That Texas Blood, Volume 1 (Texas Blood, 1)

Product Information

Issue #1 is an amazing standalone tale that introduces Joseph Coates, the 70-year old sheriff of desert-like and small-town area of Ambrose County, Texas. Coates has some amusing idiosyncrasies to go along with the casual neighborly way he handles his job. He's feeling his years, and begins to doubt his abilities to continue doing his job properly. A great introductory issue.

i like what this book wanted to be and a lot of what it is. i guess it's the whole Texas cowboy white-trash people setup that i didn't enjoy so much. the art though is totally my style. Phillip's inky, gritty textured line and colorwork that doesnt try to be so smooth and perf... I guess I thought it was a horror thing but it being a sun-baked and boozy neo-noir makes all the sense in the world too. It’s basically Blood Simple: The Comic. Equal parts The Coens and Brubaker, filtered through the pen of a native (at least I’m pretty sure Condon is Texan. You don’t get this woefully and beautifully specific about the feeling of BEING Texan without actually being one). Following some themes of the first volume (which, chronologically, takes place many decades later), Volume 2 takes its time to ponder the evils of Ambrose County, more specifically why this West Texan landscape seems cursed. As Joe Bob asks these questions, and Eversaul asks a few more of his own, the only thing that's clear in this cultic horror is that lives are at stake, people are crazy, and if the law won't let you save those who need saving, you may have to do so yourself. It's an excellent arc that is not only one of the best comic book stories this author has read in recent years but one that stays in mind for months afterward. Yes, it's really that good. Publication Dates [ ] Last Issue [ ] That Texas Blood #19: 02 Nov 2022 Current Issue [ ] That Texas Blood #20: 07 Dec 2022 Next Issue [ ] none scheduled Status [ ] In That Texas Blood #7, Joe Bob reminisces about one of his first cases: a haunting and bizarre evening that left a boy dead, a girl missing, a cult on the loose, and introduced a mysterious man called Harlan Eversaul.That Texas Blood, vol. 3 - Collects #14-19. "As a winter storm looms over Ambrose County in January of 1992, a local woman's body is discovered and believed to be the latest victim of a horrifying West Texas serial murderer known as the Red Queen Killer." - NOV220157 - WorldCat - ISBN 9781534323520 This book is great! I’m no awards expert so can’t say for sure but with this level of greatness from new creators in comics, I would be surprised if these guys aren’t future Eisner award winners. After an excellent first issue that made me think of No country for old men all the way and which introduced laconic and elderly sheriff Joe Bob we plunge into a typical revenge story. It’s good, it’s violent, it’s noir but it’s not without flaws. Blood and cruelty spill into the kindness and manners that provide Coates’ town a quaint, charming appeal... That Texas Blood is a ghost story and a Western, and it questions whether there is a difference between the two. As it builds upon the legacy of other modern Westerns, which raised similar questions, it’s not difficult to see how the series may stand comfortably upon the shoulders of giants.” — ComicBook.com This is the first volume of what promises to be a terrific crime comics series in the tradition of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, such as their Pulp (also western) comic. And there’s good reason for mentioning them, the top of the line crime comics team in history, since Jacob did color work on some recent volumes of their most recent Criminal volumes, and Jacob is Sean’s son. And he is really good, having learned at Daddy’s knee. The resemblances are evident and admirable.

If one gets at once fond of Joe Bob-and Martha and Flores to an extent, Randy is way too underdeveloped for the reader to really care about him. Condon uses a very clipped text narration-third person, short sentences- quite opposed to Ed Brukaker’s (of course Brubaker would be cited somewhere, what did you expect?). It clearly doesn’t help "feeling" Randy. Oddly he doesnt do the same with Joe Bob. I understand that Joe Bob is somewhat the common thread of what Condon wants to develop but secondary main characters should be more focused on, if only to get the reader interested in them. Brubaker would nod in approval at one of his chapter titles, such as from Act Two, Scene One of Hamlet: “More grief to hide than hate to utter love.”Volume One told pretty much a complete story so maybe the second will be about entirely something else. if that's the case I'm totally signing up for it. i hope there will be more lovable characters. Image Comics has long been known as the home of exciting new talent. From the earliest days of the publisher, they’ve been carving out a space for themselves as the bad boys and often the best work that the company puts out reflects that. The first issue of Image Comics’ newest series That Texas Bloodfits under that banner well not only as a horror tinged take on crime in Texas but also hinting at anexploration of masculinity, aging, and finding your place in an ever more unfamiliar world. As our Sheriff made his way around town, it started to dawn on me what the writing and artwork were accomplishing. Like any great modern-day Western, it isn’t flashy, but by the end of the story, you realize you’ve experienced something special. I’m not from Texas, but I am from the South, and I can say that I’ve been in this world. I’ve met these people. I’ve experienced the heat that this comic perfectly encapsulates. Everything the story wants to do, it does, and it does it to perfection.

