: Origins' is a compilation of issues 13 - 18 of the comic book published by DC / Vertigo in 2007.

The first three issues / chapters comprise the `Retribution' story arc, which consists mainly of flashbacks dealing with Jonah Hex's younger days, which were marked by plentiful abuse at the hands of various personages, including brutal Union Army officers, a drunk and disorderly father, and vengeful Apaches. We learn how Jonah suffered the injury to his left eye, and later, who was responsible for the disfiguring scar that mars the left half of his face.

`Retribution' is reasonably well written, although for some long-time fans of the Jonah Hex character, the disclosure of how he received his famous scars - after so many years of remaining a series mystery - may seem like the breaking of a covenant.

If the modern incarnation of the Hex series could be said to have a dedicated artist, it's Jordi Bernet, who illustrates the `Retribution' storyline. In my opinion Bernet's art style, with its sketchy, rather hasty quality, is not the book's strong point. But it's probably unrealistic to hope that Moebius will ever step in to draw some Jonah Hex comics in that `Blueberry' style.

The next two issues / chapters deal with the history of Tallulah Black, a young woman from Tennessee who is Hex's sometime bounty-hunting partner, and sometime girlfriend. `The Ballad of Tallulah Black' reveals the gruesome treatment Tallulah underwent at the hands of renegade Union soldiers. Luckily for our heroine, Jonah Hex is in the right place at the right time to lend some assistance, and under his tutelage Tallulah learns how to draw and shoot well enough to seek her revenge. While these two chapters are an entertaining read, employing the mordant humor common to the Hex titles, Phil Noto's artwork is too stylized and too pretty to really give the storyline the necessary gritty visual character. For example, a climactic shootout is rendered via the use of too-small panels and too-spare sound effects, turning into something of a weak imitation of the shootout between Sharon Stone and Gene Hackman in the movie `The Quick and the Dead'.

The last chapter in the book, `I Walk Alone', is the best in the compilation. Featuring some good artwork by Val Semeiks, with moody grays, blues, and blacks for a color scheme, the plot finds Jonah confronted at his wilderness encampment by a runaway bride. A posse of armed men arrive, seeking to retrieve her; against his will, Jonah finds himself drawn into the conflict. `I Walk Alone' keeps the reader guessing all the way to the last few panels, and ends on a note of profound cynicism and moral ambiguity.

These downbeat, existential conclusions are what (in my mind, at least) makes the `Jonah Hex' title such refreshing alternative to the contrived angst that characterizes the writing for so many of the better-selling superhero titles on the comic shop shelves.

In total, `Jonah Hex: Origins' probably isn't the most impressive of the trade paperback compilations of the contemporary Hex comics, but fans will want to have it in their collection, as its stories continue to inform ongoing scripts of the series.

Sadly, the Jonah Hex series seems to be spiraling downhill. I started picking up these collected editions of the Gray/Palmiotti series after the excellent Jonah Hex: No Way Back, and ever release is a little worse than the one before it.

"Jonah Hex: Origins" collects issues 13-18 on the ongoing series and as the name implies deals with the origins of the legendary bounty hunter. How did he lose his eye? How did he get that scar? Those are the questions that are answered here.

The problems with the decline of the series are all due to art. There has never been a regular artist for this Jonah Hex series, just a rotating group who pop in for a story then rarely come back. This means that not only is there no chance for a writer/artist style to be built, but also the main characters look different with every issue.

"Origins" has some particularly bad art. In the story "Retribution" artist Jordi Bernet draws a gunfight with so many "Kapows" and "Bdams" that it looks like a parody of the old Adam West "Batman" TV show. I actually laughed when I read it, and I shouldn't be laughing reading a Jonah Hex comic. He isn't a bad artist, but just particularly unsuited to this type of story.

Phil Onto does a better job with "The Ballad of Tallulah Black," a great story with supernatural elements harkening back to Hex's "Weird Western Tales" origins. That was definitely the stand-out story for this collection. Val Semeiks's "I Walk Alone" is decent enough, but I didn't really like his take on Jonah Hex. He face looked less like a scar and more like a zombie.

It's too bad that the writers Gray/Palmiotti never managed to wrangle a permanent artist for the series. The writing is excellent, and the first volume proves that this could have been a legendary comic book. Comics are a visual medium, and need that balance of good story/good art to make for a great book. The Jonah Hex series, and "Jonah Hex: Origins" in particular, has one but not the other.

A great graphic novel that has grit, a little darkness, good writing, and great drawing. From what i have heard, The movie did not do any justice to this character. However I have not seen it, so I will reserve judgment until I do.But i digress. But this graphic novel is great for the novice of this character or one that knows more about it. The best recommendation I can give is that i loaned this book to a friend, who knew nothing about the series or character, and he loved it and is looking to buy a copy himself.

What an awesome collection of stories! This is how I have always imagined the true wild west really was. Jonah Hex is such a cool charachter! He was the Punisher of the old west. He is way too cool! I would love to see Garth Ennis do a series. Gray,Palmiotti, and Bernet do an EXCELLENT job! Do yourself a favor and pick up this graphic novel. You won't be able to put it down. "These Days Belong to Jonah Hex," and he rules!

I think that title says it all, Jonah Hex is consistantly on the top of my read pile each month because the stories are so unique, the art is fantastic and it delivers month in and month out. Most times, the stories by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti are one and done stories but this trade is mostly the great origin story of Jonah Hex. The creators treat the character with respect and the story shows it. Clever and sharp, the story is engaging and shows their strength of great characterization. Jordi Bernet is a new face to most American comics but those who love art have seen his great Torpedo series before and was a great choice for this arc. Glad to have this trade on my bookshelf. DC should support this book so much more.

This third volume of Jonah Hex is the strongest yet in this new series. I enjoyed the previous two volumes. I enjoyed all the artists that have worked on all three volumes. It would be nice to see a Joe Kubert or John Severin illustrate some Jonah stories.