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East of West
East of West, Vol. 8
We catch up with Death and Babylon in this eighth volume of the bestselling series EAST OF WEST. Collects EAST OF WEST #35-38
126 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 14, 2018
15 people are currently reading
607 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Hickman
1,221 books2,029 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 142 reviews
December 27, 2021
Father and son bond, did I say father and son? I probably should have said Death and The Beast! The Three Horsemen, looking at all the savagery around them, need to decide what their next steps are. And the Ranger is still undeterred with his aim to singlehandedly wipe out the Chosen!
I'm still very much loving the concept, style and world building... and thanks to this volume am much happier with the overall plotting and core characterisations; despite all that, these final volumes don't feel like they have the urgency or intensity of other similarly length-ed graphic novel serials. I just hope that the sum of the whole is better than the parts! 7.5 out of 12, the weakest volume so far, although still pretty good.
2021 read, 2019 read
I'm still very much loving the concept, style and world building... and thanks to this volume am much happier with the overall plotting and core characterisations; despite all that, these final volumes don't feel like they have the urgency or intensity of other similarly length-ed graphic novel serials. I just hope that the sum of the whole is better than the parts! 7.5 out of 12, the weakest volume so far, although still pretty good.
2021 read, 2019 read
May 1, 2020
3.5 stars
Ok, not quite as good as the last volume.
Still a solid read. I like the character of Wolf and I want to find out where his loyalties are going to fall in the grand scheme of how this End of the World battle all goes down.
Honestly, I'm still somewhat confused as to what's actually going on here, but I've been driven along by the idea that it will all come together here at the end.
And we're getting really close to the end. <--2 more volumes, right?
Anyway. It hit me that I'm reading a Hickman title and he tends to not explain things well, so I'm suddenly concerned that I'm going to close volume 10 and not really get it.
Guess I'll just have to put on my big girl panties and see how this all pans out.
Ok, not quite as good as the last volume.
Still a solid read. I like the character of Wolf and I want to find out where his loyalties are going to fall in the grand scheme of how this End of the World battle all goes down.
Honestly, I'm still somewhat confused as to what's actually going on here, but I've been driven along by the idea that it will all come together here at the end.
And we're getting really close to the end. <--2 more volumes, right?
Anyway. It hit me that I'm reading a Hickman title and he tends to not explain things well, so I'm suddenly concerned that I'm going to close volume 10 and not really get it.
Guess I'll just have to put on my big girl panties and see how this all pans out.
August 15, 2018
Holy shit, I was so excited to read this that I forgot to mark it as currently reading!
What’s it about?
Uhh, gosh, so much has happened and this is a very complex story- PASS!
Pros:
The story is building up and remains fascinating.
The art is stunning! I would say that the art in this series just keeps getting better!
I mean seriously, that is amazing!
The characters are still interesting.
This story is still unpredictable. This volume included a few twists I did not anticipate.
There’s some great comic relief moments! I especially love how Babylon sees everything differently It’s twisted but hilarious! I also really liked the Judge Dredd reference (people who’ve read this and are familiar with Judge Dredd most likely know the part I’m referring to)!
One character in this volume deals with the loss of his beloved dog and while I normally hate stories involving a dead pupper, the human deals with it and it added a great new subplot.
Cons:
This volume has less action than usual. There’s still some action but it’s not even close to the level of action that the rest of the series included so it was underwhelming.
The political commentary gets confusing. Normally this series does a very good job with it but in this volume there’s a scene where the topic it’s talking about is obvious but even after reading the scene multiple times I’m still there trying to figure out what the hell it’s even trying to say about it.
This is the shortest volume so far so that was disappointing. Mostly because when I got to the end I was hoping for more but then my brain went “shit, I have to wait again?”
Overall:
This series still remains my favorite comic series I’d say. This is by far the weakest volume unfortunately. If I’m not mistaken I heard something about there only being another 2 volumes, I hope they’re better than this one but this one is still good.
4/5
What’s it about?
Uhh, gosh, so much has happened and this is a very complex story- PASS!
Pros:
The story is building up and remains fascinating.
The art is stunning! I would say that the art in this series just keeps getting better!
I mean seriously, that is amazing!
The characters are still interesting.
This story is still unpredictable. This volume included a few twists I did not anticipate.
There’s some great comic relief moments! I especially love how Babylon sees everything differently It’s twisted but hilarious! I also really liked the Judge Dredd reference (people who’ve read this and are familiar with Judge Dredd most likely know the part I’m referring to)!
