All-Star Western, Volume 2: The War of Lords and Owls

All-Star Western (2011) #2

by Justin Gray (Writer), Jimmy Palmiotti, Moritat

Jonah Hex tracks the kidnapper Thurston Moody to New Orleans in pursuit of his bounty, he soon finds himself infiltrating the ranks of the anarchist group August 7, a group dedicated to eliminating the immigrant population of New Orleans. With Dr. Arkham in jail and his companions Hawkeye and Cinnamon no where to be found, things can only get worse for Hex when the Court of Owls begin to unfurl their plan to lay siege to Gotham.

Collecting: All-Star Western 7-13

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Westerns, Dc Comics, Historical Fiction, Comic Book, Superheroes

200 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2013

About the author

Justin currently writes Novels, Graphic Novels, Video Games, Screenplays.

He has held various jobs including, fossil hunting, microphotography of 20 million year old insects and plants trapped in amber, seminars and exhibitions on the cleaning, mining and identification of prehistoric insects for the American Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian. He traveled to the mountains of the Dominican Republic and mined amber.

He has also worked as a victim advocate for Victims Assistance of Westchester, a not-for-profit organization that helps victims of crime.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jonah Hex and Amadeus Arkham head to New Orleans on the trail of the leader of a child slave operation. There they hook up with Nighthawk and Cinnamon to take down the 19th century version of white nationalists. Then they head back to Gotham and the Court of Owls makes another appearance. There's some boring backup stories featuring the origins of Nighthawk, Cinnamon, Bat Lash, and Dr. 13. What's keeping the series from being great is a lack of nuance. The plots often feel like the writers are just checking off a list of plot points and are often missing any of that connective material to transition us from scene to scene.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collects All-Star Western #7-12. Jonah Hex, Amadeus Arkham, and Tallulah Black take on the Religion of Crime and run afoul of the Court of Owls.

There was nothing wrong with this and I liked it, especially the return of Tallulah Black, but it really drives home how much DC relies on Batman to do numbers. Alan Wayne, Bruce Wayne's ancestor is a prominent character, the Court of Owls are afoot, the mayor is named Cobblepot, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some other Batman reference.

The art and writing are top notch but I have to think the move to Gotham was keeping both things afloat and driving off fans of the previous done in one Westerns featuring Jonah Hex.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hated the art for the majority of this volume.
HATED IT!
I know that some of you love this style, and I totally respect your opinions, but to me, this looked...lazy.
I know, I know. It looks that way on purpose.
But I still don't like it.



It's like the artist just didn't give a shit about drawing any detail on the faces, or something.
To me, that's not visually pleasing, but I understand that a lot of you guys really enjoyed it.
It's just not my thing. Sorry.

The story was ok, but I think you need to be a big Hex fan to really love it. I'm still a newbie, so this didn't do much for me.
I'd already read the Court of Owls crossover story in one of the other titles, but seeing it in context was sort of nice.
My favorite character was Tallulah Black, but her horrible accent killed off most of my interest fairly quickly.
In fact, the stupid 'western speak' from Hex, Black, and some of the others, really wore on my last nerve.
Ah ain't...Ah figgered ya fer a follower...Forgit 'em!...Ya know whut?...Ah'll have muh revenge!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

I need a break before I attempt any more of these.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked Tallulah Black!

[John Yelverton · Rating 3 out of 5]

At some point, it stops being a "western" comic if every issue takes place in Gotham City. It was fun having Tallulah Black back in the book though.

[Jesse A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't necessarily love the need to tie this title into the DC universe as a whole but this was a good volume. 3.5 stars rounded up.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second volume of All-Star Western isn't really very well named - it's hardly a war between the Court of Owls and the Crime Bible followers as a mild altercation that Jonah and his friends find themselves in. It's still an enjoyable story, though I prefer the first half of the volume which sees Hex team up with Nighthawk and Cinammon to try to defeat a band of immigrant hating villains known as the August 7. I still find it hard to empathise with Hex as a hero, considering he's a surly old sod, but the addition of multiple sidekicks like Doctor Arkham and Tallulah Black means that there's always someone to enjoy if Hex is in a foul mood (like all the time).

