Volume 1 vs Volume 2 - Issue #2

This week we have "The Lair of the Parrot" going head to head with "Dia De Los Santos Reyes"
We run through each book and judge them based on Plot, Art, Story,  Cover, and Body Count. Feel free to chime in with your two cents. First up:

Plot: Basically the 'pitch', the idea behind the story
TLotP: Hex is railroaded into helping the Secret Service try to stop a Mexican bandit named El Papagayo and ends up being framed for murder by Quentin Turnbull.

DdlSR: A gold cross is stolen from a mission, a padre is killed and Hex takes the Padres niece along to recover the cross.

Verdict: I think I have to give it to TLotP on this one. The plot had a lot more to offer and had more twists and turns.

Art:
TLotP: Again, Jose Luis Garcia Lopez. Again, I'm watching a beautiful movie unfold before my eyes.

DdlSR: Again, Luke Ross. However, there are a few pages that are pretty static and there were some problems with the word balloon placement.

Verdict: Lopez vs Ross again, but Ross stumbles on this one and I have to handily give it to TLotP.

Story: The actual writing and how the story unfolds
TLotP: Well, we have a brand new enemy for Hex, a new ongoing storyline and the reappearance of the Man with the Eagle Topped Cane.

DdlSR: I like how Jimmy and Justin start the stories in the middle of the action, gets you rolling right along. Later on the story kind of stumbles and thuds along, especially near the end with the cave in.

Verdict: Three for three? Yup! This one was a runaway for TLotP. I think J and J were hampered slightly by wanting to do Done-in-Ones and Fleisher was chomping at the bit to get an ongoing story arc going.


Cover: How well does it catch the eye and draw a buyer into a story. Can it generate new readers?
TLotP: A good angle on the scene, Jonah jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Two downsides, the text at the top and the HUGE, I mean HUUUUGE fence on the left that guy is falling off of.

DdlSR: Jonah Hex, bandana, hat, scar, riding across a field of red hot skulls. It doesn't do much to pitch the story inside but it sure catches the eye.

Verdict: As much as I love Lopez, I have to give this one to Manco with the poster ready cover. If you didn't know who Jonah Hex was, you sure would want to find out. DdlSR!

Body Count: How many folks are killed by Hex, or should it be ALL dead bodies in the story?
TLotP: 5

DdlSR: 1

Verdict: TLotP!

FINAL TALLY: With a score of 4-1, looks like The Lair of the Parrot wins this one.

Standings:

Jonah Hex V1 - 1
Jonah Hex V2 - 0
Ties - 1

NEXT: The Fugitive goes up against An Eye for an Eye

Volume 1 vs Volume 2 - Issue #1

I was sitting around thinking a little bit about Jonah Hex V1 and how it stands up to the newer, grittier V2. So, here we go with a head to head comparison of "Vengeance for a Fallen Gladiator" against "Giving the Devil His Due".


Plot: 
VFG: Hex is hired by a wealthy man to find a missing boy. Boy has been kidnapped and is used in a boy-fighting ring. Boy dies, Hex causes the kidnappers to fight each other and kidnappers fall off a cliff. Hex returns boys body but father has passed away and leave coffin with grieving mother.


GDHD: Hex is hired by a wealthy man to find a missing boy. Boy has been kidnapped and is used in a boy/dog fighting ring. Hex forces kidnapper to 'fight' vicious dogs and kidnapper is eaten. Boy has rabies and Hex smothers the boy. Hex returns boys body to the family.


Winner? Well, it's a tie. They both have the same plot and in both Hex refuses payment. 


Art:
VFG: Jose Luis Garcia Lopez. There are not four bigger words in the world of comic book art than those. Lopez has a clean style, a sense of space, and a strong handle on the art of cinema and all of that comes through the page. The only downside of the whole book was the cartoonish face of LeClerc.


GDHD: Luke Ross is probably one of three artists today that could take on Lopez stroke for stroke. Ross has a wonderful clean, almost photographic quality. Again, Ross shows great skill in handling the 'camera' especially on the opening sequence.


Winner? Damn, it's a tie again!


Story:
VFG: Fleisher has a good handle on Hex and where he wants to go with him. However, he hasn't delved very deeply into the mind of the bounty hunter. The bulk of the story is action and the dialogue keeps it clipping along.


GDHD: Palmiotti and Gray have a chore in front of them. Introduce this bounty hunter to the new readers, don't piss off the old hardcore fans, and cleanse the pallet of the Vertigo imprint. They do a great homage to Fleisher by using the original plot, but more than that, they let us see that Jonah is a little bloodier, a little uglier, and the inner spiritual turmoil between Hex and God is laid out there from the get-go.


