Jonah Hex #33

I've never really been a big fan of western comic books, I'll admit that right up front. Truth is, I like heroes, powers, capes and fantasy to be foremost when it comes to comic books. I've just never been drawn to the "hero" who uses guns and his fists to do his talking. So it was with a bit of reluctance that I picked up Jonah Hex #33. But with Darwyn Cooke at the artistic helm and rumors of recent solid Jonah Hex issues (and a weak week of books in general), this one made it into my stack. And for the most part, I'm glad it did. Story begins by introducing us to a father and son trudging through the snow; the father is weak and apparently near death. The story is told to us in the writing of the son, who is seemingly mute. When the father gets his foot caught in a bear trap, he's forced to cut off his foot at the ankle. Unfortunately, the blood brings out the wolves, who surround the father and son...and prepare for the kill. Enter Jonah Hex, as he shoots up them wolves and saves the boy. The father isn't so lucky. Savior Hex and the boy continue on, only to then be approached by a group of mounties, who recognize Hex as a wanted man and throw him through a frozen lake to kill him. Hex manages to survive. A short time later, he brings the boy along on what amounts to a revenge-spree at the mountees' fort. Blood flows freely. Hex rejects the boy's hand in friendship. Life goes on in the cold, cold world of the snowy wild west. What's perhaps the weakest aspect of this story is the fact that it asks us to swallow a lot (and feel a lot of emotion) in a mere 22 pages. This is a one-shot deal that seems as though it could have covered two, maybe even three issues to give it more depth of character, but thankfully, the cool Cooke art makes up for the story's lack of complexity. Not sure I'd buy JH again if without Cooke as a hook, but as for western comics, my mind is now a bit more open to the idea.