The back-up stories remain enjoyable also, with a three part tale about Nighthawk and Cinammon which gives us their backstory, followed by a silly done-in-one about Bat Lash which is quite amusing, and a two-part story about Doctor Thirteen which has repercussions on the Phantom Stranger series later on down the line.

Overall this is another solid volume, though it has a few little flaws which knock it down from being perfect.

[Joshua Adam Bain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid instalment of the All Star Western title. This picks up right after volume 1 ends. Hex and Arkham are in pursuit of Thurston Moody who fled Gotham for New Orleans after his child labour ring was exposed. I was hoping that we would see some Wild West antics on Hex's journey to New Orleans. Unfortunately this book begins just as they arrive. One day we might see the old west, I hope.

Aside from that little niggle this book is an entertaining read. We are introduced to Tallulah Black, who is pretty much a girl version of Jonah Hex. She brought some more insights to Hex's character which is well needed. Still no narrative from Hex which I was a bit disappointed with, considering he is the main character in the series. I'm still hoping that they eventually do this in the upcoming books. Is it just me or are there a ludicrous amount of secret societies in the old west? August 7, Court of Owls and the Followers of Cain are all gunning to run things, seems a bit much right?

I think this series would be more solid if they spent less time changing between antagonists and more time building the story's. It sometimes gets hard to keep up with what's going on because it's always something new. This could be a goo thing for some readers though.

Overall it's another solid read and I'm looking forward to reading the next instalment.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

westerns may not be the best loved genre in comics today, but Palmiotti and Gray, as always, bring a modernist feel to the Old West (although this take place in Gotham City -- is it in the Midwest in the New 52?).

Great art by Moritat moves this volume along each and every time. It's fantastic. Get it.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe i'm giving this a rating that is a little high, but I find myself being entertained by the buddy "cop" tale of Jonah Hex and Amadeus Arkham. In sticking with the series I had doubts that putting Hex in late 19th century Gotham City would work, and about going for the longer story lines.

It is working, even the slightly forced inclusion of the then Owls story line and crossover in the Batman Family of titles. Hex and Arkham make their way down to New Orleans in pursuit of the previous TPB's villain. Gray and Palmiotti make use of the larger DC western character pile and pull in Nighthawk and Cinnamon to work with Hex and Arkham in defeating a group of New Orleans businessmen and others who seek to kill off immigrants coming into the city.

Upon their return to Gotham, Hex's sometimes partner and f buddy (really not his paramour) Tallulah Black arrives seeking vengeance against the businessman she blames for her family's death. The Crime Bible Cult is involved again, as is Bruce's ancestor, a Mayor Cobblepot and Officer Bard (nice Easter Eggs there). I think this was the best portrayal of Tallulah yet as a woman who can hold her own against Hex and any other man. Hell, most men wouldn't be able to stand up against her.

I have volume 3 in the TBR pile, and I'm hoping I enjoy it as much as the first two volumes.

Recommended for fans of American Westerns, DC Comics (nods to old and new DC continuity) and a touch of noir/gothic story telling.

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume of All Star Western continues with the high octane western action. Jonah Hex and Amadeus Arkham have tracked their missing fugitive to New Orleans, where they encounter vice to rival that of Gotham, and a conspiracy to murder immigrants ran by a group of white supremacists. Jonah goes undercover in the fight ring and captures the interest of a beautiful fighter who also works for the xenophobic group. They team up with a pair of vigilantes and lovers called Nighthawk and Cinnamon, whose back story is also very interesting. When the trail leads back to Gotham, following a mysterious assassin called Talon, Hex and Arkham encounter the creepy Court of Owls, and are placed in the rocky situation of standing between the Court of Owls and the cult of the Crime Bible (Lords of Crime). To round out the collection, there is short vignette about the rascal Bat Lash. He's about as rascally as you can be, but he's also possesses considerable detective skills, and uses them to get himself out of a very tight fix.

This book is full of action and thrills, catered for the fans of westerns. The Owls are just as creepy as they were in the Batman book I read earlier this month. The Lords are fascinating in their dedication to wrongdoing. I am kind of glad we had some heroes to take both groups on.

Need I say that I'm really enjoying this series, or is that obvious?

