By Dustin Cabeal

Listen, for $1.50 no matter what I say; you should just check out this issue. No that said, this isn’t the best first issue. There’s a lot of effort put into this issue, and there are some decent action sequences to enjoy. It's just unfortunate that so much of the issue is spent narrating something that the artwork is able to convey in only a few pages.

The gist is that our main character left a life of crime and evildoing to settle down and have a family. His past comes calling for him and ends up costing him his family. That’s all you need to know about the story. It’s a typical revenge tale, but what sets it apart is the dystopian future setting. The world is jacked up, and the West is once again a dangerous and unruly place. What was particularly interesting about the first issue was the stoic reaction the main character had to his family’s death. After burying them, he sleeps, enjoys breakfast and then John Wick’s his stuff and gets ready for revenge. It just didn’t need to be so many pages and panels.

Which is also unfortunate since the artwork is excellent. Most of the story is colored in what I can only describe as tans. There is, of course, a lot of red used as well, and something about the red on the tan color makes it stand out. The detail to the story is quite good; there were only a few panels that relied too much on shadows and looked out of place compared to the rest of the issue. The action sequences were easy to follow and had a steady flow. The “killshots” are just gory enough and set up the main character to be a badass.

Yes, for the most part, this is just a typical revenge story of a man seeking vengeance for his family, but there are a few elements that set it apart. It’s a quick read with skilled artwork. Perhaps the next issues will have more western elements, but there are a few classic western scenes in this first issue to enjoy. It’s not revolutionizing the genre, but for under two dollars its an entertaining read worth picking up.

Score: 3/5

Go West #1
Alterna Comics