Jonah Hex and the Shadow of Death #2
"Chapter 2: The Smell of Blood"
Writer/Artist: Michael Walsh
Colorist: Toni-Marie Griffin
Publisher: DC Comics
Jonah Hex just wants to be left alone.
But between the restless dead, a mountain lion, and the people of Ashecott, it ain't likely to happen.
The Devil Comes to Ashecott
Jonah Hex dug his old uniform and firearms up from the floorboards of his home, John Wick-style. Instead of Mr. Wick, though, Hex destroyed his with an axe. "No more," he said. One of the dead he can't seem to shake draws his attention outside, where he finds a mountain lion waiting for him. Hex drives it away with his axe, but it's clear there's something in the air.
In the town of Ashecott, Father Jericho has come to bring the people "life everlasting." It's pretty obvious at a glance that there's plenty that ain't right about this guy, but desperate people want to believe whatever they can.
Before long, it becomes clear that the new preacher-man is connected to whatever unholy creature has possessed the girl Annie's father. And for all Hex's desires to be left alone, the trouble that's befalling the town finds its way to his door...
Ain't No Rest for the Wicked
If issue #1 was all about establishing Jonah Hex and where he's at in this stage of his life, issue #2 is focused on the trouble quietly brewing in Ashecott and how it's going to drag Hex back into the thick of things.
The opening scene with the mountain lion is strong imagery—Hex has destroyed his weapons, so he should be easy prey for such a predator. But the lion soon learns that some things just aren't worth the effort.
Another trip into town for provisions (mostly booze), and Hex once again can't help himself from getting involved. In the saloon, he calls out a man who is roughing up one of the saloon girls. As Father Jericho arrives in town, Hex strikes up a conversation with the young stable boy from before instead of just getting out of Dodge. It's through that conversation Hex learns that Annie—the young girl who gave him a flower before—is missing. You can see the man's inner struggle, as he wants to be left alone but is also concerned for the young innocent.
Speaking of Annie, she tries to escape from her home-turned-prison, but is soon faced with the same mountain lion that Hex stared down earlier. This time the lion isn't alone, as her father and Father Jericho soon come riding up—and poor Annie finds out just how unnatural the supposed preacher really is.
This issue continues to deliver a very different take on Jonah Hex, and the old gunslinger is fully in his Clint Eastwood "I just want to be left alone" phase. Unfortunately, he just can't seem to resist old habits, and keeps finding himself getting involved in things. He can tell himself it's because of the dead always following him and trying to point him at things—but the truth of the matter is, he's not as bad a man as he'd like you to believe he is.
There have been heavy supernatural undertones throughout this series so far, but this issue brings them fully to the forefront. Beyond the dead haunting Jonah Hex, it's now clear that the preacher who has vowed to "save" the people of Ashecott is about as far from God as Hex himself. I'm not sure exactly what the man is, other than creepy as hell, but one thing is for sure: Jonah Hex isn't going to be able to sit on the sidelines much longer.
No Salvation Here
Michael Walsh builds atmosphere effectively here, with the dead following Hex, making sure that even the most mundane scene still has an edge to it. The face-off with the mountain lion builds tension, and then the appearance of Father Jericho in town takes it even further. There is a slow sense of building dread throughout the issue, leading up to the reveal of the truth behind the new preacher and those he "blesses." As for the title character himself, you can feel his internal struggle between just wanting to be left alone and feeling a need to intervene. That's a tough balance to maintain and still make him a likable, sympathetic lead, but so far Walsh is walking that line perfectly.
On the art side, Walsh mixes the eerie with the mundane to continue building tension. The mountain lion is fearsome but also seems "off" somehow, which he contrasts with the normality of Hex's next trip into town. The appearance of Father Jericho adds a whole new kind of tension, as it's obvious from the first glance that something isn't right about the man. Annie's escape attempt, followed by the reveal of just what the preacher is, is some downright creepy horror imagery. As for Hex himself, this isn't one of those takes where his scars are downplayed—this is one ugly man, and yet we're finding he's still so much less ugly than whatever is going on in Ashecott.
Toni-Marie Griffin's colors work perfectly with Walsh's art to maintain the eerie atmosphere. There are very few portions of this book where everything is what you would consider traditionally colored—everything uses single shades to give each scene its own unique feel. Much of the issue takes place at night, so there are plenty of blacks and dark blues at play. During the day, the town has a yellow sort of glow to it, which contrasts with the dark happenings going on behind the scenes. The mountain lion appears as an unnatural sort of green color, which especially stands out in the red-lit scenes of Annie's escape attempt. The final scenes of the issue, which take place at Hex's home, are lit by his handheld lantern and give those a very claustrophobic feel.
Trouble Comes A-Knocking
Jonah Hex and the Shadow of Death #2 continues to build the atmosphere, adding a sense of impending dread as the unholy Father Jericho comes to Ashecott to "bless" its people. Jonah Hex just wants to be left alone, even as his old habits and code of honor pull him back towards the thick of things. Now that the trouble has literally arrived at his door, the old gunslinger isn't going to be able to stand on the sidelines much longer—a fact the dark forces at work here will surely come to regret.