East of West is a big, big story. Its intertwining narratives and range of complex characters have made the dystopian Western one of the most essential reads during the past few years.

It also means that there have been issues that are more set-up than pay-off. More exposition than execution. And it’s certainly the case in this instalment. It kicks off with a quick origin flashback before teasing some potential series high encounters.

In hands less deft than Hickman and Dragotta this could prove a little frustrating, particularly given we’ve had to wait three months since #38 came out. Blue-balling loyal readers can be a fraught exercise.

However, this issue crackles with possibilities. Death and his misaligned end-of-days brethren are brought almost within touching distance. The Seven Nations continue to circle each other. Psalms rise from the dead (or at least #29).

Hickman’s story and Dragotta’s artwork have always been a hat-tip to the Spaghetti Westerns of Sergio Leone but god-damn if they didn’t perfectly nail that jittery pre-gunfight angst here.

The artwork is masterfly cut between framed heroes looking into uncertain horizons, to extreme close-ups and side-eyed glances. Dialogue is deliberate, sparse. Yet there’s still enough cynicism and dark humour to please all East of West fans.

Issue #39 might not have the big set pieces of earlier blockbuster issues but I guarantee that, just like one of Leone’s classics, you’ll be coming back to for years to come.

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