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East of West

East of West, Vol. 4: Who Wants War?

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It's the fourth volume of the Eisner-nominated, best-selling East of West.

Who Wants War? sees Year Two of the Apocalypse kick into high gear.

Collecting: East of West 16-19, The World

144 pages, Paperback

First published May 13, 2015

52 people are currently reading
955 people want to read

About the author

Jonathan Hickman

1,228 books2,056 followers
Jonathan Hickman is an American comic book writer and artist. He is known for creating the Image Comics series The Nightly News, The Manhattan Projects and East of West, as well as working on Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four, FF, and S.H.I.E.L.D. titles. In 2012, Hickman ended his run on the Fantastic Four titles to write The Avengers and The New Avengers, as part the "Marvel NOW!" relaunch. In 2013, Hickman wrote a six-part miniseries, Infinity, plus Avengers tie-ins for Marvel Comics. In 2015, he wrote the crossover event Secret Wars. - Wikipedia

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5 stars
1,853 (38%)
4 stars
2,093 (43%)
3 stars
742 (15%)
2 stars
128 (2%)
1 star
45 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 284 reviews
Profile Image for Baba.
4,098 reviews1,569 followers
November 14, 2022
When I first started reading this series I complained about this book being confusing and lacking definitive plotting and character development, at times; well, four volumes in, the characters have fleshed out and the plotting is more cohesive (despite being spread over seven nations and different timelines); the art although wonderful, might be a tad bit too minimalist for a story itself that seems so convoluted and is multi-arced, although this might be intentional. The overall story and world building is yippity doo dah compelling. Give me more, right now!

The creative team have managed to create seven distinct Nations with their own related histories, beliefs, behaviours etc. It's an incredible work; tis is surely going to be one of those series that just gets better and better, and one that good be a juggernaut in other media. The biggest plusses go to the hugely innovative approach to the Native American 'Endless Nation' and how they would have evolved if not supplanted by the Europeans; there's also a near genius interpretation of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. I am very much enjoying this. A very solid Four Star, 8.5 out of 12

2021 read
Profile Image for Maxwell.
1,454 reviews12.6k followers
February 12, 2016
This series consistently proves itself to be great. Each volume really builds well off of the previous ones. In vol. 4 we get a lot more back story, which helps explain some connections and historic events, and we also see some events unfold that will definitely propel the series forward in a really interesting way. I love the complexity because it's so much more satisfying when things come together and you start to understand the alliances and driving forces of each character's actions. Also in this volume we got some auxiliary material (i.e. timelines, maps, and encyclopedia entries) that expand the world as well as provide more context in a unique and helpful way. Overall, one of the best, coolest and most beautiful (I mean, the art is stunning) comic series I've read. Can't wait for vol. 5 to come out! 4 stars
Profile Image for Anne.
4,771 reviews71.3k followers
April 12, 2020
Mao & Death get together again.
Dawww. Very sweet. <--ish.

description

Their kid takes off on an adventure with that creepy balloon, and you find out some interesting things about the program that has been taking care of him.

description

This is plugging along at an interesting pace. And while I'm not 100% sure where this is going, I'm pretty into it.
Profile Image for Matthew.
1,223 reviews10.3k followers
May 26, 2020
This graphic novel series continues to be very unusual.



It is a cyberpunk western with cultural and religious conflict at its core. You could say that it takes the conflicts we see in our society today to an extreme and then puts them in a futuristic, yet late 1800s America. Like I said, unusual!



Is unusual good? I think that is for the eye of the beholder. There is some very cool and interesting stuff here. But, for me, the few cool and interesting things do not make this entire volume mind shattering. In fact, when I finished, I was thinking to myself that not much really happened between point A and point B in this one. Because of that, I would refer to this volume in a way you may have seen in some other reviews: A Transitional Volume. Which to me means that it doesn’t stand all that well on its own, but hopefully redeems itself by connecting the volume before it and the volume after it.



I do continue to enjoy the art. With a few of the panels, you don’t even need the dialogue – just sit back and enjoy the scenery! Overall the whole series has been very dark and sometimes disturbing. This volume maybe even more so than others. Especially considering the transitional nature of this volume, all of the dark, disjointed, and disturbing (ah, alliteration, my old friend!) images which are low on context left me a bit unsettled. Another thing that I cannot specifically say is good or bad . . . maybe you want to be unsettled, so that is good!