One character in this volume deals with the loss of his beloved dog and while I normally hate stories involving a dead pupper, the human deals with it and it added a great new subplot.
Cons:
This volume has less action than usual. There’s still some action but it’s not even close to the level of action that the rest of the series included so it was underwhelming.
The political commentary gets confusing. Normally this series does a very good job with it but in this volume there’s a scene where the topic it’s talking about is obvious but even after reading the scene multiple times I’m still there trying to figure out what the hell it’s even trying to say about it.
This is the shortest volume so far so that was disappointing. Mostly because when I got to the end I was hoping for more but then my brain went “shit, I have to wait again?”
Overall:
This series still remains my favorite comic series I’d say. This is by far the weakest volume unfortunately. If I’m not mistaken I heard something about there only being another 2 volumes, I hope they’re better than this one but this one is still good.
4/5
April 16, 2018
Look, East of West might not be the most fulfilling comic to read on an issue-to-issue basis, but my trust in Hickman always pays off. If you aren't reading this and are interested in weird, geopolitical, alt-history stories then you're missing out. If you don't like Hickman, best to keep on moving.
September 2, 2018
I received this from Image Comics in exchange for an honest review.
Still one of the best series going. The pressure keeps ratcheting up, and the various factions are moving into place for the apocalypse. It amazes me that literally no one is safe, and some surprise deaths/assassinations have caught me off guard.
How long until the next volume is released?!
Still one of the best series going. The pressure keeps ratcheting up, and the various factions are moving into place for the apocalypse. It amazes me that literally no one is safe, and some surprise deaths/assassinations have caught me off guard.
How long until the next volume is released?!
March 20, 2019
Wow this series ended like that? Wtf? Is this unfinished? Did the audience lose interest and they stopped writing it? What a shitty way to end this....
September 7, 2020
The most powerful nation now decides to look towards "peace" as a answer to all the terrible things happening.
The 3 horsemen are on their way to destroy the world. First they must find "the beast".
The beast is Death's son. Death and his son just reconnected and now are doing a lot of father/son bonding. However, Balloon, The Beast's companion, might have a different view on how to raise the boy.
This is a lot of moving pieces and only covered a portion of this trade. So much backstabbing. So much revenge. The Prince is in for a rude awakening. And people begin to get slaughtered one by one. This is the end of times and it's getting sad.
A 5 out of 5.
The 3 horsemen are on their way to destroy the world. First they must find "the beast".
The beast is Death's son. Death and his son just reconnected and now are doing a lot of father/son bonding. However, Balloon, The Beast's companion, might have a different view on how to raise the boy.
This is a lot of moving pieces and only covered a portion of this trade. So much backstabbing. So much revenge. The Prince is in for a rude awakening. And people begin to get slaughtered one by one. This is the end of times and it's getting sad.
A 5 out of 5.
January 30, 2019
I ADORE this creative team, and can firmly say that East of West is my favorite ongoing comic these days. What a read, what an incredibly complex, beautiful, bitingly pessimistic story. This is the stuff right here, and this volume is the best one yet. Everything happening with The Ranger is massively cathartic, and has the by-product of simplifying the cast. I can't wait to see how things fall.
November 16, 2018
Bullet Review:
Why Death doesn't try to remove the coverings over Babylon's eyes, I have no clue.
Sometimes this series is so full of itself and saying Big Important Things - but damn, it's fun. It's so crazy and bizarre and big and epic with all these characters roaming around doing things and killing people. I didn't use to be a fan but there was a point I think where Hickman's stuff shifted from "WTF??" to "WTF!!" And I can't hate on a guy who actually has stuff happen in his comic series that impacts future events.
Why Death doesn't try to remove the coverings over Babylon's eyes, I have no clue.
Sometimes this series is so full of itself and saying Big Important Things - but damn, it's fun. It's so crazy and bizarre and big and epic with all these characters roaming around doing things and killing people. I didn't use to be a fan but there was a point I think where Hickman's stuff shifted from "WTF??" to "WTF!!" And I can't hate on a guy who actually has stuff happen in his comic series that impacts future events.
March 8, 2022
This might be the weakest East of West volume so far. The last volume forecasted a huge confrontation between Chamberlain and Xiaolian's armies, but instead we get the unkillable ranger, haunted Bel Solomon, and the dull Prince of New Orleans. These characters have been lingering unnecessarily throughout the series and despite their starring roles in this volume, it continues to be unclear why they're around. They make mischief, someone tries to kill them, then someone else saves their lives so they can make mischief again later. It's a dumb cycle.
