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EAST OF WEST #3

“THE DRAGON”

Death’s reign of terror over THOSE WHO RULE continues, as the forces of the END TIMES continue to work to bring about the Apocalypse.

It’s the END OF THE WORLD: Someone dies, someone lives, and someone falls in love.

Story by Jonathan Hickman
Art by Nick Dragotta

Price: $3.50
iFanboy Community Pick of the Week Percentage: 7.0%

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Comments

  1. Avatar photo RileyArmpit32 says:
    June 3, 2013 at 3:57 pm

    Slight delay with this, but I’m sure it’ll be worth the wait! (hoping for a double release this month, wishful thinking!)

  2. Avatar photo Scarlet-Batman says:
    June 3, 2013 at 4:03 pm

    Been looking forward to this comic all month! Can’t wait to get my hands on it! California, here I come!

  3. Avatar photo ghostmann says:
    June 3, 2013 at 4:13 pm

    I like this series but kinda wish the covers weren’t so similar – know what I mean? The logo taking up most of the cover smack dab in the middle there I think is a mistake – making all the issues look the same.

    But maybe it’s just me.

    • Avatar photo RileyArmpit32 says:
      June 3, 2013 at 4:21 pm

      Typical Hickman minimal design, similar with his upcoming Avatar series God Is Dead!

    • Avatar photo USPUNX says:
      June 3, 2013 at 4:22 pm

      I, for one, like it. A lot actually. In an era when cover art typically has little to nothing to do with the actual content of any given issue, I like deemphasizing the cover image itself.

    • Avatar photo ghostmann says:
      June 3, 2013 at 4:25 pm

      guess its just me. 😉

    • Avatar photo hanson724 says:
      June 3, 2013 at 4:50 pm

      @ghostmann Its not just you. Love the book so far but the covers are…I don’t know…boring is the best word I can come up with.

    • Avatar photo TurdSandwich says:
      June 3, 2013 at 7:14 pm

      I guess I’m somewhere in the middle. I don’t dislike these covers, but compared to Manhattan Projects, these aren’t as cool in my opinion. I love Hickman’s minimalistic design sense though, and agree w/USPUNX regarding the deemphasizing cover image in favor of clean design.

    • Avatar photo TurdSandwich says:
      June 3, 2013 at 7:17 pm

      I think if he threw in some complimentary orange here and there, it would create a more exciting, visually engaging image.

    • Avatar photo Drumanespic says:
      June 3, 2013 at 7:23 pm

      I have a lot of time for these ‘graphic’ covers. Apart from being well designed, they’re a refreshing contrast to ‘the norm’. There’s more than enough ‘imagery’ within the text pages to satisfy.

    • Avatar photo ghostmann says:
      June 3, 2013 at 7:55 pm

      It is an interesting design and overall eye pleasing, but like I said, it would be nice to have each issue stand apart better

      I mean, what if Saga did the same as East of West? We would never have gotten those outstanding covers that Fiona Staples has delivered.

  4. Avatar photo TheNextChampion says:
    June 3, 2013 at 9:30 pm

    Nick Dragotta just had a child which might explain the delay. Congratulations to him though cause he tweeted photos of his child and, of course, it is ‘awww’ worthy.

    Anyways, looking forward for more of this since this has been a blast to read since the incredible first issue.

  5. Avatar photo Spoons says:
    June 3, 2013 at 9:38 pm

    I really hope this starts making sense to me. I get my fill of being totally confused when Prophet comes out (though I think I may have finally pieced some things together there).

    • Avatar photo wraith1701 says:
      June 3, 2013 at 9:56 pm

      What’s confusing? Death is pissed because of a betrayal in the past, and he’s out for revenge. The other Horsemen want Death out of the picture because he won’t play along with their plans. Also, cool looking character design, awesome world-building and sharp, kinetic writing. I’m hooked, and eager to see what happens next.

    • Avatar photo Spoons says:
      June 3, 2013 at 10:06 pm

      There’s the batch of little kids too, but they’re missing one, which they seem pissed about. I can’t figure out if they are the same as the older ones but from the past, or new ones because the older ones haven’t finished yet. Then the whole religion side of things is still a fairly large question mark. I’d compare it to drinking from a firehose but the information isn’t in a consistent enough context to make much sense as a whole.

      HIckman throws a lot at the reader in Manhattan Projects but the way he diced the information up in the individual issues made it easier to digest. This feels more like when my sister-in-law walks into the room while me and my brother are watching a random episode of Game of Thrones.

    • Avatar photo zlbenson says:
      June 3, 2013 at 10:13 pm

      The kids are the other Horseman. They were reborn young.

    • Avatar photo zlbenson says:
      June 3, 2013 at 10:13 pm

      oops. Horsemen, not horseman.