Ditto Jacob Phillips. Prior to this I’ve only seen his colouring on Brubaker/Phillips’ books but damn this kid can draw every bit as good as his dad - and, again, still so young! The comic is well laid out with engaging and imaginative shots and expressive characters. Like the writing, it doesn’t seem possible that this is a first-timer’s effort but it looks like both Condon and Phillips are natural comics creators - or, more likely, have worked really hard at their craft to start this strong.

Writer

And yet, despite those issues, Condon knows how to wrote characterization that feels organic, most notably in the old-timer Joe Bob. The first issue is really about a day in Joe Bob’s life before the main storyline commences. Although he is determined to solve this murder case, you can also sense the weariness of this man, who prefers the quiet comfort of being with his wife. His recurring phrase throughout the book is “well”, which sums up Joe Bob completely. My point bein’…sometimes you can’t help but walk into a dirty deed. Sometimes…Sometimes the world, well, sometimes she just turns on you…” Our protagonist, 70-year old Sheriff Joe Bob Coates while going on with his regular duties is pressured by his wife to ask their neighbor in the community for a casserole dish. And you will soon discover why this is important. Overall, it was a good start. It still was kind of bleak and dull, which kinda was the point with capturing the lifestyle of this community, but subtly builds up a mystery through this casserole dish that explodes in the last 3rd of the comic. Phillips added: “We are taking a deeper dive into the world of Ambrose County, blowing off some of that desert dust and seeing what lurks beneath.” And yet, despite those issues, Condon knows how to write characterization that feels organic, most notably in the old-timer Joe Bob. The first issue is really about a day in Joe Bob’s life before the main storyline commences. Although he is determined to solve this murder case, you can also sense the weariness of this man, who prefers the quiet comfort of being with his wife. His recurring phrase throughout the book is “well”, which sums up Joe Bob completely.

On the other hand Condon and Phillips really set up an excellent atmosphere. The pacing is oh so slow, splashed with sudden outbursts of violence. Again No country for old men comes to mind and I really liked book and mocie both. The art is good. So it’s drawn by Jacob Phillips, who is the son of Sean Phillips. Having been a fan of Sean’s art for a while, it’s pretty obvious that while it is definitely different, Jacob was probably inspired by and learned a lot from his father. I think he’ll definitely be getting a lot of jobs in the family business and I look forward to seeing it. The text commentary by writer Chris Condon really nails the meaning of several of these scenes, kind of symbolic and poetic at the same time. Makes you wonder if the main character of this book is Coates, Randy, or the state of Texas itself. It's that Texas blood, quite the influence. That Texas Blood #7 Cover A by Phillips (Diamond Code APR210194) and That Texas Blood #7 Cover by Marc Aspinall (Diamond Code APR210195) will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, June 30.The ending is really good. It pretty much wraps everything up for this story (but supposedly there will be a second volume which I will definitely be reading). Yet, it doesn't take long before you recognize the horror themes and elements that hold Randy's story together and pull him down to the uttermost depths, not unlike Essie Davis' character in The Babadook or Toni Colette in Hereditary. If this is what people mean by "elevated horror," then this author's all for it as That Texas Blood signs, seals, and delivers a pulse-pounding crime thriller worthy of such a cool name. Many have compared the first arc in the series to Ed Brubaker's Pulp (which, interestingly enough, TTB artist Jacob Phillips worked on as a colorist alongside his father Sean Phillips, who drew the graphic novel), but that's not exactly a bad thing. In fact, it takes a lot of the same ideas (and beautiful colors) and reinterprets them through a completely different West Texas lens. That Texas Blood, vol. 1 - Collects #1-6. "Sheriff Joe Bob Coates questions his effectiveness as the aging lawman of Ambrose County, Texas as chaos descends following an explosive highway confrontation and the mysterious death of local rogue Travis Terrill." - OCT200050 - WorldCat - ISBN 9781534318069 - Kindle So what's so great about That Texas Blood? What makes this strange cross between True Detective, Stephen King, and a Taylor Sheridan production so special? Well, for starters, this Texas-based comic is one of the most well-written and intricately woven indie books in years. But, even more than that, and just in time for "Spooky Season," it's a pretty great horror book that covers all your favorite eras of modern horror. Just when it seems like no other creative team will challenge the supremacy of crime comics duo Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, THAT TEXAS BLOOD comes out. Simply brilliant! This may be my absolute favorite crime comic of 2021, and I've read several outstanding entries. Artist Jason Phillips is the son of Sean Phillips, and that influence is all over his outstanding illustrations here.