Jonah Hex V2 #50 "The Great Silence"

 Jonah Hex V2 #50 Feb '10

"The Great Silence"

Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti - story, Darwyn Cooke - art and cover 

Wyoming, Devil's Tower in the background. Seven horsemen are riding hard and fast through a winding arroyo, they are obviously being pursued, fear on their faces. They whip their horses and shoot behind them at their pursuer. Suddenly one horse is shot in the rear flank and then, not unlike the Angel of Death, Jonah Hex leaps his horse over their heads, killing four of them. Two more continue onward and rounding the bend encounter Tallulah Black. Her sawed off shotguns belch forth death and the horses ride past, one riderless, the other a visual example of Sleepy Hollow.

Before The Fall

Night and Jonah and Tallulah exit the Sheriff's office, bounty in hand and they walk into the saloon. The place quickly empties out and Tallulah drops several coins on the bar, telling the barkeep to come back in the morning and he makes quick tracks out the door. The bounty hunting pair clink bottles, quickly disrobe and then commence to clinking something else.

Next morning finds the barkeep, a tall man (mortician?), and a woman standing in the saloon contemplating what to do with the naked form of Jonah Hex asleep on the bar. Hex awakens, the barkeep hands him his trousers and as Jonah realizes that he is at full attention, he bursts out laughing. Hex steps outside and gets dresses. A man leans back in a chair nearby, propped against a porch post. The man snickers, saying "She snuck off at dawn. Rode West. Figger ya put the spurs in that filly."

The man is quickly kicked into the street by Hex and Jonah readies to leave. Horace Green approaches Jonah with a binder of Wanted posters. He introduces himself and states that he has fifty bounties that may be of interest. Jonah asks if he is trying to get him killed. Horace states that he has heard that Jonah has killed a thousand men, not counting celestials and Mexicans, but Jonah says that number seems bloated. Horace says that his employer, Arlan Miston, has deep enough pockets to cover all the bounties and that each bounty is a man that is responsible for extortion and property damage to Miston's oil company, along with the fire that claimed Miston's son.

Hex tells Horace it will take quite some time to track down that many men. Horace replies that time is of no concern and other lawmen will possibly thin the herd. They get down to price and Horace offers $2,000 each. Hex counters with $3,000. Horace said the price is already set and Hex bids him good luck. Horace places the binder under Hex's saddle and shouts that an exception could be made if Hex brings in ten or twenty by himself.

The Hunter Unleashed

We are treated to a montage:

Jonah shooting three men in the street.

Jonah killing four men in a poker game.

Jonah using a cannon to surprise a man in a privy.

Jonah killing a man running from an encounter with a sheep.

Jonah dragging two men through a stand of cactus.

Jonah dragging a hog tied preacher from a church service.

Jonah pulling a gun on a man in a bath.

Jonah killing four men around a campfire.

The Prospect of a Fresh Start

Tallulah Black rides into Silver Springs and approaches the sheriff asking the location of the nearest dress shop. The sheriff asks what her intentions are in town and she says she has already told him. He observes she appears to have a checkered past and she says that life ain't always roses and sunshine.

The sheriff explains that the town is his to watch over and Tallulah says that she will sleep sound knowing he is on the job. He, eyeing her sidearm, replies that she appears to be capable of watching over herself. She asks if they are going to dance around or ask what he wants to know and he comes back with he wants no trouble in his town. Tallulah says that makes two of them. She states she isn't on a wanted poster, she used to be a bounty hunter and she is now looking for a dress shop. She is tired of looking over her shoulder and running away from everyone and everything and is looking for a fresh start.

He points her to Susan's Dress Shop and introduces himself as Jim Stroman. She thanks him and rides to the shop.

The Fall of Many Men

A late night meeting is being held in a barn by the light of a lantern. Mr Krauss has gathered together all of his remaining men in order to determine the best way to rid themselves of Jonah Hex. They set upon the plan of a trap, and entire town that they could lure Hex into. They pinpoint Silver Springs as the best place to make their play. It has only one sheriff, and a new town with no trees. It will take a few months for the rest of the men to arrive and a few weeks to fortify the town. The snow is flying now, but in three months, Hex will be facing twenty four guns and will meet his end.

The trees are turning color in Silver Springs and we see Tallulah, decking out in a white dress chancing upon Sheriff Stroman. Jim says he has good news, Edgrin Summerset has agreed to sell his lot near Fox Creek. Tallulah is quite touched by this kindness and he says that it is important that she and her child have a proper home, for we see that Tallulah is very very pregnant. 