The volume isn't all bad, though, still well-paced and brilliantly illustrated. We also get some time with Death and Babylon, a cute father/son issue that ends with Death off to save his wife. And we spend some time with the Endless Nation and their new Wolf/prophet leader. I'm baffled by the politcal/mystical elements of Wolf, but it's nice to see one storyline (the Union's) successfully concluded.
The volume isn't all bad, though, still well-paced and brilliantly illustrated. We also get some time with Death and Babylon, a cute father/son issue that ends with Death off to save his wife. And we spend some time with the Endless Nation and their new Wolf/prophet leader. I'm baffled by the politcal/mystical elements of Wolf, but it's nice to see one storyline (the Union's) successfully concluded.
October 15, 2018
By the end of this one I realized there’s less than ten issues left in this story and I won’t even know how to handle it when it’s over.
The end is drawing ever nearer. The Chosen are being picked off one by one, nations are falling and power is being consolidated by only the most powerful. Death and his son, Babylon, travel westward to reunite with Xiaolin in what will surely culminate in one final battle against the remaining Chosen and the Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
I love/hate the anticipation for each subsequent issue. I love this damn story.
The end is drawing ever nearer. The Chosen are being picked off one by one, nations are falling and power is being consolidated by only the most powerful. Death and his son, Babylon, travel westward to reunite with Xiaolin in what will surely culminate in one final battle against the remaining Chosen and the Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
I love/hate the anticipation for each subsequent issue. I love this damn story.
May 4, 2019
Just rollin through...
I've finally caught up with the series! I know vol 9 comes out in about a month and honestly, I CAN wait til then to read it. I liked the series starting off, but the last few vols have felt a little more like filler. I know there are things they have to do in order to get where they are going but I do wish it moved a little quicker. I don't think I'd be able to read these as issues. This vol something big did happen but as usual it took them til the cliff hanger to do it. Fun stuff in the middle, but still I'm only here for Dr. Tusk and Babylon and they werent even in it!
I've finally caught up with the series! I know vol 9 comes out in about a month and honestly, I CAN wait til then to read it. I liked the series starting off, but the last few vols have felt a little more like filler. I know there are things they have to do in order to get where they are going but I do wish it moved a little quicker. I don't think I'd be able to read these as issues. This vol something big did happen but as usual it took them til the cliff hanger to do it. Fun stuff in the middle, but still I'm only here for Dr. Tusk and Babylon and they werent even in it!
April 6, 2020
This is it. This might just be my favorite goddamn one in the whole series. There was just something about this one that spoke to me. Maybe it was all the "I am the law" justice seeking or the line about how when a society/country has no one left to dominate they turn on themselves (don't remember the exact quote), but this one was just so freaking good.
Juice!
Juice!
January 7, 2021
4.5 stars
He tried mercy and then justice, but only revenge worked.
I missed the Beast, and death, and I think this is one of the best volumes so far. For an apocalypse story though, the Horsemen are the weakest characters so far, but they are creepy so I vibe with them.
JUST TWO VOLUMES TO GO!
He tried mercy and then justice, but only revenge worked.
I missed the Beast, and death, and I think this is one of the best volumes so far. For an apocalypse story though, the Horsemen are the weakest characters so far, but they are creepy so I vibe with them.
JUST TWO VOLUMES TO GO!
August 31, 2018
Still the absolute best, most imaginative thing going.
January 15, 2024
Initially it was a bit flat. But towards the end it seemed as if we have truly and properly stepped into the endgame.
Bravo! Way to go forth.
Bravo! Way to go forth.
February 6, 2022
Everyone's talking about war, but it seems we're still in the playoffs, not the big game. At least not yet.
March 21, 2021
I sincerely connect with so many of these characters. Oh not the main characters. No, most of them are horrible monsters. But the people around them, the people affected by the actions of "The Chosen" are so sympathetic.
I should amend the above just a little. I do feel badly for Death and Wolf. And Babylon is a victim in this whole insanity.
I don't think I like Balloon, though.
I should amend the above just a little. I do feel badly for Death and Wolf. And Babylon is a victim in this whole insanity.
I don't think I like Balloon, though.
January 8, 2019
(3.5) Is it me or is the ending of this series dragging out... Look I like EoW and I absolutely love Dragotta on art and Martin on color to me the art makes the series its gorgeous. However the politics and espionage elements are just wearing thin to me. EoW does feel like it is wrapping up but I sure and hell hope that there is a big moment or twist I didnt see coming because to me I am starting to yawn a bit here and there.