The series so far has been worth my time. Maybe not blowing me away, but satisfying. I am hoping one of the volumes coming up really brings it all together.
Profile Image for Chad.
10.4k reviews1,061 followers
June 24, 2020
Yet another great Image title. I look forward to each volume that comes out. Nick Dragotta has hit it out of the park. I never really liked his art until now. It's rock star quality.
Profile Image for James DeSantis.
Author 17 books1,205 followers
March 20, 2020
Just like the last volume, I was teetering towards a 3, but then those last two issues happened.

So the first half is more world building. Actually the most so far, with Hickman's famous big ass charts explaining everything. On top of that we get little more story of Death and his next move as well as what the Horseman and the leaders of the different nations will do. Then the last two issues focus on Babylon and his adventures to become a independent warrior!

The first half didn't grab my attention much. I like world building but felt too heavy at times. However, the 2nd half kicks in, and it's fantastic. Great dialogue, building babylon (The beast) into such a interesting character who is learning everything of the outside world. On top of that the art stays goddamn amazing.

Overall some great stuff in the later half makes me give this a 4 out of 5.
Profile Image for CS.
1,216 reviews
August 18, 2016
Bullet Review:

I don't know what Hickman's doing to me, but I may actually like this one. Either that or I've been so burned by this Summer of Love Challenge/Flop that even the things I hate, I now like.

Not saying it's not hella confusing, but you know, at least there's story, it's interesting, and I'm invested in the characters. Better than the book I'm working on now.
Profile Image for RG.
3,084 reviews
June 22, 2018
This provided a few more answers to some questions. The plot is unfolding and developing at a less confusing pace. Still really enjoying this atm
Profile Image for Travis Duke.
1,149 reviews16 followers
March 21, 2016
I am sure I am in the minority in saying this but the story progression is slowing down and I feel like the books are not getting better. When they have to include a timeline and character bio that is close to 10 pages, that should tell you that the story is cumbersome and bloated. I was a huge fan when East of West started but Hickman is turning more poetic and drawing the story out. The art continues to be fantastic with Dragotta continuing to create great panels. At this point I am hoping they wrap up this series soon because its becoming painful for me anyways.

Quick recap because god knows I need it with East of West....

The republic (Texas) is dead, wiped out by the nation and there vast technology. The four horseman are travelling.... I actually have no idea what there purpose is anymore. Death re-unites with premier ( his wife). Premier (Pra) creates an alliance with the nation. Babylon ( deaths son) is travelling ( not sure where too) and his navigator robot is reprogrammed to make him kill.
Profile Image for L. McCoy.
742 reviews9 followers
January 14, 2018
WARNING: SPOILERS FOR VOLUMES 1-3 AHEAD!

What’s it about?
As a general rule, I’m gonna mostly skip this bit in East of West reviews.

Pros:
The story is great as it always is in this series.
The art is still extremely well done with this book being full of amazing panels!
The characters are still very interesting.
The action scenes are exciting.
This volume is unpredictable.
There’s a little bit of humor thanks to some great, more cartoony panels showing how Babylon sees the outside world.
The world building is great and gets even more in depth!
The dialogue is still great.
There’s romance in this volume and it’s amazing!
There’s a little bit of horror in this one, pretty well done too!
The ending is great.

Why not 5 stars:
The first volume contains an obnoxious amount of prose and I can’t stand when comics and prose are mixed in the same book.

Overall:
Great volume even though I have one problem with it. This series continues to be freaking amazing and it’s a series that all comic readers should definitely at least try!

4/5
Profile Image for Dan.
2,235 reviews66 followers
January 21, 2019
This was good to have breakdown of all the major players and kinda explain why the world is screwed up.
Profile Image for Jedi JC Daquis.
927 reviews46 followers
September 19, 2015
While the third volume made things on track in East of West, volume 4 makes it a good read. I liked this volume. It seems that Hickman cleaned the mess from the previous issues and started with a wholly refreshing and lighter tone in the story while not sacrificing the overarching end of days plot.

Volume 4 did not hesitate to build up the Babylon character without exposing his true nature. The unexpected childishness of the character made him more likeable and gave him personality, instead of just being a killing machine. I am okay with the slower pace with the war being slightly sidelined.

The description of the nations and the timeline of events is a visual treat and immensely helped the readers to get a visual familiarization of the colorful world of politics Hickman has created.