As they take a stroll to the hardware they encounter Abigail who approaches Tallulah, reaching out to touch the child, stating "The Lord told me about this child". Tallulah warns that she is about to get an ass kicking and the Sheriff warns her off, telling her to get her fabrics over to Susan's place. She says a blessing on the sheriff as she leaves. Tallulah cites that Abigail is touched in the head and the sheriff shrugs it off.

Over the next few months, the leaves fall and a house is built by Jim and Tallulah and it is ready for occupancy with the first heavy snow.

The Winter of Discontent

Jonah is in a cabin with a woman, sitting near a huge fire. An old man, Eddie Runford, approaches and says last week in Yuma he heard men talking. Eddie queries if they might strike up a deal, he relates what he heard and Hex splits the bottle. Jonah puts his pistol up to Eddie's eye and says the terms are Eddie talks and Jonah won't shoot his eye out. Eddie quickly spills the information about Kraus and his men heading to Silver Springs to hole up. Jonah dons his hat and leaves, telling Eddie to take the bottle and woman, they are both paid for.        

In the hills overlooking Silver Springs, Jonah utilizes a spyglass to see Kraus and his men descend onto Silver Springs. What he does not see is a wagon coming from the opposite direction. A wagon driven by Jim Stroman and containing Tallulah in labor and Abigail riding in the back. Jim says that Abigail has done some midwifing and she can be of help but Tallulah says she doesn't want that woman touching her.

Kraus and his men arrive in town, shooting anyone and everyone they encounter. The wagon arrives at the other end of town and Jim tells Abigail to get Tallulah to safety, but Tallulah wants a gun, warning Jim that he is outgunned. The sheriff stands in the nighttime snow covered street and tells the men to leave. They respond by murdering Sheriff Jim Stroman in the blink of an eye. Tallulah is outraged but she does not see Abigail, who has been muttering about the judgement coming down upon them, reaching for a hammer in the back of the wagon. 

Tallulah turns just in time to see Abigail swing the hammer, knocking her out of the wagon. Kraus orders the remaining townsfolk to leave or be gunned down and the populace vacates the town. Abigail grabs Tallulah by the hair and drags her into Abigail's fabric store. She grabs a set of sheers and announces that she is going to remove that bastard from Tallulah's belly. Tallulah fights back, getting cut several times until finally her water breaks. Abigail, standing over her menacingly, says that she will take care of everything.

Jonah, standing in a dark alley, hears Tallulah scream. We see Abigail running off into the night, carrying a crying child as Tallulah drags her bloody body out of the shop.

Tallulah lay on the ground, radiant light pouring down all around her. A small girl gently pokes her with a stick asking "You dead?"

Tallulah replies weakly "No"

The girl says "Days like this make the cemetery man smile."

"Who are you?" asks Tallulah.

"Mind the woods. There's a bad man out there." says the girls as she fades away.

We see Jonah carrying Tallulah through the knee deep snow as she whispers "Ya scared death away.... again.."       

Later in Tallulah's cabin, she is in bed and Jonah readies to depart. She asks if he has nothing to say. She didn't know what else to do. she thought if she gave up her old life, maybe..... She tells Jonah that he knows she is right, he wouldn't have wanted it anyway and he grumbles that he was never offered that option. He says that he wasn't looking for her but he figgered they would eventually meet. This has soured their relationship, he will save the child but from here on they are done as friends and lovers. He exits and rides off.

A time later at the train depot, Jonah holds a gun on the depot master. He explains that he is looking for a woman with a stolen child. The man says that Abigail said that Tallulah was dead, killed by Kraus and his men. Jonah demands to know where the train was headed.

After a train ride of several days, Jonah disembarks into a town in the southwest. He rides up to the local jail and finds the sheriff on the porch. Jonah says that a train arrived a few days ago with a woman and a baby and he is looking for them both. The sheriff asks what for and Jonah states the child was stolen from its mother. The sheriff asks if the child is his. Jonah just glares at him. The sheriff tosses aside his smoke and tells Jonah he should come inside.

In the jail Abigail is sitting in a cell alone. Jonah asks about the child and when the sheriff starts to explain Abigail starts ranting about knowing the child was the devil's spawn and that she killed it. The sheriff says it must have happened on the train, passengers noticed the child didn't cry and Abigail was detained until the train hit town. The judge is on his way for the trial. Jonah starts to reach for his pistol and the sheriff says "I know it was yore child" and Abigail bursts out laughing.

The sheriff steps between Jonah and the cell, saying she will be hung properly according to the law. Abigail starts rattling on about knowing the devil made the child and.... well, just see for yourself...

Finally the sheriff and Jonah are in a standoff, pistols in each others face until the sheriff lowers his gun and Jonah raises his. Jonah asks "Boy or girl?"