In this issue Death and Babylon are on their way to find Babylons mom and the rest of crazy politicians are killing each other off. Oh and by the way that sharpshooter texas ranger is back on the hunt... seriously I like the character but what this dudes story? If there was one I cant remember.
I guess i am in the minority here but I am ready for Hickman to wrap this up
In this issue Death and Babylon are on their way to find Babylons mom and the rest of crazy politicians are killing each other off. Oh and by the way that sharpshooter texas ranger is back on the hunt... seriously I like the character but what this dudes story? If there was one I cant remember.
I guess i am in the minority here but I am ready for Hickman to wrap this up
September 23, 2019
We have been away from the other Horsemen for a while and their purpose seems barely clear, but the increasing simplification of the cast as factions and characters fall makes the plots easier to understand. The exact political valance and commentary from Hickman is a little difficult to interpret. Yet slow-burn and massive world-building of the second year of the apocalypse seems to continuously pay off. What a skillful creative team.
November 3, 2018
A new installment of my favorite comics series.
The art is imaginative and the story engaging - you really don't know what will happen next and who will turn against who. This issue doesn't bring many new things visually (in terms of monsters or weapons etc), but the story continues and that's the most important part
The art is imaginative and the story engaging - you really don't know what will happen next and who will turn against who. This issue doesn't bring many new things visually (in terms of monsters or weapons etc), but the story continues and that's the most important part
April 22, 2020
Perfection. Five stars. 'Nuff said.
January 29, 2021
Suitably growing to a climax
March 5, 2022
Only two volumes from the end and I still have no idea how this epic tale will end. Fantastic apocalyptic storytelling.
May 3, 2025
Cold-blooded
December 7, 2023
(4,2 of 5 for great escalation and twists)
Lovely that Hickman keeps the dramatic direction and the gradation started from the previous book. I tore through this book in no time, nice and thrilling the whole time. I hope the next two books will be in the same manner, so I will end this series with a nice aftertaste.
Lovely that Hickman keeps the dramatic direction and the gradation started from the previous book. I tore through this book in no time, nice and thrilling the whole time. I hope the next two books will be in the same manner, so I will end this series with a nice aftertaste.
May 13, 2019
Never knew a ballon could be so sinister
September 18, 2018
This was fine I guess? My genuine adult interested in comics really took off right when East of West was the new hype title everyone had to read, and having read a small billion comics since it's hard to say whether it would have captured my fancy to the same degree with my current more established bases of comparison. It's sort-of just not my thing, actually! Having said that, I really do think this has lost a ton of steam since the first couple trades. This far in, I still want to see what happens, but it's going to be a hard sell for me to spend any more money on these books.
August 11, 2018
A Little Homework Gets You In
This series debuted in 2013 and this is collection Volume 8, (issues #35-38), so it seemed like a very bad place to try to step in to the series. But, I glanced through it and liked the art, the characters, the dialogue and the tone/atmosphere, so what to do? Well, for what it's worth, if you Google "East of West" you'll find a Wikipedia article that summarizes the plot, introduces all of the major characters, and offers some overall background. It turned out to be quite enough to allow me to dive in to the series, even at this late point. And it was worth it.
As you might imagine, the series has a lot of moving parts. Basically, a dystopian world is headed toward the apocalypse and some characters are trying to speed that up, some are trying to slow it down, and a kid called Babylon, who has been raised up to be "The Beast", is slouching towards Jerusalem, which this time around is in Kansas. All four Horseman are in on the action. The whole thing is set up as a "sci-fi western", and as it turns out Revelations works very well as a sci-fi western.
This particular volume spends a lot of time with Babylon, his father, (who happens to be the Horseman Death), and a chatty A.I. protector. These scenes are what first grabbed me because they are both very funny and touching. Other featured action follows the remaining three Horseman, who are all a bit psycho, and then various players who are leading their respective followers toward or away from the Ending. The tale has great energy and presence and the dialogue is sharp and assured, without fussy mumbo-jumbo.
The look is great. The westernish scenes are muted in sandstone colors and spare lines and ink. The Horsemen are more vividly colored, and the other remaining scenes are designed, drawn and colored to fully reflect the characters and action they portray.