Now I am glad I have picked East of West.
Profile Image for Cyndi.
991 reviews64 followers
August 26, 2016
Wow, business is picking up. Lines drawn, quests begun and metamorphoses abound. The road to hell seems paved with undetermined intentions and I can't wait to see where it takes us!
Profile Image for Paz.
556 reviews220 followers
December 20, 2020
It's more like 3.75 stars.
The first half was oooookay, more world-building and continuing with the tone of volume 3, which was my least favorite. Don't get me wrong, a war between the Nation and the Republic and seeing different alliances being made is compelling to read. But, after the plot twist of the last page in volume 3? I'm all for Babylon's story.
Children are not born evil, but is there hope for him? Being lied and now manipulated to become a killer? To let hatred and fear into his heart? Then you see him being a kid and playing with this 'fluffy' monster and you can't help but being enthralled by this story. So yeah, last half of the volume? SO GOOD. Plus, the artwork? As always, the best.
Ugh, like I said before, every volume ends in such a way to keep you hooked, Hickman knows what he's doing, even if it feels intentionally convulated sometimes.
Profile Image for Dakota Morgan.
3,452 reviews54 followers
March 8, 2022
This is the first East of West volume that feels like more of a mixed bag. The previous volume set up a war between the Endless Nation and the Republic of Texas and also showed Death's son breaking free of his shackles in thrilling fashion. And then here, in the fourth volume, we get...a large amount of encyclopedia content. Which I dig, to be clear! But it does lend some choppiness to the narrative.

Fortunately, in the back half of the volume, we get Babylon's story continued as well as Death and Mao's lovely reunion. The factional leaders just seem to be noodling around, though, with unclear motives - particularly haunted Bel Solomon. The Horsemen are also on the move, but by this point I've forgotten their goal. Do they even have one?

Perhaps we're entering the saggy middle of East of West. That's fine. The art continues to excel and I'm intrigued as ever.
Profile Image for Wayne McCoy.
4,302 reviews32 followers
July 20, 2015
I reviewed volume 1 of 'East of West' when it came out, and while I liked it at the time, I found it a bit confusing. I just finished 'East of West Volume 4: Who Wants War?' written by Jonathan Hickman and art by Nick Dragotta, and I really like the way this series has progressed.

It's still strange, but I have a better idea of what's going on. Especially because there is a standalone issue that brings readers up to speed with breakdowns of the regions and infographics of the timelines to get to where we are. And where we are is deep in the heart of a fragmented United States (Un-United States?) in the middle of the apocalypse. Regions try to press their particular advantages to bolster their weaknesses. The Nation takes a bold stance against Texas. Meanwhile, the child Babylon is methodically taught to kill, but to what end, we don't know yet.

The art is great. I like the sci-fi aspects of a comic that has an old West feel to it. The canvas for the story is big and I keep thinking it would be an interesting gaming world. I also think this might be a better story to read once it's all completed. I might have had a better opinion of volume 1 with more story to shed light on it.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Profile Image for Donovan.
734 reviews109 followers
May 3, 2016


Volume 4 has more great splash pages and moments of climactic violence which seemed to be in lesser quantity in Volume 3.

The Beast now called Babylon and his faithful Balloon are free from their prison and now walk on a soul quest, eventually led by Ezra Orion's reprogramming of Balloon to help Babylon become a bringer of death. It's creepy to see how Balloon distorts his sense of reality, twisting friend and foe. But he's still a cute kid.

The nations are now at war, as Hickman beats this point to death. Death informs Xiaolian that their son is gone but he will find him. And political leaders pace and bang their fists wondering how they can crush each other. I guess I'm less interested in the state of the nations than their leaders personally.

I must say that I want more from the Horsemen. In this volume, Conquest has subdued a meat (human) and rides it with horse bit handlebars. War and Famine are nearly nonexistent, except to drink blood and talk about how great destruction is. I honestly don't know what they're doing anymore. Pulling a trailer of something to go somewhere. ?

All that being said, although Hickman definitely stretches himself thin, this is still shaping up toward something great.
Profile Image for Andrew.
17 reviews3 followers
July 29, 2015
Hickman and Dragotta pull the reader into their beautifully surreal and terrifying world even deeper with this volume.

East of West is one of those series that is greatly enhanced by re readings of the previous volumes before starting a new one. With the added benefit of a little bit of history and background into their alternate world, volume four helps fill in some blind spots and create new questions. The mix of science fiction, alternate history, dystopian, and apocalyptic themes is genius. Highly recommended for anyone seeking some unique in the comics world.
Profile Image for Inside My Library Mind.
709 reviews139 followers
April 29, 2016
Reread in April, 2016: Definitely my favorite volume so far. I highly recommend this series! I am going to be picking up Volume 5 soon, and I am quite excited for it!

First read in Aug, 2015: Ah I was very pleased with this one. I was in the story the whole time, and I really enjoyef it.
Profile Image for Karissa.
4,322 reviews214 followers
November 25, 2020
Series Info/Source: This is the fourth volume of the collected East of West series. I borrowed this from the library.

