Jinny Hex Special #1 (2022 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Challenge)

The story of Jonah Hex continues in the pages of this one-shot special.

Virginia Heck, AKA Jinny Hex, is the great-great granddaughter of the notorious Old West bounty hunter. Jinny's mother has recently passed away. As a result, Jinny has inherited two things: her family's auto body shop and a mysterious chest full of 19th century guns, weapons and futuristic gadgets.

Just as Jinny is about to open the doors to the shop for the very first time, a man moseys in claiming to be an old flame of her mother's. If you do the math, he might also be Jinny's father. While Jinny is longing to fill the gap brought upon by a deceased parent, Jinny's friends are getting bad vibes from this guy. It appears that Jonah Hex's ability to read people is not one of the gifts Jinny inherited from her family. 

I haven't really dove into the Brian Michael Bendis curated Wonder Comics imprint. But as a fan of DC's Western titles, I was interested in learning more about the progeny of Jonah Hex. Though he created Jinny Hex in the pages of Young Justice, Bendis didn't write this story. Eternity Girl's Magdalene Visaggio pens this over-sized special. I appreciated how the writer didn't just focus on the 2020s. Instead, this story goes back to the 1880s and ties in Jonah Hex's legacy with both the character and the plot.

The editors really got me with a clever 'prank.' On one page, Jinny talks about needing to get the Justice League involved. You then turn the page and there's a 2-page scene in which Batman, Black Lightning and Katana are assisting with a brownstone fire. I was really hyped to have these characters taking a role in this special. Unfortunately, it just turned out to be a Snickers ad. No lie! Yup- you fooled me!

Speaking of ads, being an early 2021 DC book, there are a ton for the Future State storyline. I must say I have zero interest in that massive cross-over. I think this is a first for me. The art looks weak. The ideas seem borrowed. And $4.99 per issue is just too rich for my blood. 

A good story with decent art. It does a great job moving forward the Hex family tree. I'm just not sure if Jinny Hex is strong enough of a character to do it on her own.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #16 of the 2022 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge. 'Read a book with a female protagonist.'

Jonah Hex/Yosemite Sam Special #1

When prospector Yosemite Sam finally strikes it rich, it brings about the attention of some unsavory characters. Seeking protection, Sam hires the baddest bounty hunter in the Old West, Jonah Hex as his body guard. This usually isn't Hex's thing but he's got a week to kill before the fee for his latest capture gets delivered. 

Then in the second feature by Bill Matheny and Dave Alvarez, it's bear season and Sam and Hex reunite when their paths cross. Jonah is on the hunt for a renegade while Yosemite Sam is trying to catch a nasty bear that has become the stuff of legend for it's destruction of property. There's absolutely nothing that could link the two prey, is there?

The Jonah Hex/Yosemite Sam Special was really good. It was another great DC/Looney Tunes crossover that got overlooked by the magnificence that was the Batman/Elmer Fudd Special. When I saw the preview cover, I noticed that Foghorn Leghorn was on the cover. He's a giant talking chicken! So, I couldn't figure out how they were going to explain him in this book. Thankfully, writer Jimmy Palmiotti  (Harley Quinn's) explains it as Leghorn is a circus freak with feather who doubles as a strongman. 

The interior art was great. I really like Mark Texeira's (Black Panther) style. It's quite gritty and rustic. But I didn't like the cover so much. Hex looks great. Foghorn's okay. But what is wrong with Yosemite Sam? Isn't he supposed to be bowlegged? Texeira makes him look too static for some reason. But man, doesn't Jonah look awesome? Okay- my favoring of the cover was 50/50.

A really good Western/cartoon crossover with just a small cover issue or two...

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.

Scooby-Doo Team-Up #28

Scooby-Doo Team-Up #28
Writer: Sholly Fisch
Art and Cover: Dario Brizuela
Published by DC Comics

I love Scooby-Doo Team-Up. The team of Sholly Fisch and Dario Brizuela pits the Mystery Inc gang with pillars of the DC Universe. It's tons of fun to see your favorite monster hunters rub elbows with the likes of Batman, Supergirl, and the Flash. But that latest issue of Scooby-Doo Team-Up plays fast and loose with the concept.

The cover of issue #28 shows Scooby and the gang riding horses with the notorious bounty hunter Jonah Hex. Since Hex’s time period is the Old West, you would expect some sort of time warp. Either the Scoobies would venture to the 1880s or Jonah Hex jumps forward to 2017. However, that is not the case here at all. Instead, Fred recounts a time that his great-grandfather and his band of monster hunters teamed with Jonah.

I love how Dario Brizuela has Scooby-fied Jonah Hex and some other surprise Western guest stars.The monster is one of the best designed in this entire series. When it comes to those Old West detectives, you guessed it: Fred’s grand-pappy is drawn as Fred is western gear. Shaggy is now a funky prospector and everyone confuses redhead Daphne with the famous cowgirl Cinnamon. But this isn’t a Scooby-Doo Team-Up!

Lassoing In My Expectations

Don’t get me wrong- this was a very enjoyable story. While the writer, Sholly Fisch, masterfully taps into the rich history of DC Comics, he does get a little redundant. You can only make so many jokes about meddling kids and unmasking the bad guys. But this issue steers clear of a large majority of thse corny jokes.

Still, I expected the actual Scooby gang to team with Jonah Hex. Having Velma, Scooby, and the rest drawn as their ancestors just feels like a cheat to the concept of the series. I know t
hat the detectives have time-traveled before. In a two-part crossover, Scooby-Doo and friends went back in time to meet the Flintstones. They then jumped forward in time to assist the Jetsons. Maybe the writer didn’t want to reuse an old plot line. But I would have preferred that to having the Mystery Gang play roles like in a period play.

This is one of the best scripted stories in the series. However, it’s not what I expected when I went to my LCS to picked up my monthly fix of Scooby-Doo Team-Up!

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Secret Origins (3rd Series, 1986-90) Issue #21

I would have liked to have seen more done on Jonah Hex and not the researcher trying to uncover a conspiracy to steal the gunslingers corpse. And the Black Condor is roughly a poor man’s Tarzan although the best part of the story are the birds that raise BC up. They are very vivid warm characters and make the story better. It’s okay- but worth consuming if you want the entire series- like me!