Winner? I would have to give this one to Palmiotti and Gray, but just by a hair.


Cover:
VFG: A Lopez cover with a great perspective showing Hex being drug towards a waiting coffin. We don't get a good look at Hex, but readers of WWT were waiting for this issue and didn't need to see Hex's mug. To new readers it promised danger and excitement.


GDHD: A Quitely cover that is lovingly rendered in great detail. That horrible scarred face fills up the entire cover.


Winner? I think I have to go with the Lopez cover on this one. A cover is to get people to pick up the book and I think VFG does it a lot better than GDHD.


So we have tie, tie, V2, V1. I would call that a tie overall.


Next time "Lair of the Parrot" faces off against "Dia De Los Santos Reyes".

Update: Just for grins I thought I would throw in the body count.. VFG had 1 and GDHD had 2. Should I use that as a tie breaker?

Jonah Hex Head Injuries #34

The first 33 were in my contest against SallyP, but because readers have demanded it, it shall continue!

Jonah catches a right to jaw, delivered by a man named Tiny! From the double-crossing Jonah Hex #2

Hal & Jonah: Head to Head!! Round 33

Sally has thrown in the towel and I can't help but rub it in. (hee hee)



I'm more than willing to keep this thing going, but Sally has a busted scanner, etc., blah blah blah. I'll probably keep on posting these just to make Sally remember that a gun slinger is better than a ring slinger any old day.

This grazed noggin is from the kid-fighting goodness of Jonah Hex #1

Hal & Jonah: Head to Head!! Round 32

Jonah gets saved from a scalping via the help from a mountain man, there is a slight misunderstanding and...


WHAM! Jonah gets his ticket punched for the fast train across the cabin. Appearing in the snow-capped Weird Western Tales #38

Hal & Jonah: Head to Head!! Round 31

When folks wanted your attention the Old West, they weren't shy about it at all.


From the skull-rattling trifecta that is Weird Western Tales #37

Hal & Jonah: Head to Head!! Round 30

ANOTHER boot to the head!! With spurs on, even. The lousy cowpoke kicked Jonah so hard, he knocked the dash off the K from yesterday!!



Some more spur-jingling fun from Weird Western Tales #37. Come back tomorrow for the THIRD head blow from that issue!!

30 day recap!!

Well it has been 30 days. Let's recap the challenge between myself & SallyP. The contest was to see who could post the most pics of blows to the head of their favorite hero and all pics had to be from the personal collection. Let's see how things are going:

Green Lantern:
Guy punches Hal in the face.
Hal gets zapped in the face.
Batman punches Hal in the face.
Hal's ring tries to strangle him. (Not a blow to the head. I toss a yellow card)
Hal laying in the dirt after getting hit by Capt. Atom. (We don't see the blow..hmmm)
Hal's arm gets cut off. (No damage to the head. I believe I have just won here.)
Hal gets hit with a model airplane.
A thug hits Hal in the head.
A Zamaron shmushes Hal's head against a rock.
Hal gets hit with pink goo. (Hmm, doesn't look like a head wound to me)
Hal punches a bear with his shoulder (although Sally thinks he uses his head...not)
Hal gets a yellow smack to the noggin.
Dr. Light cranks Hal on the ole bean.
Ollie punches Hal in the snoot.
Kari Limbo slaps Hal.
Airwave punches Hal.
Hal smacks his head on AIR!!!
Another yellow smack to the head.
Hal runs into a sign. (But we don't get to see the impact. Hmmmm)
Hal gets a KAGROWMM in the snoot.
Hal goes on a Tobaggan ride & hits his head.
Resorting to purchasing a Showcase in order to continue, Sally shows us Hal falling down.
Hal hitting someone with his head....or punching them and all we see is butt? You decide!!
Ollie punching Hal Spectre!
A boot to the head? Yeah, I can see that.
John doesn't punch Hal (but Sally hopes you can see it.)
Hal vs the Batmobile.
Hal with the immovable skull.

Jonah Hex:
Each & every one of these are a clear blow to Jonah Hex, striking him above the neck. (I use tags, makes my life easier!)

Anyway, it's clear to me that I have already won this contest, thus forcing SallyP to change her blog to Orange and post about Jonah Hex, old comic ads, and a Weekly Wonderful Moment in Comics for an entire week (and NO mention of Green Lantern at all!). But I suppose she'll use her feminine wiles and stretch this out for another month. I got nothing but time, nothing but time (and plenty of scans!!)