The bottom line is that this is a richly conceived, nicely executed, and very entertaining series and I'm glad I invested the few minutes it took to get myself up to speed and into it. A rewarding find. (Please note that I had a chance to read a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
This series debuted in 2013 and this is collection Volume 8, (issues #35-38), so it seemed like a very bad place to try to step in to the series. But, I glanced through it and liked the art, the characters, the dialogue and the tone/atmosphere, so what to do? Well, for what it's worth, if you Google "East of West" you'll find a Wikipedia article that summarizes the plot, introduces all of the major characters, and offers some overall background. It turned out to be quite enough to allow me to dive in to the series, even at this late point. And it was worth it.
As you might imagine, the series has a lot of moving parts. Basically, a dystopian world is headed toward the apocalypse and some characters are trying to speed that up, some are trying to slow it down, and a kid called Babylon, who has been raised up to be "The Beast", is slouching towards Jerusalem, which this time around is in Kansas. All four Horseman are in on the action. The whole thing is set up as a "sci-fi western", and as it turns out Revelations works very well as a sci-fi western.
This particular volume spends a lot of time with Babylon, his father, (who happens to be the Horseman Death), and a chatty A.I. protector. These scenes are what first grabbed me because they are both very funny and touching. Other featured action follows the remaining three Horseman, who are all a bit psycho, and then various players who are leading their respective followers toward or away from the Ending. The tale has great energy and presence and the dialogue is sharp and assured, without fussy mumbo-jumbo.
The look is great. The westernish scenes are muted in sandstone colors and spare lines and ink. The Horsemen are more vividly colored, and the other remaining scenes are designed, drawn and colored to fully reflect the characters and action they portray.
The bottom line is that this is a richly conceived, nicely executed, and very entertaining series and I'm glad I invested the few minutes it took to get myself up to speed and into it. A rewarding find. (Please note that I had a chance to read a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
April 15, 2022
Volume 8 is truly magnificent. Tensions are mounting and the body count is getting higher. There isn't a single dull moment. Each page is engaging and exciting as each character's storylines draw together towards a brutal conclusion. As major players slowly get picked off, it has me wondering who will be left standing by the end of this war.
It's so strange, isn't it? I've noticed many reviews stating this is the weakest volume so far and yet I sit here convinced it's the strongest in a long time (my personal fave is still Vol 1). I felt this volume had a lot going for it and in terms of scale and drama, it felt so much more on par with those early volumes where the story was just developing and everything felt so new and exciting. I feel the same way regarding volume 8. It feels fresh. There's so much happening and the storylines are beginning to connect.
I'm loving Death's storyline. We only get to see him fleetingly each volume but I devour every page he's on. The other horsemen remain vague and aloof. I'm still not really sure what purpose they serve in regard to the war or the end of the world. They just seem to wander from place to place and don't get a lot done. They have some great lines but I can't really see their impact on the story. I really hope they shine in the final volumes.
The remaining rulers are really catching and holding my attention. As things start to come to a head, they begin to show their true colours.
But I think Wolf has been the biggest surprise this volume. I'm loving the character he's become and I'm interested to see where his path will take him going forward. The man is burdened with glorious purpose. ;)
The artwork is gorgeous as ever. Every panel is a delight and the use of colour is simply stunning. I could happily pick a page at random and frame it on my wall. There are no bad drawings in this series whatsoever.
I have no clue how this will wrap up in two more volumes. I can only hope the destination will be as wild and enjoyable as the journey.
It's so strange, isn't it? I've noticed many reviews stating this is the weakest volume so far and yet I sit here convinced it's the strongest in a long time (my personal fave is still Vol 1). I felt this volume had a lot going for it and in terms of scale and drama, it felt so much more on par with those early volumes where the story was just developing and everything felt so new and exciting. I feel the same way regarding volume 8. It feels fresh. There's so much happening and the storylines are beginning to connect.
I'm loving Death's storyline. We only get to see him fleetingly each volume but I devour every page he's on. The other horsemen remain vague and aloof. I'm still not really sure what purpose they serve in regard to the war or the end of the world. They just seem to wander from place to place and don't get a lot done. They have some great lines but I can't really see their impact on the story. I really hope they shine in the final volumes.
The remaining rulers are really catching and holding my attention. As things start to come to a head, they begin to show their true colours.
But I think Wolf has been the biggest surprise this volume. I'm loving the character he's become and I'm interested to see where his path will take him going forward. The man is burdened with glorious purpose. ;)
The artwork is gorgeous as ever. Every panel is a delight and the use of colour is simply stunning. I could happily pick a page at random and frame it on my wall. There are no bad drawings in this series whatsoever.
I have no clue how this will wrap up in two more volumes. I can only hope the destination will be as wild and enjoyable as the journey.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews