East of West

East of West is a monthly comic book series published by Image Comics which debuted in March 2013. Created by writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Nick Dragotta, the book is a science fiction Western set in a dystopian version of the United States whose fate rests with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Publication history

At the 2012 New York Comic Con, Image Comics announced East of West as one of the publisher's new titles in 2013.^[1][2] The series reunited writer Jonathan Hickman and illustrator Nick Dragotta, who had previously collaborated on Fantastic Four for Marvel Comics. In an interview with Comic Book Resources, Dragotta recalled: "I remember a few email exchanges where we said we should work together again sometime, maybe do a creator-owned book. That was kind of it. It gestated for a little while when we worked on FF and our relationship grew tighter. We met at the last Image Expo and sat down for lunch. He told me he had this great idea for a Western, and I said I wanted to draw science fiction. We merged it into a sci-fi Western, and that's how the idea was born."^[3] The first issue of East of West was released on March 27, 2013.^[4]

Plot

Hickman told Previews catalog that the tagline of East of West is "The things that divide us are stronger than the things that unite us." Hickman explained, "The end times are imminent and we all hate each other too much to come together and solve our problems. Our final destination is imminent, and it is the Apocalypse. And then, in the face of all that despair and gloom, somehow there is still hope."^[5] The series, a science-fiction Western set in a dystopian America, casts the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse as heroes who are trying to kill the President of the United States. Of these four characters, Hickman describes Death - a "Clint Eastwood-y" man wearing a suit, cowboy hat and skull bolo tie - as someone who feels "betrayed", and the others (War, Famine and Conquest) as feeling "abandoned".^[6][7] The second arc, according to Dragotta, focuses on the Chosen, "a group of elites from the Seven Nations who are working to bring about the end of the world."^[8]

Reception

The first issue of East of West sold out in the week of its release.^[9] Newsarama's David Pepose wrote that knowing where the story is going "can be a challenge", but that "with sharp art and strong dialogue, this first issue has a lot going for it".^[10] Greg McElhatton of Comic Book Resources said, "Hickman and Dragotta are clearly telling an epic story, and it feels so rich and textured that it's hard to not want to see more. The comic is off to an extremely strong start".^[11] Reviews of the first five issues by IGN have received ratings ranging from 7.0 to 9.0 out of 10.^{[12][13][14][15][16]} J.C. Maçek III of PopMatters said after reading issue #2, "there is enough potential in both substance and style to give East of West a shot… with both barrels."^[17] In a review of the fifth issue, The A.V. Club's Oliver Sava said, "this conclusion to the first arc solidifies the emotional stakes of the story while setting a clear path for the future."^[18] McElhatton wrote that the eighth issue " is another strong installment in a series that deserves even more attention than it's already received."^[19] The first trade paperback collection, The Promise, topped the Diamond Comic Distributors sales charts in September.^[20] East of West was named Best New Comic Book Series at the 2013 Diamond Gem Awards.^[21] It was chosen as one of Digital Spy's top ten comics of 2013.^[22]

Collected editions

References

External links

• Official website at Image Comics
• Talking Comics with Tim: Nick Dragotta on ‘East of West’ (August 12, 2013) at Comic Book Resources