The Stop Button

First off, this comic is good.

I don’t plan on getting too negative sounding, but in case I do… I wanted to open saying it’s good. Gray and Palmiotti have found their niche with Jonah Hex.

And this issue has an El Diablo backup, which is extra nice because it provides a great example of what I wanted to talk about. The cliffhanger on the Hex story is terrible. He’s in danger. A giant is about to pop his head off.

Now, I do not believe for one moment Hex is going to die. It’s a waste of a page. The El Diablo backup, on the other hand, has a rousing soft cliffhanger—El Diablo is about to kick ass.

It’s strange to have both in the same issue, by the same writers.

The puzzling cliffhanger problem aside, it’s great stuff.

Moritat opens the Hex story with a fantastic shootout.

CREDITS

Showdown at House Arkham; artist, Moritat; colorist, Gabriel Bautista. El Diablo; writers, Gray and Palmiotti; artist, Jordi Bernet; colorist, Rob Schwager. Writers, Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti; letterer, Rob Leigh; editors, Kate Stewart and Joey Cavalieri; publisher, DC Comics.