[Stewart Tame · Rating 3 out of 5]

More rip-roaring adventure with Jonah Hex plus backup stories. Still weird to see Hex spending so much time in Gotham as opposed to the western states. The characters are fun, though, and the action never falters. I'll have to keep my eye out for Vol. 3 of this series ...

[The Spooky Jedi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid book. I really enjoy the backup stories in the back that aren’t Jonah hex also

[Justin Partridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Ah’d have an easier time gettin’ outta hell than I would Gotham City.”

NOW we are cookin’ with steam-powered killing machine! In all honestly, I’m really just boosting this a whole ⭐️ because I didn’t know both Bat Lash AND Doctor 13 had a back up story across the whole thing and I will always mark out REAL hard for both those maniacs (and I actually have a decent Dr. 13 pitch I’ve always wanted to flesh out more).

But yeah! This is fun stuff. I think the transition into a longer ongoing story gets a little bit more room to breathe, and I even don’t really mind the obligatory Court of Owls/Talon feature spots because basically EVERY Detective Comics Comics comic had SOME sort of Owl like inclusion throughout that first arc of Scotty Snyder’s Bat Epic.

But again, I think the bringing back of Tallulah and the continued use of Cinnamon and Nighthawk finally put this a lot more in line with the original’s run. Sweetening that pot is the return of “Jonah and a Guest Star Fuck Up Some Richies” which I always will appreciate from this title.

Other stuff I liked here, the design and connections to Gotham luminaries of the present day in the August 7. Arkham was much less annoying here and finally settles into a decently funny foil for Hex and Tallulah, especially when they are constantly fucking and fighting when they aren’t in an active gunfight. The name drops of the Cobblepots and Waynes worked here too better than I expected.

I feel like it’s finally gotten its own flavor down and now it just feels like the book we were promised in the first arc. I still very much miss the cinematic one off issues and the slightly gimmickier efforts of the first volume, but I’m having a lot more fun revisiting this than I thought I would. (Even though, if we are being totally honest this is just The Six-Gun War again just with more Gothamites. Even sweeter, I kinda don’t mind that much?)

Crime and science! Two of the best things comics can provide.

[Paweł · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tym razem starcie z underdwellers (lepiej motyw pasuje do XIX wieku niż czasów współczesnych), wyznawcami Biblii Przestępstwa oraz samym Trybunałem Sów. Westernowi mściciele wypadli kiczowato.

[Charlos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of this book deserves 2 stars and some deserves 4 stars, so it averages to 3. I enjoy this title more than I thought I would. The art is both pleasing and offputting, which is not a useful statement I know: someone else said it is too stylized, and I suppose that's as close as I can get to how I feel. Plots are sometimes too easy, and the "War" is negligible. Shorts in the back provide a nice change of pace - they might have been better interspersed in the volume. I also get the feeling they are using Clint Eastwood stills for Hex, then just poking him in the eye and rubbing bubble gum on the side of his face. Still, loads better than the movie.

[Chompa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second volume was also quite good. Back up stories are hit or miss.

[Fizzgig76 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reprints All Star Western (3) #7-12 (May 2012-October 2012). Jonah Hex and Amadeus Arkham head to New Orleans where they discover that Gotham might have a problem with the legendary Court of Owls. Unfortunately, Gotham is also the home to the Followers of the Crime Bible and a major turf war has broken out between the Owls and the worshipers of the Crime Bible…and Hex, Arkham, and Hex’s friend Tallulah Black are caught in the middle! Plus, Cinnamon and Nighthawk are out to avenge Cinnamon’s family, Bat Lash is caught up in a shotgun wedding, and Dr. Terrence Thirteen is out to prove that there is no Haunted Highwayman.

Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, All-Star Western Volume 2: War of Lords and Owls is part of the New 52 relaunch of the DC Universe (the title is also sometimes listed as All Star Western without the hyphen). Following All-Star Western Volume 1: Guns and Gotham, the series features art by Moritat, Patrick Scherberger, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, and Scott Kolins. Jonah Hex is the feature story and Nighthawk & Cinnamon (#7-9), Bat Lash (#10), and Terrence 13 (#11-12) are featured as back-up stories. All-Star Western (3) #9 was also collected in Batman: Night of the Owls.

