East of West Volume 1: The Promise by Jonathan Hickman

East of West Volume 1: The Promise

by Jonathan Hickman

  • This is the world. It is not the one we wanted, but it is the one we
    deserved. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse roam the Earth, signaling the End
    Times for humanity, and our best hope for life, lies in DEATH!

Reviewed by inlibrisveritas on

4 of 5 stars

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East of West is an incredibly unique and fascinating story about a oddly post apocalyptic world with futuristic tech and a western feel.

We are treated to a story about the Four Horsemen and a world bent on something called The Message, which is basically a prophecy given by three men on the end of the world. However the Four Horsemen no longer stand together. Death has separated himself and has gone on a killing spree, seeking revenge for something we don’t learn about until about half way through. He’s going against the apocalypse grain and Famine, Conquest, and War are busy trying to get things back on track.

I loved how dynamic the characters are. Death is a brutal guy bent on whatever goal he’s set for himself, mainly killing off those who have crossed him. He’s two companions are also awesome, both are Native American ‘witches’ and they are incredibly well suited to be the followers of death. Famine, Conquest, and War are also really and just as brutal. The past for the characters is done in a slow reveal so I can’t share much, but I loved seeing ‘who’ they were before the story starts and I just hope that in the future issues we get to see more of that because I’m still super curious about certain aspects…namely their appearances.

The art is strong, bold, and really shows off the interesting world that Hickman created. I really love that there are stark differences in some areas of the world, where one places is incredibly western and another has a futuristic and sleek appearance.

This is definitely a comic series that I am considering buying as the actual issues release instead of waiting for the paperback volume like normal. It holds a ton of promise and it’s already off to a fantastic start.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 10 September, 2013: Finished reading
  • 10 September, 2013: Reviewed