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East of West
East of West, Vol. 7
The final year of the apocalypse begins! Armies rage! Nations at War! A family fights to be reunited. Collects EAST OF WEST #30-34.
134 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 26, 2017
18 people are currently reading
615 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Hickman
1,221 books2,028 followersJonathan 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
November 21, 2022
The Apocalypse, Year Three sees one of the Chosen make huge sweeping moves which are visually and story-wise strong, impressive and exciting to read, yet I can't stop thinking, reading this a second time, that the surprising and devastating actions in this volume don't really sit well with the overall series? On first reading this was my favourite volume, now I wonder if it is from here forward that it all goes downhill for me, as at the moment I don't understand why one of the Chosen is making such definitive power moves when the Apocalypse is around the corner? I guess they have plans for the Apocalypse itself? Well, onwards we go. 8 out of 12, Four Star read :)
2021 read
2021 read
April 19, 2020
This is my favorite volume of EoW so far.
It seems like a lot of things are starting to finally come together, which is nice. Gives you a feeling that your patience is going to be somewhat rewarded with this title.
Without spoiling anything, there's a lot of flashing around to different characters at different points in time, and all of it kind of culminates in these series of BIG BANGS that really rock this series and turn some things on their ear.
After 7 volumes I can finally say that I am all in with this thing.
It seems like a lot of things are starting to finally come together, which is nice. Gives you a feeling that your patience is going to be somewhat rewarded with this title.
Without spoiling anything, there's a lot of flashing around to different characters at different points in time, and all of it kind of culminates in these series of BIG BANGS that really rock this series and turn some things on their ear.
After 7 volumes I can finally say that I am all in with this thing.
October 25, 2017
Bullet Review:
Aw, hell, why not give this 4-stars? Archibald Chamberlain kicks @$$, the story is pretty tight and flows very well to the impending apocalypse, and that final page of reveal for Mao is pretty epic. It's over-the-top, a bit melodramatic (as Chamberlain might say), but the whole thing has been really so why not, at the end of the day, embrace it?
Aw, hell, why not give this 4-stars? Archibald Chamberlain kicks @$$, the story is pretty tight and flows very well to the impending apocalypse, and that final page of reveal for Mao is pretty epic. It's over-the-top, a bit melodramatic (as Chamberlain might say), but the whole thing has been really so why not, at the end of the day, embrace it?
September 4, 2020
East of West keeps ramping up and I love it so much.
So the chief has returned. The main man. My wolf brother. And together wants to work towards a better future. Death is mostly in the background in this title with his son. Then got Mao up and center, and I LOVE this woman, as she makes her first plans. But the fastest slinger in the west still has a couple of tricks up his sleeves. One of the major characters gets what is coming to them. So much explosive action.
Overall this is a fantastic volume. I'm being vague cause too much spoilers but we're in the end game now and going to war. This is seriously some of the best that comics has to offer. A 5 out of 5.
So the chief has returned. The main man. My wolf brother. And together wants to work towards a better future. Death is mostly in the background in this title with his son. Then got Mao up and center, and I LOVE this woman, as she makes her first plans. But the fastest slinger in the west still has a couple of tricks up his sleeves. One of the major characters gets what is coming to them. So much explosive action.
Overall this is a fantastic volume. I'm being vague cause too much spoilers but we're in the end game now and going to war. This is seriously some of the best that comics has to offer. A 5 out of 5.
July 10, 2025
This is still so frickin good!
September 24, 2017
Before I begin I just wanted to say, I'm surprised how well reading comics on a phone really works. Just make sure it's by panel, not by page and it actually works really well. Anyway, East of West is my 2nd favorite series ever and I gotta say, this might actually be one of the best volumes so far.
What's it about?
Do I really need to go into all of that? Seriously, this is a very complex story, I'm not describing the storyline of the 7th story arc.
Why it gets 5 stars:
Well it's why almost every volume in this series gets 5 stars from me. The story continues to be interesting and keeps on building.
The art is still just fantastic. This series has some of the best art in comics, Dragotta is awesome!
The action continues to be some of the best action in comics. There's a lot of action and it's all extremely well written and drawn.
This series continues to be unpredictable (except for one of the character deaths in this volume, I did see that coming).