I’m always intrigued by Westerns though I’m not a huge Western fan. I think what attracts me to the big screen Westerns are the visuals, but what attracts me to the comic book Westerns is the idea of Western heroes being the first line of superheroes. The concept of bringing Jonah Hex into the modern superhero world also is fun…and All-Star Western works about fifty-percent of the time.

The story works as it incorporates Hex into the modern DC Universe. It was an interesting move to parallel Hex’s battles with the Owls with Batman’s battle with the Owls. It also raises the stakes as Hex as a superhero and not just a standard vigilante character. The addition (or return of) Hex’s on-and-off again supporting character Tallulah Black in the second half of the collection also sets up a bit more story dynamics by having a larger supporting cast.

Unfortunately for Jonah Hex, the series has the pacing of a Western at times. I think Westerns often move at a sluggish pace despite being “action-adventure” stories in basic concept. It felt like what was covered in the collection could have been covered in a couple of issues and that much of the story was drawn out.

Part of the reason the story drags is that part of the issues are devoted to the back-up stories. While it is nice to see other DC Western heroes like Cinnamon, Nighthawk, Dr. Thirteen, and Bat Lash, it feels like their backup stories aren’t developed enough and take away from Hex’s tales. Readers today can’t stomach a “stand-alone” issue as much nor an anthology book (which is a shame)…I wish there was a better way for the other Western heroes to get full shakes at stories instead of underdeveloped short stories.

All-Star Western 2: War of Lords and Owls is solid, but it isn’t great. It feels like this title could be so much more with some tweaking and ratchetting up of action. Hex is an interesting character and Palmiotti and Gray are developing him, but it feels like the comic needs an extra boost that it isn’t receiving. All-Star Western 2: War of Lords and Owls is followed by All-Star Western 3: The Black Diamond Probability.

[Krzysztof Grabowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Materiał zawiera zeszyty z serii All-Star Western 7-13 (2011).

Przygody Jonaha Hexa nigdy mi jakoś nie zaprzątały głowy, choć słyszałem dobre słowa o wcześniejszej serii z rewolwerowcem o poparzonej części twarzy. Trzeba przyznać, że historia choć miejscami monotonna, to ma odpowiedni klimat brudnego dzikiego zachodu i Arkham w tych czasach prezentuje się wybornie. Autorzy dają nam też sporą dawkę akcji, gdy przebrnie się przez miejsca postojowe, z masą mało angażujących dialogów.

W Nowym Orleanie dochodzi do zamachu, za którym najpewniej stoją członkowie ugrupowania zwanego Księgą Kaina/Biblią Zbrodni. Grupa trzęsie miastem, a naszym bohaterom przyjdzie zinfiltrować tę organizację. Hex podejmie próbę poddania się ewentualnej rekrutacji na arenie, a gdzieś w uliczkach miasta głowę wystawia całkowicie inne ugrupowanie, zwane Trybunałem Sów. Szpony rozpoczynają serię egzekucji, zaś śledztwo grupy prawych zaprowadzi ich nie gdzie indziej niźli do Gotham...

Fajnie, że mamy możliwość poobserwowania także Arkhama, który jeszcze nie założył swojego słynnego przybytku w Gotham, a na niektórych stronicach zagości nawet nazwisko Wayne. Szkoda tylko, że historia jest mocno przewidywalna, a z Hexa robi się psa na baby. Na osłodę w drugiej części tomu dostajemy jeszcze dwa opowiadania, z czego te dotyczące pary pierwszych bohaterów (Nighthawk i Cynamon) na Zachodzie Ameryki tak jakoś słabo mnie interesowały.

Na szczęście mamy jeszcze opowiastkę o kimś podobnym do jeźdźca bez głowy i jest już ona o wiele bardziej interesująca. Pod względem kreski miałem mieszane uczucia. Bywają plansze bardzo ładnie zarysowane, ale i takie gdzie postacie wyglądają zwyczajnie źle, zwłaszcza będąc na drugim planie.

Tytuł można lubić za wspomniany klimat tamtych czasów. Pod względem dialogów było tu nieco monotonnie, a intryga jest do przewidzenia. Niemniej tytułowi nie można odjąć miejscami całkiem przyjemnej akcji.

