TO HELL YOU RIDE (Dark Horse, 2013; Hardcover)
Collects
To
Hell You Ride
Nos. 1-5 (cover
dates December, 2012- July, 2013)
Writers:
Lance Henriksen and Joseph Maddrey
Artist:
Tom Mandrake
Colorists:
Cris Peter and Mat Lopes
Many streets in Detroit and older surrounding cities are either French or Native American by name, which makes sense since
those two groups have been in this region since before the United
States was even a country. I have Native American blood in me from
some point in my family tree, and have long been fascinated by their
traditions and respect for the land which we have built concrete
canyons on top of. To Hell You Ride is one of those stories
steeply rooted in the old ways, when the world was young and more
mysterious.
This
will be a spoiler-ish review. I tend to avoid those, but when you are
dealing with a mini-series like this that has slid under the radar of
so many folks, a review merely saying that I like it might not
convince people to pick it up. This is, after all, one of the
purposes of this blog: Trying to point out comic books that are worth
reading.
When
a mining company in the 1800s desecrates a sacred burial ground in their pursuit
of profit, the ritual of atonement to please the Old Ones is
performed. Four braves meeting the arrowheads of their own arrows.
When this ritual is interrupted by the white man, the Watchers were
then born, a part of the surrounding land and water. They are sort of
spirit energy who melt the flesh off of bones when the living are
unfortunate enough to make contact with them.
Seven
George is a Native American who resides in the Colorado Mountains.
Many of the locals call him “Two-Dogs”, a name that he hates.
Like many Native Americans, he has been given the short end of the
stick. Life on a reservation in the middle of nowhere and little to
no prospects are a perfect recipe for misery. Only the town sheriff
is a friend and father figure to Two-Dogs, trying to keep him out of
trouble and out of jail.
Mayor
Cubby Boyer has sold his town down the river by making a fortune off
of those mines and then turning the town into a ski resort. The
problem is that it hasn't snowed in five years, breaking the back of
the local economy. In an attempt to jumpstart Mother Nature, Boyer
has decided to use yellowcake pollen to make it snow. I Googled that
to see if it would work, and I found out nothing. Heck, I will
probably end up being visited by the Secret Service, all because I am
trying to research and write the most thorough and accurate reviews
possible. I bleed for my art.
So there is a huge snowfall, and the tourists and their money come back to the town...only the Watchers are waiting. Things go to Hell in a handbasket for those who come into contact with this “sick” snow on this sick land. A pandemic containment force, Blackwash (not Blackwater), is brought in to contain and eliminate the threat. The town becomes a prison. Seven George (Two-Dogs) fulfills his destiny, reclaiming his heritage and paying the debt for the land to the Old Ones. A balance is restored and a lesson learned.
Tom
Mandrake is one of those artists whose name alone will make me plunk
down my hard earned money. His work has a macabre, photo realistic
quality not unlike Neal Adams. He has done lots of Horror stuff over
the years and his work seems to only improve with age.
The
writing is top notch, the artwork and coloring are top notch, and the
production values of this book are top notch. If that doesn't
convince you to pick up something different then I don't know what
will.
Junk
Food For Thought rating: 5 out of 5.
The
OCD zone- While I bought the standard consumer edition hardcover,
this is also available as a signed and limited to 100 copies.
DVD-style
Extras included in this book: Origins
afterward (1 page).
Character
sketches and various stages of cover art (24 pages).
Paper
rating: 5 out of 5. Thick coated stock with a slight sheen that
has that sweet, sweet toxic Chinese printing press smell, likely the
result of paper sourced from virgin Amazon rainforests and ink which
is a concoction of lead paint chips, broken and pulped asbestos
tiles, mercury from recalled thermometers, and the final magical
ingredient: the blood, sweat, and tears of the children working the
sweatshop printing presses.
Binding
rating: 4.75 out of 5. Smyth sewn binding, eight stitches per
signature. The book block isn't glued square to the casing and flexes
a little, but it is the super thick paper which prevents the book
from lying completely flat.
Hardback
cover coating rating: 5 out of 5. The image is printed directly
on the hardback itself, no dustjacket required. The coating is a
thick glossy lamination which help to ensure a long, happy life on
your bookshelf.
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