East of West #9 – Review

by Jonathan Hickman (Writer), Nick Dragotta (Artist), Frank Martin (Colorist)

The Story: Life is harsh when you’re a prince that believes in the message. Meanwhile, Death deals for something he is looking for.

The Review: To say I’m a fan of this series would be superfluous at this point. As part of the recent wave of excellent creator-owned titles from Image, East of West has been a tour-de-force when it comes to world-building as well as setting up mysteries slowly without them becoming too vague or ambiguous. While there have been moments when patience was certainly a requirement, the creative team of Hickman, Dragotta and Martin always delivered on multiple fronts to make the world and story as interesting as possible. However, excellence is never really a standard, as anything that is absolutely great is bound to have a few missteps along the way.

To say this issue is a misstep would certainly be an exaggeration on my part, but it isn’t nearly as well done as previous ones. While the ideas of an alternate America and how some few deviations might have turned this country differently makes for a rather intriguing read, there is something amiss in this issue. The magic, technology and general state, be it political or social, is a bit amiss here, sacrificed for the most part in service of other aspects, some of them which aren’t as dynamic or interesting as other parts.

Make no mistake, though, as the introduction of John Freeman, prince of a division of America in which slaves grew to become rich and prosperous, is actually phenomenally interesting. The way Hickman presents him as being a philosopher, a believer and a bit of a rogue makes for something that ensure he is already interesting as he explains himself through actions and speeches. The way the culture of his kingdom works, how many brothers he has and the way he deals with his father makes for some very potent opening for what is sure to be a powerful player in the ongoing narrative that is East of West.