Story (4/5): In this volume Death’s Son starts his journey, and his reprogramming to become The Beast is initiated. Meanwhile, the Texas Republic has been decimated by The Hidden Nation but at a great cost. The Hidden Nation seeks alliance with the PRA and Death revisits his wife in PRA. This book includes an excellent map and in depth explanations of each of the seven nations that the United States has been broken into, this was really really helpful in understanding the overall story. The story is a bit choppy but it’s interesting enough to keep me engaged.

Characters (4/5): I loved getting to spend more time with Death’s son. I also really enjoyed the scenes between Death and his wife.

Setting (5/5): This volume went a long way in helping me understand this world better. There were detailed pages describing each nation and its history. We also get a detailed timeline of events leading up to this point. I continue to love this alternate history fantasy western setting.

Writing/Drawing Style (4/5): This is well drawn and written. As mentioned about the story remains a bit choppy, cutting between locations and characters without any notice. The characters are distinctly drawn so it’s easy to tell who is who. The color is well done and the illustrations are very detailed. It’s easy to follow what is happening from scene to scene (as long as you can tell with location you are in).

My Summary (4/5): Overall I continue to enjoy this. I love the intriguing world here and am enjoying some of the characters. The explanation of the history and the timeline included went a long way to making the story more cohesive for me. I am curious enough to know what happens and enjoy the world enough that I plan on continuing the series.
Profile Image for Patrick.
2,163 reviews21 followers
March 17, 2021
Putting it out there...I read volumes one through three a long while ago. Picking up this one in the early morning hours was kind of a "let's see what happens" move.

The first few issues were almost head-scratchers. Like I remembered enough to know what was going on, but I felt like it was supposed to be better somehow.

Then those last two or three issue hit...and WHAM! BAM!

In love again. And when I tell you that last panel evoked a "you can't cut us off there!" response, just know I said that stuff out loud.
Profile Image for A Fan of Comics .
492 reviews
March 11, 2019
Sly, sensual, and scary.

The story is doing a great job of keeping up the pace. There hasn’t been a moment of confusion or anything yet. This volume even have an issue devoted to the history’s and backstory of all the different nations and how things came to be. Unfortunately I felt like I didn’t have time to read through it/it felt a bit late in the game to address such things. Still love the art. Still surprises me when I think I’ve figured it out. On to the next volume!
Profile Image for C. Varn.
Author 3 books405 followers
September 23, 2019
Dragotta's art continues to rock, but it's hard to know how to feel about Hickman's writing here: the factions are finally given some context, the precise nature of factions is slightly coming into view. So plot slows but world-building picks up, and people will either love or hate this. The four horseman are traveling and we get more context on re-birth but less clarity on their mission. Death's return to wife is clear while also Babylon begins to travel and develop into something new. In many ways, this may risk filling bloated. The relationship to historical America is opaque at current. Both promising and frustrating.
Profile Image for Camilo Guerra.
1,227 reviews20 followers
November 9, 2017
Hickman y Dragotta no fallan y aca nos traen mas tramas, se develan secretos , mas Western, una guerra terrible en menos de 5 paginas y todo al nivel de siempre, aunque reconozco que tanto personaje es difícil de tratar, los chicos hacen sus tareas y todos tienen su momento de gloria, aunque nos quedamos con ganas de ver mas a Death y en espera de lo que viene.
464 reviews7 followers
January 12, 2020
3.5 stars. I went back and reread volumes 1-3 and now I can kinda make sense of the plot. It's well written and the art is great, but the fact that there is not one single character who's likeable prevents it from ever being engaging. I will probably read the remaining volumes at some point, but I'm not in a rush.
Profile Image for David H..
2,515 reviews26 followers
February 12, 2022
So much for Texas. However, the best thing about this volume was the fact that we actually got maps for the first time (an "encyclopedia" issue) which was very helpful. Of course, it's also making me wonder about how some characters are traveling in the time that they do, given that Death and his companions are only on foot. I'm very curious to see how this Babylon thing develops, though.
1,167 reviews4 followers
November 29, 2018
Wow, this is a truly great series! The characters (good guys & bad) are fantastic, and the story really pulls you in. Plus, the artwork is some of the best in comics right now. If you like comics or just good stories, then you should give this series a shot, you won't be disappointed.
Profile Image for Amy.
998 reviews62 followers
March 6, 2020
I'm weary of this series but it's avail on Hoopla when I'm between reads and it's well written (and drawn) so I'll probably finish it out. it just feels exhausting at times [the BEST parts of this volume were the introductory infographics about the alternative-historical United States, of which I would happily consume an entire volume].
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