The characters are very interesting and though there's a lot of them they are all very unique so even though I normally have a problem with there being a bunch of characters in one book it's still easy to follow if you're a fan of this series which is rare for a book with lots of characters... well that and they keep getting killed so...
The ending... oh my gosh, that ending! I was actually sitting there saying "No! Don't end it here!" out loud because it's such a bad-a** and well done ending.
Overall:
I barely know why I'm taking the time to post this review, it's East of West, of course it's fantastic and words aren't great at expressing how fantastic it is, you gotta read it yourself. If you've been following the series up to here, there's no reason to stop. If you haven't tried this series you're missing out on one of the best comics out there. If you have tried this series and you don't like it... I don't even know what to say... umm... sorry? This is the final year of the apocalypse in the series so that means there won't be many more volumes which is sad because the series will be ending after a few more arcs but at the same time I can't wait to see how it ends.
5/5
What's it about?
Do I really need to go into all of that? Seriously, this is a very complex story, I'm not describing the storyline of the 7th story arc.
Why it gets 5 stars:
Well it's why almost every volume in this series gets 5 stars from me. The story continues to be interesting and keeps on building.
The art is still just fantastic. This series has some of the best art in comics, Dragotta is awesome!
The action continues to be some of the best action in comics. There's a lot of action and it's all extremely well written and drawn.
This series continues to be unpredictable (except for one of the character deaths in this volume, I did see that coming).
The characters are very interesting and though there's a lot of them they are all very unique so even though I normally have a problem with there being a bunch of characters in one book it's still easy to follow if you're a fan of this series which is rare for a book with lots of characters... well that and they keep getting killed so...
The ending... oh my gosh, that ending! I was actually sitting there saying "No! Don't end it here!" out loud because it's such a bad-a** and well done ending.
Overall:
I barely know why I'm taking the time to post this review, it's East of West, of course it's fantastic and words aren't great at expressing how fantastic it is, you gotta read it yourself. If you've been following the series up to here, there's no reason to stop. If you haven't tried this series you're missing out on one of the best comics out there. If you have tried this series and you don't like it... I don't even know what to say... umm... sorry? This is the final year of the apocalypse in the series so that means there won't be many more volumes which is sad because the series will be ending after a few more arcs but at the same time I can't wait to see how it ends.
5/5
October 12, 2017
Plenty of secondary thread action, but I would have liked to see more of the main plot. All the cross, double-cross, triple-secret-double-cross moves just muddy up the story and create an unnecessary need for deus ex machina solutions.
January 11, 2024
This series is slowly becoming a lot more than the sum total of its components. It's grim, violent, sneaky, full of surprises, absolutely unputdownable.
Moving on to the next volume. In the meanwhile, this entire saga is recommended.
Moving on to the next volume. In the meanwhile, this entire saga is recommended.
January 3, 2018
East of West continues to be one of the most satisfying series that I'm following. Even with the seventh volume, Jonathan Hickman engages the reader with innovative plot development and surprising character development. I never know what's coming next with this series, and that's about the highest compliment that I can pay.
If you're unfamiliar with the premise, the idea is that ... I can't even. It's far too complicated. Just pick up volume one and you'll catch on quickly enough. Just know it's a dazzling blend of fantasy, western, science fiction, military, alternate history, samurai, and religion.
Hickman utilizes an ever growing cast with grace and nuance -- everyone gets a moment to shine in this series. Furthermore, Hickman seems to know exactly where he's going at all times. At no point during this series have I felt as though Hickman is floundering -- he never seems lost. Every issue counts with this series. Every scene serves a purpose. There is no wasted time. That's rare for a title that has lasted as long as East of West.
Of course, as good as the writing is, East of West would not be the same without Nick Dragotta. This artist has put a particular stamp on this book; he's given it an inimitable style. He makes everyone one and everything in this series look cool. That's a great characteristic for a comic as eclectic as this. Though the term is overused, his art is absolutely epic in nature.
Of particular note regarding Volume 7 -- several major players die (or seem to, at least). Wolf steps to the forefront. Crow continues to steal every panel in which she appears. Doma gets the girl. Oh, and Archibald Chamberlain reveals a very special talent.
When people ask me what current comic book series is a must-read, East of West is always at the top of my recommended reading list. I see no reason why that will change anytime soon as its excellence continues.
