Comic Review: West - Confederate Dead

I've been looking forward to this latest Jerusalem West adventure ever since the book began. Seeing how well Andrew Cheverton and Tim Keable mixed Deadwood-style Western with Romero-esque horror in the book's first few issues, and knowing what a fan of zombie films Chev is, a West / zombies face-off has always been inevitable. And here it is, every bit as juicy and dramatic and bloody and beautiful as I'd hoped... in many ways the most accomplished single issue West story yet.

Plotwise, it's probably also the most straightforward. A young West and his bounty hunter pal Wilton Frohickie (I'm not sure if Chev stole that name from my own favourite Frohickie, but it's a great name nevertheless) are chasing down a ruthless gang of outlaws. Their pursuit leads them to Black Salt Island on a dark and stormy night, and then...

So not only is this the West adventure I've been dying to see Chev write - it's also the most amazing piece of comic art I've yet seen Tim deliver. From the gorgeous wraparound cover to the stylish and dramatic interiors, this is a comic you just can't take your eyes off. A truly gorgeous piece of work. If you like westerns, if you like zombies, if you like comics... if you like breathing: buy this book.

Movie Review - Cowboys & Aliens

Hey - you like westerns, right?

How about sci-fi films?

Yeah?

What about Daniel Craig? Harrison Ford? Thirteen from House? Sam Rockwell? The Kurgan? Walton freaking Goggins?

Imagine them all in the same movie - wouldn't that be incredible?

Erm...

I had high hopes for Cowboys & Aliens, but it just didn't work. The two genres mixed like oil and water, with the western floating about on top only to be spoiled every time an unimaginative CGI alien flashed its jaws across the surface.

There are some fine actors at work here, struggling with a humourless script that attempts to cram in as many cliches from the two genres as possible. The plot takes some ridiculous leaps that would stretch credibility even if this were pure sci-fi. In A western, they just seem crass. The opening half hour is the best, but we'd seen virtually that whole story sequence already in the trailer. There were no surprises to be had and precious little fun. I grew increasingly fidgety towards the end, and that's the worst crime of all for a film featuring both Cowboys and Aliens. No way should I have been bored.

Dull.

The Best In The West

The traditional Western hero is a loner. A man with no name, and few transparent emotions. He is as cold and hard and lonely as the country that shaped him. He strides into town, delivers justice, then rides off into the sunset... and rarely do we get any more than a glimmer of the man beneath the hat.

Andrew Cheverton and Tim Keable's Jerusalem West always appeared to be just such a man. Standing up to bandits, bank robbers, crooked politicians, werewolves and even the walking dead, he was a man of a few words and little outward emotion... yet Chev and Tim always hinted at a darker past for their lone stranger... and in Distance that past is finally revealed.

It's a gut-wrenching ride that packs a genuine emotional punch. Chev's script is pared to the bone, allowing Tim's moody artwork the chance to carry much of the narrative in a subtle yet powerful way. It's a comic that requires, nay demands, multiple readings, and rewards a dedicated audience with a haunting tale that really captures the imagination. I can't wait for episode three.

West: Distance #2 is now available from the Angry Candy shop. Mosey on over there and pick it up. Tell Chev a stranger recommended it...