By Sam King

Go West is kind of like a blend of Jonah Hex and John Wick, but set in a post-apocalyptic future. It's supposed to be dangerous like the Old West but as a result of a barren landscape created by a war in modern times. Arthur Slade has a dark past in which he killed people and made money, similar to Jonah Hex, with his face scarred to boot (an occupational marker no doubt), but with a personal vendetta involving family and revenge like John Wick.

In Issue #1 we were given a series of expository centered text boxes accompanying art that served as a giant info dump for the whole issue. Issue #2 ups the ante and does a lot more actual storytelling than story set up, although there are still some tiny issues.

The art is still as good as the first issue, if not a little more since we have more characters and extra people in panels. The color scheme still works and is predominantly tans and blacks balanced together. There is also a hint of red every now and again, creating accents in an otherwise monochrome kind of environment. The red is soaring and only used for blood and the bandana that Slade the Blade wears around his neck, letting us know it's him even at a distance. I like the use of the tan as the predominant color as it highlights the barrenness, desolation, and dustiness of the world presented, while also providing a classic Western feel. This works since Slade is a bit dusty by this point: he's lost his family, his face is scarred and worn, and he's just trying to lay waste to the people who ruined his life. He has one major motive, and nothing else seems to matter.

As far as the story goes, it's better than issue #1 since there is a lot more going on by comparison. The best part of #1 was Slade laying waste to a group of men while they were having their breakfast, but it came at the very end of the issue. This time we get to see the results of that encounter and add a new, seemingly important character, to the cast. Lilly is the only major female character in this comic so far, since Slade's wife, Amy, is dead, and the only other woman is shown covering her body with a sheet, only being included since she happened to be in bed with the villain when we meet him. This doesn't bother me much since Lilly seems like she could be a certifiable badass and it's supposed to be like a new version of the old West, so you have to have a saloon style whore, right? We first see her interrogating one of the villain's cronies. Before I go any further, I should probably mention that the villain is named Creep. Not very creative, but it'll do I suppose. The guy being interrogated is kind of banged up, and Lilly is ready to have his hands cut off for failing to be a good guest of a hospitable family. She doesn't hesitate to shoot him when he turns to run, which is when we finally see her full face and figure, which is surprisingly mostly covered and fitting of the setting. She is beautiful, but looks tough, and is dressed practically for being either the leader or at least the law in the settlement of Lost Vegas. Slade goes to her to try and enlist aid in the taking down of Creep since Creep has been sending his boys to Lost Vegas to cause trouble.

To sum things up, Lilly and Slade are prepping to lay waste to Creep for his troublemaking and killing of innocent people. We have two badasses ready for their showdown at high noon, and I'm excited to see what happens when high noon comes around. My only issue is that the shift from the chat with Creep to Lost Vegas was slightly confusing and there isn't a whole lot going on beyond some chatting in two separate areas to continue the press towards the final climax. Things are heating, but it feels like a 3-issue series that should be high octane energy to a certain degree is taking the slow burn route. Hopefully, this one turns out to be: have patience, and you will be greatly rewarded; I don't want this to be a case of waiting around for a whole lot of nothing. I don't want to get too hyped, but the final panel promises a "grim, gruesome conclusion" to the series, so I'm looking for a solid bang.

Overall, the story has improved, but the pacing feels kind of stunted. For the price though, this is a pretty dang good deal. The art is solid; a couple of characters are worth rooting for with one potential badass who gets increasingly badass as the story goes and a girl who is instantly badass as soon as she enters. I almost wish this was her story instead because I really like her. This review should really be subtitled "in which the word badass is repeatedly used" because that's the most fitting word for what Lily is and what Slade the Blade was in his past and has the potential to be should the writers turn him loose at just the right moment. Issue #2 is an improvement, but two months is a while to wait so let's hope the wait is worth it.

Score: 3/5

Go West #2
Alterna Comics