Jonah Hex 23 cover

Possibly the most celebrated and famous (relatively speaking) Jonah Hex story was published over 40 years ago in the Jonah Hex Spectacular of 1978. “The Last Bounty Hunter”, written by Mike Fleisher and drawn by Russ Heath, with career-best turns, is set in 1904 when Hex is 66 years old. He laments that he feels something of an anachronism still plying his trade in a world of horseless carriages and flying machines. I am reminded of this story when I wonder if there is a place for Jonah Hex in the third decade of the 21st century, in the era of Black Lives Matter and Diversity. This is an American Civil War veteran who seems to be defiantly continuing to wear his Confederate hat and uniform in spite of the Union being the victors. Essays on the internet by people who have read more issues of Jonah Hex than I have (I am an on/off reader which was often dependent on who was doing the art) and who have a considerably better knowledge of the American Civil War than I do (my only knowledge of this conflict is what I have picked up incidentally from watching Clint Eastwood westerns) conclude that Hex is not a racist or a strident proponent of slavery and the Confederate cause, but chooses to wear the outfit of the losing side more as a hair-shirt than as a badge of honour. Phew, that is a long justification for owning and showing this cover.

I could not believe my fortune when this cover came up on eBay (and then winning it with a three-figure bid) because even though I have been a semi-regular reader of the title since issue 6 of the original run this is the cover to my all-time favourite issue, number 23 of the second run. This cover is most definitely my “one and done” with the character and also with the artist, Jordi Bernet. Partly recounted by the relatable narrator, a journalist/historian turned schoolteacher issue 23 is a standalone story, as most of the issues of this series were. This particular issue revolves around the culture clash between the liberal, trusting, booksmart, sociable teacher and the cynical, taciturn, worldly-wise bounty hunter and how they help each other out. If you ever read only one Jonah Hex story then I would recommend this one which is a cracking yarn but the cherry on the top is the page I have excerpted additionally. After Jimmy Palmiotti did his CAF talk with Bill (which is highly recommended; the Kevin Nowlan section is especially excellent) I had a short Instagram exchange with JP and I said that he had co-written (with Justin Gray) my favourite ever first page of a comic. Doh! It is actually the second page, but that does not have quite the same ring about it as my favourite first page of a comic, and JP was not rude enough to correct me. Anyway, you might have to be of a certain age to appreciate fully what is related on the page. I speak as someone who is neither overly-endowed with “common sense” nor academic knowledge, but with years of experience I can definitely recognise the two different types described in the monologue. Even if someone were to point out that the passage is lifted from something written by Updike or Roth or Tyler (but I hope that it isn’t) I would still hold that it is so concisely and strikingly-phrased it has a profundity and merit all of its own. I was so taken with it that during the first Covid lockdown I spent some time learning this speech off by heart, which is not as big a commitment to it as having it tattooed down the length of my spine but which may have been more of a laborious task bearing in mind my poor powers of memory now.

Full credit to Jordi Bernet for the work on the interiors and cover. I was vaguely familiar with his work on Torpedo but I admit I did have to warm to him a bit on Hex as his style seemed to me loose and European and I was more used to naturalistic/realistic artists on Hex like Tony DeZuñiga or José Luis Garcia Lopéz or Vicente Alcazar. Jordi Bernet in this issue is especially good with what seem like throwaway moments taking place in the backgrounds of panels and also the sudden bursts of carefully-orchestrated action. It did get to the stage where I positively looked forward to an issue if I knew he was handling the art chores.

There is one thing that I would like to ask anyone who is familiar with this issue: how does Hex escape the deathtrap set for him towards the end of the issue? It happens off-screen (off-page?) and for someone as embarrassingly stupid about practicalities such as that I have no idea as to how Hex got out of that scrape. I did ask the previous owner of the one page from this story that is on CAF, but I never did receive a reply from them.