There is one thing to say about this, Jimmy Palmiotti is a
man on a mission with All Star Western. When the gate-fold “WTF” covers were
first announced he kick up the gears and started promotion the book to anyone
and everyone he could. Why? The answer was simple, the guest star that would be
joining the book of course. A certain
time traveling hero by the name Booster Gold, who hasn't been seen since
Justice League International book. This was a twist to be sure.
All Star Western is honestly best be described as a cult
book, the best book you may not be reading, and many others. It is mainly
because while it may have be a book placed in the same DC Universe it stayed in
its own corner because it took place in the past, with little connections to
the bat books. Here though is a full injection to the rest of Universe as
Booster now thrown into the mix. The book itself is broken down into four
different sections, the meeting, the villains, Boosters arrival, and the back
up Stormwatch. With the first two sections of the book flows very naturally it
only feels like it trips a little when we get to the area where Booster first
appears as it was a sudden shift with very little lead in.
That is not to say the story placed by Palmiotti and Grey
where Jonah Hex meeting the time traveler who now sudden wearing a sheriffs badge isn't still a good read. Hex calling Booster out on his tough guy act and
pretty much giving him an idea that this world he has entered is not some
polished western, where violent gangs will do horrible acts just for some
possible cash is done and you need a bigger bad gang to catch them. And now he
has a bit of a comic foil to follow him around which has been a small staple of
the series. Gray and Palmitotti though aren't pushing a pure comedy though and
as much as I would love to see the Booster of the old JLI days working with
this cowboy, we are seeing the slightly more serious side. It shows in how they
write him and what he wants to do to criminals as to what Hex will do as well.
There has to be a lot of credit on how much one enjoys the
issue thanks to Moritat on art, but also colorist Andre Szymanowicz who did
something sublet with Booster as with everyone else. The world is slightly dark
and at times dirty like the old west should be, but Booster comes off bright
and colorful at times, he stands out and as a man from the future it makes
sense. He still ‘clean’ as opposed to Hex and the world he lives in. It is this
little touch that gives this book something a little more special than a small
guest star.
The other item this book has been doing lately are these
small backups of other western heroes and villains. Here is a story of Gun
Fighter coming to the rescue of a convoy of women from raiders and werewolves.
With that running around it is no wonder Hex wasn’t fazed by a time traveler.
Overall All Star Western is a great book that doesn’t get
the newsworthy notes that it should. If you’re a fan of Hex or Booster than
this is a perfect time to pick up this issue and the issues that follow.
OVERALL 8.5 out of 10
Bryan "BAC" Clendening writes for Broken Infinite, follow him on Twitter @BAClend
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