The sheriff replies "Girl. It was a little girl." He says that he is going to do his rounds and takes him about an hour and leaves.  Abigail is on her knees in the cell, praying and Jonah says 

Spring Showers and Cemetery Flowers

The rain pours down on the night shrouded town of Silver Springs. Kraus is griping that it has been three months and there has been no sign of Jonah Hex. As Kraus and his men try to figure what Hex's next move is we see various guards outside dead at their stations. Just then a stick of dynamite comes flying through the saloon doors and Kraus and his men attempt to flee but the saloon is blown to hell and back. Kraus pulls himself up out of the mud only to see Jonah with a Gatling gun mounted in the back of a wagon. Jonah mows down each and every one of them, lights a cheroot and says    

                 

You Never Know What You'll Get

A calm peaceful night at Tallulah's cabin. From a distance we see Jonah kneel by the door. Tallulah, inside, hears a noise and quickly goes to the door. She yanks it open to see a man on horseback ride off. She looks down to find a very small coffin on her doorstep. The story closes with her on her knees, sobbing over the wooden casket and the silhouette of a man on horseback vanishing over the hilltop.

Statistics for This Issue
Men Killed by Jonah - We have an exact count on this one. Five at the start, Abigail, and the extra fifty, so 56.
Running Total - 856 (432 past, 55 future, 15 Vertigo, 354 V2)
Jonah's Injuries - None.
Timeline - Just a week or so over a year
Rape Percentage -  22% (11 of 50)

Nothing I can say can do this story justice. This is on par with The Last Bounty Hunter for depth, scope and impact. Darwyn Cooke's artwork is equaled only by Jose Luis Garcia Lopez and it blends tragedy, romance, comedy, danger and despair in such a nice tight bundle. He is one of the most cinematic artists that has ever graced a page and the world is lesser for his having lost him so early. Abigail appears to have put on weight after she kidnaps the child, but that is a minimal gripe on my part. The look on Jonah's face when the bullet bounces off the cell bar is wonderfully funny.

I can only say that if you don't own this book, you must buy it.

My only gripe with the story, and this is a long standing one with Palmiotti and Gray, is their reliance on the one note depiction of the Crazy Assed Christian. They are always ranting, misquoting scripture, and being horrible horrible people. Michael Fleisher had several stories with Christians and he ran the gamut from good to evil. I just get tired of the negative stereotype. 

There could have been another way to have Tallulah lose the child and Jonah seek revenge and I would have preferred that (or I might have accepted Abigail if Palmiotti and Gray had not already pulled from this well so many times before)

Next Issue: Dick Giordano graces the pages and sadly, once again, Crazy Assed Christians.

                                                               

Jonah Hex V2 #33 'The Hunting Trip'

 

Jonah Hex V2 #33 Sep '08

"The Hunting Trip"

Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray - story, Darwyn Cooke, art and cover

We are listening to the written rememberance of a man recalling when he was young and his father took him on a hunting trip in the snow covered northern mountains on a moon illuminated night. The father and son are making their way through thigh deep snow, the father giving instructions on how to choose the best horse for mountain living.

  They come upon their slain prey, a large elk and as the son commences with field dressing the animal, the father continues with the lesson. Finished with the chore, the son packs the meat and the father the rack as they head back to camp, instructions of horse choosing still poor forth. In camp, they bed down for the night, the father still speaking, telling stories of friends in the past and during all of this, we know that all of this talk, this chatter, is welcome. It is comforting for it is given in love and in friendship. This isn't the constant ramblings of a man who is nervous or trying to hide something. The father is sure of himself and wishes to pass this confidence on to his son.

The next morning they are traversing a snow covered meadow when the father accidentally steps in an unseen bear trap. Clamping around his calf, the trap is one that won't be easily removed. The father tells his son to get the knife, they will have to remove the leg. They manage to saw off the leg and the son starts with the rescue by dragging his father through the snow. On into the night the father's condition worsens until he stops his son, telling him that it is over. He tells the boy to lay next to him, hold him close so the father can keep the boy warm through the night. As the snow swirls and covers the two, the father continues to give instruction even to his last breath.

The boy awakens to wolves chewing at the bloodied leg of his late father. He gently removes himself from the snowbank and the wolves turn at him, lunging in a hunger driven fury. Shots ring out and Jonah Hex stands there, outlined in the rising sun, casting aside his rifle as the wolf pack turns on him. With pistol and knife, Hex dispatches the pack in a fury of steel and blood that is over as quickly as it began. He stands over his fallen foes, drops to a knee and starts extracting meat for a meal, as the boy slowly and silently approaches.

