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EAST OF WEST #4

“THE PROMISE”Flashback to the fallout of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Learn what shocking event tore them apart and the secret that has been hidden ever since. The most exciting new book of the year, EAST OF WEST continues in: THE PROMISE.

Story By: Jonathan Hickman
Art By: Nick Dragotta

Price: $3.50
iFanboy Community Pick of the Week Percentage: 20.5%

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wraith170107/11/13NoRead Review
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Avg Rating: 4.6
 
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  1. thumper555 says:
    July 8, 2013 at 4:04 pm

    I was up at Image Expo on the 2nd and Dragotta brought a few advance copies for sale. It’s the best damn issue yet for the writing, the art, and the over all story. Grab it.

  2. Avatar photo RileyArmpit32 says:
    July 8, 2013 at 4:07 pm

    Hopefully we’re getting some serious DEATH in this issue (no pun intended!) with a certain protagonist looking for his wife?!

  3. Avatar photo AmirCat says:
    July 8, 2013 at 4:08 pm

    This is the best issue yet! Dragotta got to go to town with the art in this issue. It rules!

  4. Avatar photo BCDX97 says:
    July 8, 2013 at 4:36 pm

    I keep being unimpressed enough to think about dropping this, but I keep coming back and giving it another chance. I hope sometime soon I either start really liking this or just lose interest altogether. I think it just feels like it’s moving too slowly – which I have read is a flaw of Hickman’s work (I haven’t read very much by him before this).

    • Avatar photo Invincipal says:
      July 8, 2013 at 5:43 pm

      I dropped it after the last issue. I thought it was a good story but I’m not really feeling the direction its taking. I only have 7 to 8 books on my pull so I’m pretty strict about cutting stuff I don’t love. Maybe I’ll pick up the trades later down the road.

    • Avatar photo USPUNX says:
      July 8, 2013 at 6:08 pm

      I think the “slowness” is considered a flaw by those who dislike this work but those who enjoy it, myself included, consider it a strength. I don’t think it’s fair to just describe it as a generally accepted flaw.

    • Avatar photo RileyArmpit32 says:
      July 8, 2013 at 6:23 pm

      I have to agree with USPUNX here, Hickman is my current favourite scribe & I pretty much get everything he’s done or does so for me his style is anything but a flaw. But at the same time I can understand why some people find it frustrating & then either drop or go off his titles!

    • Avatar photo Escargot4Lunch says:
      July 8, 2013 at 6:35 pm

      Definitely with USPUNX and Riley as well. It’s just a different technique in terms of writing, especially when applied to Hickman’s mythology heavy prose. It’s a story that deserves to be spread out methodically and not rushed to get to the action bits. I’m loving this series but I’m finding the complaints to get a little old. After 2-3 issues, people should know what they’re getting into, nor do they need to pick this title up just to complain about how it’s not what they’d hoped. There are so many comics to be read, if you don’t like it, dump it.

    • Avatar photo AmirCat says:
      July 8, 2013 at 6:38 pm

      Dude, I read the advanced copy at Image Expo, and TRUST ME ON THIS! #4 is the best issue yet. It’s pretty amazing, almost like an action movie.

    • Avatar photo BCDX97 says:
      July 8, 2013 at 6:58 pm

      @Escargot4Lunch Your comments are making me want to drop this. If this issue doesn’t blow me away, I’m done with it and you won’t have to listen to my complaints any more. Happy?

    • flapjaxx says:
      July 8, 2013 at 7:13 pm

      Yeah, I’m interested in this series still, but I only bought issue #1 and it didn’t impress me nearly as much as it did most other people. Apocalypse and weird historical revisionism seemed kind of stale and random in a predictable way. And, for me, I wouldn’t necessarily say the problem was “slowness” but rather a sense that I’d need to read about ten issues in a row to be able to really see what Hickman was doing, much less judge whether or not it was “for me” by that point. Hickman can do great stuff, but at times I don’t think his “long game” is always worth it. Glad other people are liking East of West, though, and I’ll be keeping tabs on how others think it compares to Hickman’s other work.

    • Avatar photo frankt1978 says:
      July 8, 2013 at 11:52 pm

      I’m not Escargot4Lunch but BCDX97 it would make me happier than a pig in shit. Great writing and amazing art, love this series.

    • Avatar photo BCDX97 says:
      July 9, 2013 at 2:50 pm

      Maybe I’ll just drop it yet continue to complain about how slow it is even though I’m not reading it anymore. Aww yeah!

    • Avatar photo RileyArmpit32 says:
      July 9, 2013 at 5:17 pm

      @ BCDX97 I think your time of complaining would be better spent on the drivel that DC seem to be releasing these days since it seems that you love their stuff quite a bit!

  5. Avatar photo Scarlet-Batman says:
    July 8, 2013 at 7:57 pm

    If you think this comic is too slow, then you should trade wait it. You obviously want to like the series, so why not read it in a format whose speed is more to your liking?

    As for me, I’m devouring each and every issue. This series is amazing. No doubt about it.

  6. Avatar photo TheNextChampion says:
    July 8, 2013 at 10:03 pm

    Finally!