    • Avatar photo phess1">phess1 says:
      June 5, 2013 at 2:46 pm

      I love Hickman but sometimes when I read the comic I feel like this:
      http://pigroll.com/img/i_have_no_idea_what_im_doing_2.jpg

    • Avatar photo BradLWoods3 says:
      June 8, 2013 at 2:58 am

      LOL @ phess … glad I’m not the only one confused by this series. But I love the explanations by those who aren’t.

  6. Avatar photo wraith1701 says:
    June 4, 2013 at 1:30 am

    Exactly as zlbenson says-

    The three “kids” are the 3 Horsemen who want Death out of the picture, since he has decided to go renegade. Death is the missing Horseman.

    As for the religion, it’s spelled out pretty plainly. The dominant religion predicted the End Of Things at the hands of Death & the other 3 Horsemen. The Horsemen are separating the True Believers from those who are only playing lip-service to their Dogma. The True Believers are led by a Cabal composed of the Heads Of State of each of the 7 existing nations.

    Meanwhile, the Chief Of State from the nation represented by The Black Tower has decided he’s got nothing to loose, so he’s gambling his life on the hunch that he can entice Death to give him a little more time in exchange for information on his supposedly dead wife.

  7. Avatar photo Sman290 says:
    June 4, 2013 at 9:17 am

    After reading the first two issues I think I’m going to wait for trade on this. I feel like I might enjoy reading it better that way.

  8. JML (@twitter.com/JoshMLabelle) says:
    June 5, 2013 at 1:49 pm

    This issue is where this finally clicked for me and I now kind of love it. Dragotta could draw the phone book (actually, that would be confusing and impressive?) and I would be into it, especially with this colouring job.

  9. Avatar photo Callum says:
    June 5, 2013 at 3:39 pm

    First thing I read this week, still very purty, still very cool. I’m still a bit WTF with it though [despite wraith1701’s best efforts]

    • Avatar photo Spoons says:
      June 5, 2013 at 9:51 pm

      It came together a little more for me this time. I think they finally backed up some of the concepts they had introduced in previous issues and didn’t really introduce too much new stuff which was the problem with the first couple issues in my opinion. A solid 4/5 for me this time.

    • Avatar photo BCDX97 says:
      June 7, 2013 at 2:52 pm

      I liked it but it’s another 3/5 for me. I like that it’s original and fresh – I don’t like that it’s slow and kind of empty.

  10. Avatar photo TonyyyG says:
    June 5, 2013 at 9:35 pm

    LOVE THIS BOOK! Easily the best new book of 2013(so far). I agree that the story can get a bit muddy, but i also love that as well. It’s not just straight forward and theres so many subtle details that make you want to read it again. Thats somewhat a rarity in mainstream comics

  11. Avatar photo TheNextChampion says:
    June 5, 2013 at 10:35 pm

    You can tell a lot of story had to be told in this issue with some pages having at least six to ten panels in some cases. Not really complaining just an observation. If anything Dragotta and Martin killed it again on the art. Definitely one of the prettiest books on the stands right now. Well worth the wait and the story is finally starting to gel (no matter how many panels it takes).

    4/5

  12. Avatar photo Scarlet-Batman says:
    June 6, 2013 at 3:47 am

    Wow, wow, wow! Lotts of plot details revealed today. Mao V is pretty powerful, his army is massive and his Great Wall impressive. Death is kicking butt, as expected. I hope we go to The Kingdom or Texas next as I am interested to see their cultures.

  13. Avatar photo Neeks says:
    June 6, 2013 at 7:16 am

    This issue is when everything finally clicked for me, best issue yet

  14. Avatar photo frankt1978 says:
    June 6, 2013 at 3:03 pm

    Man I love Hickman’s independent stuff way more then his Marvel work, FANTASTIC ISSUE.

  15. Avatar photo kennyg says:
    June 6, 2013 at 6:09 pm

    Hang in there, kids, this one is where it all clicks into place…

  16. Avatar photo BradLWoods3 says:
    June 8, 2013 at 2:54 am

    I’m starting to enjoy this a tad more, but not nearly as much as Manhattan Projects. The Asian realm was a nice change of pace. Still not one of my favorite series as of yet.

  17. Avatar photo RileyArmpit32 says:
    June 8, 2013 at 2:28 pm

    Great series so far & I can’t wait for the shit storm that’s about to happen next issue.

  18. Avatar photo theWAC1 says:
    June 9, 2013 at 1:25 am

    This is excellent! In 3 issues we have come nearly full circle; the pacing is such a great ride. This world is enthralling: super-tech, yet very pre-modern with an interesting political landscape and NWO undertone. Death is getting more complicated with every issue and his wife adds a surprisingly complex twist, his Nation friends are bad ass. This book is refreshingly dense and warrants multiple reads, which is VERY welcomed. Add beautiful art and a plethora of potential stories…its a winner.

  19. Avatar photo Drake says:
    June 9, 2013 at 3:00 am

    I read issues #1-3 all in one sitting, so that might have influenced my decision to make this my Pick of the Week.

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