Hex looks up to see four mounted men, Northwest Mounted Police, approach. The first man informs Hex that he and his boy are illegally hunting on private land.  Jonah relates the fate of the boy's father and the man asks the boy for confirmation but the boy is silent for whatever reason (I now suspect the young man is mute). The man inquires as to Hex's identity and Jonah tells him he is Fleisher, a trapper by trade.

The man says he doesn't believe it. He has heard there is an American, a bounty hunter, who has crossed the border into Canada to find the man that they currently have hooded and bound to one of their horses. The man says he heard the bounty hunter's name was Jonah Hex. Hex says he has never heard the name. The Mountie doubts the truth of that statement because he knows Hex has a hideous scar. They strip Hex down to his scivvies, bind him, and walk him out to the middle of a frozen lake. The Mountie starts in with a history lesson of who they are and Hex tells him to shut up. They grab a pickaxe and knock a hole in the ice, Hex falling, hands bound, into the freezing water.

Submerged and left for dead, Hex bites through the rope and swims down to grab a log. The Mounties ride off , leaving the boy to the elements and Hex bursts up through the hole, tossing the log across the opening so he can lay across it and make his way back to shore and his clothes. 

Hex raises up his head and shouts "Chingah" and a team of sled-dogs appear from almost nowhere and surround Hex, bringing him warmth. The boy brings Jonah his clothes and they are on their way.

Some time later they approach a fort and Hex walks in through the open gates, shotgun at the ready. As a Mountie opens the door to the first cabin Hex kills him with the payload from the first barrel, and when another Mountie investigates, he is just as quickly dispatched with the second barrel.

Tossing aside the spent double-barrel, Hex draws his pistols and takes on the rest of the fort, going hand to hand if need be until all of the Mounties are dead.

                                           

His vendetta fulfilled, Hex collapses and the boy drags him into a cabin by a roaring fire. An unknown time later Hex awakens to see the boy kneeling beside him, joy on the boy's face and a love for a newfound 'father'. Hex sits up and shoves the boy away. He gets up, readies himself and leaves. The boy follows out into the snow, finally grabbing the tail of Hex's coat to stop him. Jonah turns and backhands the boy into the snow and rides off.

The boy sits there in the middle of the fort, a winter storm falling upon him. Night falls and the snow covers the boy and under the full moon, the wolves once again appear and we learn from the narrator that of all the lessons that have been imparted to the boy through the years, the one taught to him by Hex was the most important, how to deal with wolves.....

Statistics for This Issue
Men Killed by Jonah - Twelve.

Running Total - 707 (432 past, 55 future, 15 Vertigo, 205 V2)
Jonah's Injuries - Bound and thrown into freezing water.

Timeline - The boy A day and a night, then three weeks recovery so let's say 22 days.

This one was one of my favorites due to the Cooke artwork, the snowy setting, and the period styled writing. Again, Palmiotti and Gray tell us a story ABOUT Hex, from the viewpoint of someone outside of Hex's normal circle of death. An innocent boy, having lost his father is saved by Jonah and is abandoned by the man who saved him, and relates this tale in the past tense (so we know he lives through the ordeal). I also enjoyed the nod to Michael Fleisher in the alias that Jonah tries to adopt, not unlike when he took the name Albano (and what happens next issue).

The retribution handed out by Hex reminded me of Gunfight at Murphysburg. While it didn't have the layout of the locale set out before us like a banquet feast, nor were we introduced to each of Jonah's victims, the pacing and the ruthlessness matched the prior storyline. In Murphysburg we get men burned alive, here Hex goes Die Hard 2 and stabs a Mountie with an icicle.

Rereading this, I keep trying to reconcile Jonah's actions towards the kid who nursed him back to health. Hex realized the kid was without a father, miles from civilization, marooned in a frozen wasteland, searching for a family to connect with and yet, Jonah felt the kid was better off in THOSE circumstances than being at Jonah's side until they got to a town. It was as if Jonah saw in the kid's face that the connection, if allows to bond, would never be broken and the kid would eventually be killed.

Next Issue: The one thing that Jonah can't kill continues to hunt him down....

Top Ten Jonah Hex V2 Covers

Now that Jonah Hex V2 is in the can, I thought it would be fun to visit the covers and pick the ten best. Here are your panel of judges:

Me: Collecting comics since around 1966 and in all honesty I pick up a book because Jonah Hex is IN it, not what is on the cover. My tastes are going to lean more to what is extraordinary for a Western comic or just a comic in general.

Eldest Son: Shoots and edits video for a living so has a sense of composition and balance. Is a comic book reader so has a feel for what makes a good comic book cover.

