By d. emerson eddy — One of the best, if not the best, pure western comics this side of the classics was DC's second volume of Jonah Hex that ran from 2006 until 2011. It ran for 70 issues, as well as an original graphic novel, No Way Back. Penned by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti, with regular artists like Luke Ross, Jordi Bernet, and Phil Noto, and guest artists like JH Williams III, Fiona Staples, Eduardo Risso, and legends like Dick Giordano, Paul Gulacy, and Jonah Hex's co-creator Tony DeZuniga, the series was a pretty heavy-hitter for quality content right out of the box. 

Most of the issues were self-contained, you could pretty much pick up any issue and be instantly transported into a dusty old west setting full of hard men, stronger women, bullets, and a whole lot of death. There were a few longer epics like “Retribution”, “The Six Gun War”, and “The Ballad of Tallulah Black”--and Black herself was a recurring character across several of the stories--but if you were looking for just good, solid single-issue storytelling, you couldn't go wrong with an issue of Jonah Hex. One of my favorites was “The Hunting Trip” in Jonah Hex #33, by Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti, Darwyn Cooke, Dave Stewart, and Rob Leigh.

Trading the dust, deserts, and plains of the American Old West for the snowy twilight of the trees, tundra, and lakes of the Canadian Northwest Territories (probably, the details are a little vague. Where specifically within that expanse at the time isn't clear although I'd kind of wager that this is supposed to be set around Fort Macleod), the story goes from one bleak, harsh clime for another with even fewer amenities and possibly a more dangerous terrain. It's told from the perspective of a mute child traveling with his father on a hunting trip, who experiences a few horrific things, like the loss of his father, nearly being eaten by wolves, and crossing paths with Jonah Hex and the North-West Mounted Police (although they play a little fast and loose with their timeline). Gray and Palmiotti tell a lot of the details of the narrative through the kid's recounting of the events and it's an interesting change of tone as well, with an entirely different voice to go with the change in perspective. Rob Leigh's lettering echoes this with a fairly orderly approach to the dialogue boxes.

It's absolutely beautifully brought to life by Darwyn Cooke and Dave Stewart. You can feel the cold of the snow and the freezing waters. There's an impressive sense of desolation even within the beauty of the snow covered trees. Cooke's deceptively simple animated style, reduced down to only the most integral shapes and lines, is perfect for a landscape that is similarly lain bare through snowfall. There's an existential dread present through the fields of white that counterbalances the more violent flurries of action later. As Stewart adds some red to the snow.

I always find it interesting when we see glimpses of Canada's western frontier days. It was decidedly different than the American Old West, but as Gray, Palmiotti, Cooke, Stewart, and Leigh show in Jonah Hex #33, it could be just as deadly.

Jonah Hex #33 - CLASSIC COMIC OF THE WEEK

Jonah Hex #33
Writers: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti
Artist: Darwyn Cooke
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Letterer: Rob Leigh
Publisher: DC Comics
Release Date: July 2, 2008
Jonah Hex travels to Canada on the trail of his latest bounty. But with the Mounties hot on his heels, this isn't going to be an easy job. Featuring the art of Eisner Award-winner Darwyn Cooke.
Price: $1.99 on Comixology | Also available in the collection: Jonah Hex – Volume 6: Bullets Don't Lie ($11.99)

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d. emerson eddy is a student and writer of things. He fell in love with comics during Moore, Bissette, & Totleben's run on Swamp Thing and it has been a torrid affair ever since. His madness typically manifests itself on Twitter @93418.