[Michael Emond · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Gray and Palmiotti's Jonah Hex ended I was sad but this is a wonderful extension of that series. We get the adventures of Jonah Hex with Dr. Arkham and some back up stories of other Western heroes like Cinnamon and Nighthawk and Bat Lash. The Jonah Hex adventures have a bigger story arc than the one offs in his series. I think these are two different animals because of that, both have their charms. I loved the one offs but these longer arcs do allow the tension and drama to build a bit more.
This one even looms at an early version of the Court of Owls along with the Crime Bibles.
Overall, a lot of fun and I am amazed Gray and Palmiotti can keep the adventures of Hex fresh after so many stories.

[Sean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jonah Hex and his 1800s exploits continue and they are fun. The inclusion of Gotham's citizens, the Court Of Owls, and Crime Bible cultists was great. Tallulah Black was fun to read and play off of Hex as well as Dr. Arkham. The art by Moritat is once again not to my liking. His character sketches in the book are great but when it comes to panel to panel story progression its less refined. The B-stories involving the other Western heroes were hit and miss. Overall, another good read with subpar art.

[José Ignacio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still excellent grim and gritty Wild West mystery and excitement

I mean what can I say really? It’s in the title

This book continues the excellent work from Volume 1, giving the storylines that continue from that book some much needed closure and direction (even if, I will admit, they can be slightly unsatisfying)

I love the use of the Court of Owls here, it just helps the world building that much more and Gray and Palmiotti still deliver a super fun and exciting book in a genre that is criminally underrepresented nowadays.

[Doctor Doom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Frankly the Jonah Hex story was too long and convoluted for my taste [and for Jonah's apparently]. The Nighthawk origin floated like a lead balloon. These writers think so highly of their mistaken views on theology they put their words in the characters with the most going for them- giving weight to viewpoints that are not worth the paper they are printed on... just give a good story- adding faulty theology just shows a lack of preparation or morality.

[Chris Browning · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well I guess it’s the least worst New 52 thing I’ve yet read - it’s still too pleased with how it thinks it’s cleverly weaving past references into the narrative, which actually just make you roll your eyes constantly (I mean, yes, very clever, well done etc etc) but it is at least pacy and pulpy. The fact that every woman is literally old or buxom is a bit more problematic and some of the backing strips are, frankly, terrible. But it’s... fine... I guess

[Jaime Guzman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the character of Jonah Hex but these stories that tie into the Batman mythos is a downer for me. I actually enjoyed the three back up stories better than the main story which are Nighthawk & Cinnamon, Bat Lash and Dr. 13. The Bat Lash story was my favorite mostly due to the art which was expertly drawn by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez.

[Sean Sexton · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Old West stories featuring Jonah Hex continues in this second volume. Hex continues his teamwork with Dr. Arkham and encounters a group of criminals that echoes the modern day Court of Owls. These are decent stories, combining a crime-fighting flavor and a anti-hero vibe in the form of Jonah Hex, who is played nicely off of Dr. Arkham.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't need every Gotham-related thing from the Batman world tied into late 19th-century Gotham. The Court of Owls *is* rooted in history, so it makes sense, but I, for one, am not tickled by having everything connected in the DC worlds.

[Lillian Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this. The references to present day Gotham continues. We had a thief called Kyle as well as all the other familiar names and the hints at owls became a full blown Court along with a Talon.
Of the additional stories I really only enjoyed Nighthawk and Cinnamon.

[Mark · Rating 1 out of 5]

The once-interesting premise become convoluted and buried in "grit"... like a FX tv show gone wrong. Sigh.

[John Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the odder characters from the old
DC Universe
Jonah Hex
is a veteran of the Civil War
fighting for the Confederacy.
He becomes marked
not just with the scar that is
half his face
but by supernatural forces.
Hex finds that a particular sort
of magical mayhem is
always drawn to him.
This series is no different.
In Gotham City of the 1880s
Hex becomes embroiled in
all kinds of lunacy that he wants no
part of.
While really quite grim and dark
this book is also exciting and uniquely fresh.
An odd notion concerning a western comic,
a genre I though played out 50 years ago.
Mystical Western Noir
is the only way to describe
this wholly original series.