Carl: Graphic designer. Looks at the books through a critical eye picking out what makes a good design. Also reads comics but hasn't read any Jonah Hex.

Lovely Wife: Is aware of what a comic book IS. What she brings to the table is how a cover will impact someone just strolling through a comic book shop. Does this cover grab a non-reader into making a purchase? Also, Wife & Carl can't be swayed by a good story inside that might make me think a cover is better than it is.

I took everyone's top ten, assigning 1 point to the lowest rank and ten points to the highest rank. I then compiled  the totals and we ended up with a few ties. To break the ties I looked at which cover placed higher on Lovely Wife's ranking (because getting a new reader in is the best thing) and then I took into account Carl's ranking (because he's a professional graphic designer and should know good design).

Here then are the top ten covers along with relevant comments:

Tenth Place 9 points: #11 "The Hanging Tree" 
Art Thibert
Carl: Dark and Powerful

Ninth Place 10 points: #70 "Weird Western"
Ryan Sook
Me: Very powerful, the sun 'burning' past the girl and the subtle hole in Hex's chest. This book screams that it wants to be opened and read.

Eighth Place 11 Points: #39 "Cowardice"
Rafael Garres
Eldest: The coloring and layout on this one make it stand out. It's far more cinematic than any other cover (with even the credits being "above the line").
Me: The black bar titles that make the interior of this book so unique is brought to the cover. The poses are dynamic and it has a great use of black space.

Seventh Place 11 Points: #62 "The Package" 
Eduardo Risso
Tie broken by Lovely Wife: It's just damn weird
Me: The black and white and evoking the tintype style pose is fantastic. On top of that, Hex seems so at peace amongst the circus freaks and that says so much about the character and makes me want to read the book.

Sixth Place 13 points: #53 "You'll Never Dance Again"
Billy Tucci
Lovely Wife: What kind of trouble are these two going to get into? It makes me want to read the book.
Eldest: As Megan Fox-tastic as this cover is, I love the art. Also, it feels like someone just chased this girl downstairs only to promptly realize that he's about get get effed up buy a guy with a look on his face that says, "I dare you."

Fifth Place 13 points: #6 "Goin' Back to Texas in a Box"
Brian Bollard
Tie Broken by Lovely Wife: Somewhat comical
Me: NUNS WITH GUNS!! Actually, this cover has great lines, the razor and Jonah's eye draws you across the page to see the white of the nun's hat. But much more than that, NUNS WITH GUNS!!!

Fourth Place 14 points: #33 "The Hunting Trip"
Darwyn Cooke
Eldest: I love this one because it feels like a baddie glanced over and saw this view, then promptly crapped his pants. Also, if you don't like Darwyn Cooke I'm 87% you're a communist. BETTER DEAD THAN RED!
Me: There are a dearth of winter westerns and this one fills the bill nicely. How deep is that snow? How long has Hex been there?

Third Place 15 points: #25 "My Name is Nobody"
Rafael Garres
Eldest: This one just says "I am a badass and will destroy you" Also, that guy clearly wasn't dead a second before this cover was drawn.
Carl: It has the perspective where the viewer is looking up at Jonah from beneath, very strong.
Me: The curvature of the buildings, the sun behind Hex, all of this makes me think of this entire cover is looking out the barrel of a gun. Plus, the details of the spades on the buttons and looking at the number of notches on the gun of the dead man shows just how good Jonah Hex is at his job (as well as ruthless since he's shooting a man that is already down)

Second Place 18 points: #50 "The Great Silence"
Darwyn Cooke
Lovely Wife: There is such an empty feeling presented through the muted tones. I want to know who is buried and why is there such emotion evident in Hex's body language.
Me: A very very quiet cover for a very violent book. Knowing the character, this cover demanded that I buy it and read it first.

First Place 25 points: #9 "Gettin' Un-Haunted"
Tony DeZuniga
Lovely Wife: The contrast between the black and white and the red is great. The movement draws your eye across the cover. This cover is full of 'whys', why is the little girl with him, why is he using a sword, why is he killing those men.
Carl: I like issue 9 the best because for starters is 2 color and stands out, the illustration tells allot and shows movement, action and emotion.
Eldest: Black and white covers with color splash can be done extremely well or just look silly. This is the former. The near perfect blood trail line draws your eye through the picture and even serves to direct you back to the DC logo and title.

Other covers that were chosen? From highest to lowest: 35, 18, 13, 36, 26,  5, 28, 66, 8, 42, 41, 20, 16, 10, and 2

Thanks to Grand Comic Book Database for the cover links and thanks to me for figuring out that hot-linking is a bad thing. DUR!!!