Jonah Hex #33

One-sentence summary: Cooke illustrates a beautifully simple tale showing Hex to be the true anti-hero that he is.

I, as a general rule, like the latest volume of Jonah Hex. Occasionally there'll be an issue I'm not a huge fan of, but this was not the case with 33. Now, am I completely biased because I'm a Cooke fanboy? Almost certainly. But that doesn't stop me from appreciating the harsh story, narrated in an appropriately dated style.

I think one-shots are risky things. Sometimes they (probably rightfully so) feel like filler, just the stuff that takes place between story arcs and won't find collection in a trade. Other one-shots are just meaningless fun, or maybe they'll feature some big-name guest artist or writer. Others will be an issue-long illustration of a character, reminding the reader of who they are. This issue's a mix: it's a guest artist (Cooke), but it's definitely a quality character study. Despite being a fan of the series, the climatic panel of this comic was a surprise, one which initially surprised me, but as it settled in I was immensely satisfied with the story.

So, did it help this issue was illustrated by Cooke? Of course -- but it could've been illustrated by just about anyone and I'd still have liked it. As is, I loved it.