Desperadoes Omnibus

Desperadoes #1-5

by Jeffrey J. Mariotte, John Cassaday (illustrator), John Lucas (illustrator)

Over the course of its decade-plus lifespan, the Western/horror series Desperadoes has traveled some long, strange trails. Since its hard-riding heroes first met while tracking a ritualistic murderer whose crimes gave him supernatural powers, they've experienced quarantine in a haunted town, a reanimated dead boy with a thirst for revenge, a spiritualist's nightmare, and a bizarre quest to the birthplace of the buffalo on behalf of Geronimo himself.
For the first time ever, the Desperadoes Omnibus brings all the published Desperadoes stories together in one place, teaming the series' creator, award-winning, bestselling novelist Jeff Mariotte, with a veritable galaxy of superstar artists, new and established. John Cassaday (Astonishing X-Men) became a household name working on the first five-issue run, while John Severin (Bat Lash) made a triumphant return to comics after a long absence with his. John Lucas, Jeremy Haun, and Alberto Dose earned national attention and acclaim from their runs. Saddle up and hang onto the reins, because once you start in on this ride, you won't want to stop!

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Weird West

492 pages, Paperback

First published March 25, 2009

About the author

Also writes as Jeff Mariotte

Jeffrey J. Mariotte is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 70 novels, including the Cody Cavanaugh western series, historical western epic Blood and Gold: The Legend of Joaquin Murrieta (with Peter Murrieta), thrillers Empty Rooms and The Devil's Bait, supernatural thrillers Season of the Wolf, Missing White Girl, River Runs Red, and Cold Black Hearts, horror epic The Slab, and the Dark Vengeance teen horror quartet. With wife and writing partner Marsheila (Marcy) Rockwell, he wrote the sf/horror/thriller 7 SYKOS and Mafia III: Plain of Jars, the authorized prequel to the bestselling video game. His most recent release is the short story collection Byrd's Luck & Other Stories, comprising five "traditional" Western tales and five horror-Western stories, two of them brand-new for this edition.

He also writes occasional nonfiction, short fiction (some of which is collected in Nine Frights), and comic books, including the long-running horror/Western comic book series Desperadoes and graphic novels Fade to Black and Zombie Cop. With Marsheila Rockwell, he has published several short stories and is working on more. He has worked in virtually every aspect of the book business, as a writer, editor, marketing executive, and bookseller.

Learn more at www.jeffmariotte.com, and follow him at https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyJMari... and @JeffMariotte on Twitter.

Also writes as Jeff Mariotte

Reviews

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art can be a little inconsistent, but the weird-western tale is a field that never gets old.

[Lauri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weird West. Kui Jonah Hexis on 90% ulatuses tegemist "westiga" (meeldivate eranditega nagu Two-Gun Mojo või Riders of the Worm") siis siin on seda "weirdi" ka ikka parajalt sees, ehk siis üleloomulikku, horrori vormis. Esimeses loos aetakse taga sadistlikku mõrtsukat kes tapab ja nülib väikeseid lapsi ja naisi, teises loos on tegemist satanistliku preestriga, kolmandas loos ei taha üks mahalastud poiss kuidagi surnuna püsida jne. Üldiselt - väga vinge ja metsiku lääne sõpradele suht kohustuslik.

[Dan Blackley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Western Comics stories are about a trio then quartet of outlaws running from the law. It stated off good, but then went South with the plots.

[Todd Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Desperadoes was a cool book that cheapened itself quite a bit near the end. An art change for the final story basically turned the lady member of the heroic travelers into a Bratz doll with distracting anatomy. The colors at this point went downhill as well. Even the last story itself didn't live up to the others and will in no way reward you. If you can hang with that, the book is a pretty fun read about the West mashed up with supernatural horror. I'm not sorry I picked it up.

[GD · Rating 4 out of 5]

I kind of flip-flopped between three and four stars, but wen with four because the artwork and physical quality of the book was so great that it contributed alot to the overall reading experience. But the writing was kind of goofy, like the writer just wanted to throw something spooky into the stories, kind of forced. And there was too much star-crossed romance sub-plots for my manly tastes.

[Matthew J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid Weird/Horror Western comics. I've often enjoyed the mix of Horror and Western. They're sort of like chocolate and peanut butter.
The art is a bit of a mixed bag. Not that any of it is "bad," just that it changes a bunch and that's sometimes distracting.
If you're into Westerns, especially the grim, nastier Westerns of the late 60s & 70s, and you like a bit of supernatural mixed in, it's definitely one to check out.

[Drew Woodworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a series of interconnected supernatural western tales. The stories are all pretty standard fare for the genre. The art is really inconsistent in style, but most of it is pretty good with some of it REALLY good (Cassaday and Severin). However, I think the overall product would have benefited from a more consistent style throughout.

[Phillip · Rating 5 out of 5]

This omnibus edition collects the various series of the Desperadoes storyline, following a core group of characters: Gideon Brood, Abby DeGrazia, and Jerome Alexander Betts, along with a few supporting characters. They battle their way across the southwest, primarily New Mexico and Arizona, facing various supernatural enemies, revenge-seeking humans, and rich men looking to settle scores. One thing that makes the omnibus edition particularly interesting is being able to read the various stories all together in one place and seeing the various supernatural horror elements brought into each volume. Especially for one of the earliest graphic novel series to combine horror and western, the variety of horror elements is pretty impressive.

As many other reviewers here have pointed out, the quality and consistency of the art drops off in the final book of the series.
https://youtu.be/WuAZHvWCBig

[Jack Haringa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This heavy-duty omnibus (nearly 500 pages) collects all the Desperadoes stories published through 2009. With the exception of one story arc, the art is clean and expressive, and the stories follow in the tradition of Joe Lansdale and Tim Truman in portraying flawed but morally-focused characters at war with supernatural forces in the Wild West. Mariotte does a fine job of paying homage to tradition without slipping into mere pastiche or cliche.

[Randy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Western/gothic horror graphic novel. Five stories in nearly five hundred pages. Superior.

[Kristeen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Western horror, so that's pretty cool. Not nearly as good at King's Dark Tower, but a fun read.

[Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

The stories do sneak up on you. The twists are very good. Personally, the dialogue and art style aren't my cup of tea, but they are still very good. Nothing to shake a stick at. Very good stuff here.