If you're unfamiliar with the premise, the idea is that ... I can't even. It's far too complicated. Just pick up volume one and you'll catch on quickly enough. Just know it's a dazzling blend of fantasy, western, science fiction, military, alternate history, samurai, and religion.
Hickman utilizes an ever growing cast with grace and nuance -- everyone gets a moment to shine in this series. Furthermore, Hickman seems to know exactly where he's going at all times. At no point during this series have I felt as though Hickman is floundering -- he never seems lost. Every issue counts with this series. Every scene serves a purpose. There is no wasted time. That's rare for a title that has lasted as long as East of West.
Of course, as good as the writing is, East of West would not be the same without Nick Dragotta. This artist has put a particular stamp on this book; he's given it an inimitable style. He makes everyone one and everything in this series look cool. That's a great characteristic for a comic as eclectic as this. Though the term is overused, his art is absolutely epic in nature.
Of particular note regarding Volume 7 -- several major players die (or seem to, at least). Wolf steps to the forefront. Crow continues to steal every panel in which she appears. Doma gets the girl. Oh, and Archibald Chamberlain reveals a very special talent.
When people ask me what current comic book series is a must-read, East of West is always at the top of my recommended reading list. I see no reason why that will change anytime soon as its excellence continues.
December 7, 2017
At this point, a volume of East of West feels like reading a chunk of an incredible fantasy novel out of context. There is no contained story to these pages, just additional chapters of a remarkably well mapped epic. As powers consolidate, the final stages of this great war are becoming clear, and even though we hardly spend any time with Death during these pages, the scope of the story is so beyond him at this point that I hardly missed him. I am blown away by the scope of Hickaman's vision. While this is not a new sensation considering his monumental work with Marvel, East of West will surely stand out as a must-read series of our time.
March 8, 2022
This is very much Chamberlain's volume. He meets with and maneuvers around just about every faction in the East of West, culminating in a deadly encounter with Maoist assassins and a stunning declaration of war. Why is Chamberlain so conniving? What is his goal? And how does it tie into the Message or the coming apocalypse? Unclear, but it's amusing to watch nonetheless.
Meanwhile, Wolf becomes the living embodiment of the Message and the Union collapses. The latter is interesting, the former is head-scratching. I'm still far more interested in the political elements of East of West than the mystical elements, which Hickman seems to be short-changing.
Meanwhile, Wolf becomes the living embodiment of the Message and the Union collapses. The latter is interesting, the former is head-scratching. I'm still far more interested in the political elements of East of West than the mystical elements, which Hickman seems to be short-changing.
September 29, 2017
One of the best volumes yet in this series. Things are starting to happen. Armies are marching and clashing. Heads of state are brought low. The conspirators who were ushering in the apocalypse are starting to turn on one another. This is great stuff. Lots and lots of violence. Blood. Grue. Decapitated heads. Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta's vision of a future America descended directly from the cowboys and Indians and the Civil War is a magnificent creation and it looks like we're heading for one heck of conclusion to this series.
September 23, 2019
This volume starts to really advance the plot in the final year of the apocalypse, and one will either love it or hate it. It appears to detour from the many plot, but all the twists and turns are tightly contributing to Hickman's vision. The increasing importance of Archibald Chamberlain starts to become apparent, and there are some characters that finally start to see ends of major arcs. That said, given both the complications of the plot and the importance of twists, one can say little directly. What is clear, however, is that earlier volumes which seemed meandering were more deliberate than one may have taught.
Read
November 16, 2017The weird Western's third year opens with War - as in the Horseman - complaining that this apocalypse seems to be taking its own sweet time, and few readers will disagree. But shit does finally seem to be getting real now, even if there's still a regrettable tendency towards would-be suggestive overuse of italics.
January 7, 2021
It's year 3 of the apocalypse and the big players are starting to fall.
This series doesnt have a bad installment, all volumes are SO good. War is coming (again), but this time it feels more personal. Ugh, so good.
This series doesnt have a bad installment, all volumes are SO good. War is coming (again), but this time it feels more personal. Ugh, so good.
May 20, 2020
There are some fantastic reveals and badass moments in this volume; I particularly loved that ending. How is this series SO GOOD?
April 21, 2020
Loved it (again) ! Brilliant !
April 14, 2022
I was hoping for more of , but was pleasantly surprised about what we learned about Now we have two open story lines from the ending of 6 and 7. I'm excited to see what happens in the next volume.
September 26, 2017
I seriously can't believe this series manages to be as fun as it was on page one, even in its seventh volume. After much building, the ultimate climax of war is happening. The big thunder is afoot. The apocalypse is still up for grabs, but the showdown's gettin' meaner. This is one of the wildest things I've ever read and it's always from a source of control. It never feels off the rails. It's perfection.
January 3, 2019
(3.5) Feels like the end is coming for ole East of West and sad to say, I welcome it. I remember first reading East of West and was blown away at art, story, and writing. As the volumes flew by I found myself getting anticipating the next volume less and less. I want to applaud Hickman for his ability to craft amazing characters and stories but I find myself asking in east of west....who am i rooting for? Granted Hickman could of created this confusion on purpose much as politics are, in that case bravo. Anyways after all the double cross and triple cross crap the story stops spinning and I get some good development with Mao, Antonia, Bell and the rest of crazies.
do your self a favor with East of west... read it all at once.
do your self a favor with East of west... read it all at once.
August 30, 2020
Now that we are in the third year of the Apocalypse, the Nation's leaders have made their moves, armies begin collide and rebels begin their revolt. Archibald of The Black Towers extend an olive branch, The Endless Nation loses once of its great chiefs, and Xiaolian is trying to find a way to bring her family back together. This seventh volume of East of West is one of the best, the artwork is absolutely stunning, even more so than usual, and the story is coming together amazingly as we approach the end of the Apocalypse. Goddamn, I love this series.
November 10, 2017
I'm torn.
On the one hand, I want to give this a three stars because I feel like less happened in this volume than in any other volume.
On the other hand, the few things that did happen were cool as heck. I am 1000% an Archibald fan, and its nice to see him shine.
I'll give it a four because I'm a fan of the series but it is one of the most decompressed stories I have read and this volume even more so.
On the one hand, I want to give this a three stars because I feel like less happened in this volume than in any other volume.
On the other hand, the few things that did happen were cool as heck. I am 1000% an Archibald fan, and its nice to see him shine.
I'll give it a four because I'm a fan of the series but it is one of the most decompressed stories I have read and this volume even more so.
January 21, 2020
Awwwwwhhhhh shieeet. Here we go.
March 12, 2025
4.5
Volume 7 was slightly less epic than the previous one, at least at first sight; but it does really pick up at the end, and there's a couple of great moments that make it deserving of a higher rating than that one.
Seems like Year Three is going to be the final year of the Apocalypse, and things sure are gearing up and getting in line for the showdown.
I do have to say there is a couple of flashbacks that, as they are not clearly identified as such, may make things a bit confusing if you are not paying attention; but things are so interesting come to this point, that the risk of that happening is very low, so that it won't be a problem.
Special mention to Chamberlain in this one. Epic is still the word...
Volume 7 was slightly less epic than the previous one, at least at first sight; but it does really pick up at the end, and there's a couple of great moments that make it deserving of a higher rating than that one.
Seems like Year Three is going to be the final year of the Apocalypse, and things sure are gearing up and getting in line for the showdown.
I do have to say there is a couple of flashbacks that, as they are not clearly identified as such, may make things a bit confusing if you are not paying attention; but things are so interesting come to this point, that the risk of that happening is very low, so that it won't be a problem.
Special mention to Chamberlain in this one. Epic is still the word...
December 6, 2023
(4 of 5 for pretty escalation on almost all fronts)
It's "only" three books ahead, so with the multiple lines in this story Hickman better to start some last mile delivery. And with this book, he just started with that. This book was rich and stirred the ingredients very well with quite a vigour. At this point, one more book could be enough to conclude the story, so let's look at why it takes three.
It's "only" three books ahead, so with the multiple lines in this story Hickman better to start some last mile delivery. And with this book, he just started with that. This book was rich and stirred the ingredients very well with quite a vigour. At this point, one more book could be enough to conclude the story, so let's look at why it takes three.
November 2, 2017
I could almost follow the plot and feel like the end, if it ever comes, will not be as completely impenetrable as the previous volume seemed to hint at. Yay?
August 27, 2018
Apacolyptic as hell. This volume packs the most movement and intrigue since the first or second.
November 5, 2019
Another great entry in this series. Really ramping up as we come towards the end times.
February 6, 2022
Another set-up volume.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews