Oliver Davis reviews East of West #14…
“‘WARBOUND. The Endless Nation makes the first cut in the carcass once called America. The Apocalypse marches on in EAST OF WEST #14.”
Again, East of West jumps from one storyline last issue to a different one here. Sometimes, several months could go by without us ever hearing a peep from our favourite characters. In that way, it somewhat recalls the great American television series as of late – most comparatively the sprawling scope of Game of Thrones – focusing on characters and subplots at will, dedicating entire episodes to minor players. Eventually, this will make a compelling graphic novel, each distinctive issue being much more suited to chapters in a book. As a monthly series, however, the plot lacks drive and momentum.
In issue 14, we open on the aftermath of President Burkhart’s death, an event that happened two issues ago. In a neat flashback, the master-manipulator and supposed close-confident to the President, Archibald, is revealed to have been his killer. Burkhart’s passing has paved the way for Archie’s own rise. As if there weren’t enough powerful assholes in the East of West politcial landscape already.
Speaking of powerful assholes, you can’t get more awe-inspiring than the Three Horsemen of the Apocalypse – who always appear immensely bored by the situations that surround them. So, Three HorseTeenagers of the Apocalypse, then. People are being hacked to bits, but they sit there glumly and despondent. You call this violence, their tired expressions seem to say.
Artist Nick Dragotta’s visual realisation of War, Conquest and Famine contributes heartily to this character trait. He draws them quite literally as children of the apocalypse; short, fresh-faced and adolescent. Which makes War’s near-orgasmic pleasure when the conflict between the Nations first begins even more unsettling. Much like the Children of the Corn, or Michael Haneke’s more subtle The White Ribbon, writer Jonathan Hickman is exploiting the innate distrust of those younger than ourselves. What are they up to? What do they whisper about? If I no longer benefited them, what would they do to me?
Conquest answers this question in depressing fashion, leaving his disfigured hound, Ezra, to perish beneath a crumbling tower. Poor Ezra. A few months back saw an entire issue devoted to his plight, how he was once the Three Horsemen’s most trusted servant/plaything, and how they forced him to physically bond with their favourite Lovecrafian monster. It was one of East of West’s best standalone installments, making Ezra’s apparent passing here both equally visceral and poignant.
East of West still might be a frustrating read, but the last few issues have been quite engaging. The war has finally begun and the Three Horsemen’s inevitable showdown with their departed rider Death seems close by. That lack of ‘drive and momentum’ cited at the beginning? Slap my face, because the last few pages of issue 14 contained nothing but.
Oliver Davis is one of Flickering Myth’s co-editors. You can follow him on Twitter (@OliDavis).
Originally published July 31, 2014. Updated November 28, 2022.
