Jonah Hex: Bury Me in Hell

Gray and Palmiotti collaborate with several artists in a series of independent tales of uneven quality in this compilation of horror western tales. The stories take place at various points in the career of Old West bounty hunter Jonah Hex, who is known for having the devil%E2%80%99s own luck, and vary in tone, with the redemption story, %E2%80%9CSnowblind,%E2%80%9D lifting up the bleaker tales, %E2%80%9CBury Me in Hell,%E2%80%9D in which Hex hunts and tortures a necrophiliac pedophile, and %E2%80%9CCasket Canyon,%E2%80%9D in which a widow feeds her starving children the flesh of dead men. The art also varies dramatically in style; Fiona Staples (%E2%80%9CCasket Canyon%E2%80%9D) uses a realistic style that lends horror to the sunken faces of the starving characters, while Jeff Lemire%E2%80%99s (%E2%80%9COld Man%E2%80%9D) stylized version of Hex%E2%80%99s mangled face produces a touching moment as Hex buries the father who forsook him. %E2%80%9CWeird Western,%E2%80%9D the final story, relies most heavily on the rest of the Hex mythology, jumping in and out of Hex%E2%80%99s time line. The collection will appeal most to those already familiar with Hex, but those new to the series may be intrigued enough to seek out more. (Dec.)