    A flashback issue should definitely clear up any confusing plot points I have with the series.

  7. Avatar photo WheelHands says:
    July 9, 2013 at 10:42 am

    Don’t understand the “too slow” complaint. I mean, I understand it, but I don’t agree or empathize. I think this book is overflowing with intrigue. If the quality of storytelling is good enough, no one should care how fast it moves. Not everything needs to be fed to readers on a silver platter. Look at Prophet! People love that book and no one can tell you what it’s about!

    Can’t wait for this. It has quickly shot to the top of my list every month (or two).

  8. Avatar photo Nordh says:
    July 10, 2013 at 11:43 am

    Hoooboy that was spectacularly awesome. 😀

  9. Avatar photo frankt1978 says:
    July 10, 2013 at 3:00 pm

    This is so slow,,,,HAHA J/k. Epic Epic issue, still early but probably my POTW.

  10. Avatar photo hanson724 says:
    July 10, 2013 at 4:34 pm

    Great issue! Loved it .

  11. Avatar photo AmirCat says:
    July 10, 2013 at 5:33 pm

    EPIC!!! I TOLD YOU!!!!

  12. Avatar photo WheelHands says:
    July 10, 2013 at 7:53 pm

    How’s that for fast-paced and action-packed?!

    POTW.

  13. Avatar photo TheNextChampion says:
    July 10, 2013 at 10:54 pm

    Dragotta can take all the time he needs with an issue like this. Gorgeous issue from start to finish. Also, pretty damn brutal especially with seeing a head get squished. I especially loved the sequences of Death’s associates transforming into animals to kill Mao’s soldiers.

    Fun issue all around even though this wasn’t the flashback that was promised in the solict. Boo-hoo.

    5/5

  14. Avatar photo TonyyyG says:
    July 11, 2013 at 12:52 am

    gotta say this is perhaps one of the most beautiful books Image has out right now, art wise, it’s a marvel to look at. This issue was about the most straight forward one yet! Excited to see where Hickman takes this story

  15. Avatar photo Scarlet-Batman says:
    July 11, 2013 at 8:04 am

    spoilers

    Lots of death in this one, both the character and Death himself. I love that old codger! He has no fear and flaunts it.

  16. Avatar photo phess1">phess1 says:
    July 11, 2013 at 10:23 am

    This issue was the perfect combination of story, art and ambition. Really tied the whole thing together.

  17. Avatar photo microwave25 says:
    July 11, 2013 at 11:53 am

    Nick Dragotta and Frank Martin have seriously made this one of the most interesting and stunning comics to look at.

    • Avatar photo TurdSandwich says:
      July 11, 2013 at 2:17 pm

      Agreed, every page was fantastic, Dragotta has been killing it every month. How about the page with around 19 panels of mayhem? That has got to be in Panels of the week.

  18. Avatar photo zlbenson says:
    July 11, 2013 at 1:44 pm

    Loved it.

  19. JML (@twitter.com/JoshMLabelle) says:
    July 11, 2013 at 1:51 pm

    This was starting to click for me last issue. Now it’s thoroughly clicked. Great damn comic.

  20. Avatar photo BCDX97 says:
    July 11, 2013 at 4:24 pm

    I though this was the best issue yet. 4 out of 5 for me, and I’m sticking around. The fight scene was pretty damn cool, but the pages after the fight scene I thought were really great.

    I still think that some folks here are very thin-skinned about any criticism for this book and have acted like jerks, but that is no fault of this book.

    • Avatar photo phess1">phess1 says:
      July 12, 2013 at 12:07 pm

      I agree with you on almost everything. Hickman books have all been kind of a slow burn after the first three issues of Avengers. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue on this one either but man this issue just blew the doors off everything. Glad that I stuck around.

    • Avatar photo microwave25 says:
      July 12, 2013 at 3:36 pm

      Just because readers stand up for a book they like doesnt automatically make them jerks. Some might even call you a jerk for taking a poke at it. Its subjective and people will understandably get defensive over something they love.

  21. Avatar photo theWAC1 says:
    July 12, 2013 at 11:52 pm

    This was awesome. Xiaolian’s interaction and conversation with her father was exquisite comic booking. The scope of the action in this issue was impressive. I enjoyed everything about this. Very intelligent, beautiful, and creative. Fantastic dialogue and characterizations. This book really has it all. I read somewhere its going to take a month or two off after every fifth issue, so with how this one ended it kinda bums me out. It’s turning out to be much more than I was expecting.

  22. Avatar photo BradLWoods3 says:
    July 14, 2013 at 9:45 pm

    It’s not the slowness that has kept me from loving this series. It’s the lack of connection I feel with the characters. Preferring Manhattan Projects over this but will stick with it.

    • Avatar photo Baykid says:
      July 14, 2013 at 10:09 pm

      I agree. The battle may have been a big pay off for some readers, but I kind of had a “who cares” moment as I was reading it and I think the reason is basically I have no attachment to anybody in the story. I was pretty sure I was going to drop it, but the last few pages after intrigued me enough to hold in for now.

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