Of course, YOU dear reader, could end this all but deluging Sally with comments about she has already lost, maybe she'll cave in and admit defeat!

Hal & Jonah: Head to Head!! Round 29

Honestly, I was starting to get worried that I might run out of headstrikes and Sally would win. But I started reviewing my books, and Jonah is getting clocked a couple times an issue now and I haven't even gotten to the Jonah Hex title itself (well, just one)


This one is just a nice little k-chuk (dash included) and it's lights out for Jonah from the rock-tossing goodness of Weird Western Tales #37

Hal & Jonah: Head to Head!! Round 28

Happy Father's Day to all the dads & soon to be dads out there. Mine was great (thanks for asking!) starting with breakfast in bed prepared by my lovely wife (french toast, eggs, juice) and after church she cooked a wonderful Mexican dinner. Both boys came over and we ate & played Vegas Showdown. Youngest presented me with a wonderful surprise...

How much my family loves me does constantly amaze me.

But, despite a good Father's Day, we have to remember that not everyone had a good father... take Jonah Hex for example...


and that wasn't even the beginning of the terrible things that bastard Woodson visited upon his son Jonah. From the raccoon-tastiness of the Holiday Super-Special.

Hal & Jonah: Head to Head!! Round 27

Today was SuperFantasticGamingHour, a monthly game day at our house. We had a pretty good turnout and I got to play Vegas Showdown, Automobile and Last Night on Earth (twice). I also picked up my books earlier in the day (but more about that tomorrow). So most of the day was fun & games. Ya know what isn't fun & games?

Getting kicked in the head by your uber-hawt girlfriend!! From the Spitfire-ing Hex #14

Hal & Jonah: Head to Head!! Round 26

Sally sez that she can just keep showing Hal Jordan getting hit on the head for MONTHS!! HAH!! I can show Jonah Hex getting hit on the head for YEARS!! (not really, but I can give it a good run) Of course, I don't have to resort to pics of Jonah hitting someone and you really can't see the blow to the head.

But I can give you Jonah Hex being shot in the head by a zombified Wild Bill Hickock...

...from the deeply mystical Two-Gun Mojo #2

Hal & Jonah: Head to Head!! Round 25

Jonah Hex hates water, but in an effort to save his 2050 Batman pal, he jumps into the river.


And gets his bell rung for his troubles. From the Dogs-of-War-ified Hex #13

Hal & Jonah: Head to Head!! Round 24

Welcome to the Future! 2050 is such a happy place. Folks are always ready to lend you a hand.


Too bad it is the BACK of the hand and with brass knuckles attached. From the science-laden Hex #12!

Hal & Jonah: Head to Head!! Round 23

Just to prove that Batman 2050 isn't just a one-shot wonder, here he is kicking Jonah Hex in the head AGAIN!!!
Just one page over from yesterday in Hex #11

Hal & Jonah: Head to Head!! Round 22

You think Batman hates guns? Well the Batman from 2050 hates them even more. He has established all of New York City a gun-free zone. Of course, Jonah Hex doesn't care about that and goes out for a stroll. Needless to say, Batman gives Jonah a quick KUCK to the head.
Batman may kick you, but Batman 2050 will kuck the living hell outta you!! From the world famous Hex #11.

Hal & Jonah: Head to Head!! Round 21

The end of three weeks of Jonah Hex vs Hal Jordan in a contest to see who gets hit in the head more often. Sure, Hal gets hit with yellow billboards and crap like that but how embarrassing is this?
Jonah Hex getting punched by a guy in that shirt...a guy named Blossom... Barnaby Blossom.

Hal & Jonah: Head to Head!! Round 20

The future is a tough place for a guy from the past. And folks in the future ain't very kind.


They even punch you with their ginormous fists. From Hex # 3.

Hal & Jonah: Head to Head!! Round 19

Here we go again!! Sally & I have been at this for almost three solid weeks and neither one of us is going to quit. HEX had a run of only 18 issues, but surely there was some consistent skull knocking going on, right? Well, we saw one from issue 9 yesterday, today I present the first time Jonah got punched in 2052.Not brass knuckles, but a chain to the jaw has gotta leave a mark. From HEX #1

Hal & Jonah: Head to Head!! Round 18

Okay, so Hal Jordan has been conked on the head on other planets, but has he ever been beaten in the future?!?!? Huh Sally? Well, it is 2052 and Jonah gets smacked around by a robot in a lab coat.
This smacky-good moment appears in Hex #9.