A year and a half ago I reviewed volume one of this graphic novel series (see review here) and I commented on how gorgeous the art by Nick Dragotta was throughout the book but that I didn’t quite understand what was happening. It’s good news to report that the art is still by Dragotta and still beautiful. But it’s also good news to report that the story is shaping up and making a bit more sense.
But just a bit.
Things are still weird here. Really weird. We start this book with a young boy, missing part of a leg, and with the help of an odd little critter, takes control of a giant of a being and the boy rides the giant like a horse. I know … this doesn’t make much sense. But that’s okay … life is a little strange east of west.
The story is just a little teaser. What is so nice about this is the breakdown of the different sections of the country and the report on each section: size of the area; population; resources; GDP; currency; etc. It provides a valuable resource for understanding the land in which this series takes place. There is also a timeline that I found fascinating and helpful (but I’ll admit to an affinity for timelines — they just make it so easy to grasp the overview of a time range).
We return to the graphic novel with a story in which a sniper saves a man about to be hanged and some families plot against one another.
There is clearly a lot going on here, and while this volume provides a lot of answers, it also offers up a lot of questions, which will keep us reading.
Looking for a good book? If you don’t mind being a little lost and confused, but accept the idea that answers are forthcoming, and you enjoy high quality art in your graphic novels, then East of West, Vol. 4 is worth the read.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
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East of West, Volume 4
author: Jonathan Hickman
artist: Nick Dragotta
publisher: Image Comics
ISBN: 1632153815
paperback, 144 pages
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