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. 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. That Texas Blood doesn’t feel like it was adapted from short stories or an undeveloped script. Condon does a great job writing for comics and his power really comes from how well he crafts small character moments and builds atmosphere with the sharing of folkloric story tales between the people who inhabit the world. One of my favorite things that Condon does here is the addition of Joe’s wife Martha using the police walkie talkie to chat with him throughout the day. It’s a sweet almost irrelevant thing that showcases not only how much Joe loves his wife but also the usually slow pace of the day to day movements in Ambrose Country.

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). It's probably unfair to compare this to Criminal just because a member of the Phillips family is drawing, but it looks and feels like a Criminal story and that's what it seems like it wants to be. But the story part never really hits in the same way. Hell, the main character's narrative arc is nearly the same as Tracy Lawless. But the reason for Tracy's return and stay felt earned in a way it didn't here. 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. Not a bad start, especially for a rookie duo such as Condon and Phillips. I hear this is Chris Condon's first book ever in the industry, so for his official start, it was good. 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.

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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. 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). I think it tries a bit too hard to emulate the feel of a Brubaker/Phillips book but it as a damn good copy. All that across six tersely beautiful issues that do you the courtesy of finally just showing you instead of telling you in laborious, overwrought narration. It’s also awesome too, Condon excels at the crime stuff but also totally nails the cosmic terror of bad childhoods, the death grip of “masculinity”, the grace of aging (and the disconnection from society that comes with it). This thing is kinda all things to all

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. Overall great stuff. I think this will attract many Brubaker comparisons because of the plot and the art work but this has a ton of merit beyond that. Jacob Phillips and Chris Condon have their own flair for telling a story like this. 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. 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.” This is a great story with well written characters, a very intense tone, some good twists at the end and nicely done artwork.ThatTexasBlood has a lot of that more-behind-what-it-shows air of mystery to it. i actually even thought there would be more supernatural affectations to it but that turns out to be some storytelling motif. Chris Condon, the writer and apparent mentee of Brubaker, is also good in this first volume. The story is called by some western noir, and I guess that fits. Condon’s story isn’t as layered or filled with as many pop culture references or is quite as clever as Brubaker’s work, but that is the highest standard. Condon has a nice ear for dialogue and a sense of humor echoing Brubaker: A casserole dish is featured as punchline for a macabre joke.

There’s homespun, down-home humor you might see as cliched, but I think even Texans might enjoy it as fun. Joe Bob kills a rattlesnake with a shovel--hey, why dint he jus’ shoot it?! Joe Bob is every older tightlipped western sheriff you ever saw or read about, but he’s real and really likable. Little touches, too: We see a woman in a t-shirt that reads “Everything's Bigger in Texas.” Someone says, “Better to seem a fool than to open up your mouth and remove all doubt.” On to the story. It starts off with this typically Texan community thats close-knit. Condon really got down the dialogue that pe ople down in Texas or the Southern US in general talk, because some words I don't even understand. It might seem boring or casual, but going deeper into the book, a increasingly hints at a a future event. But that allurement still doesn't cover up that this book can be pretty bogged down or dull. idk, it was a jog to get through 2/3rd of this. 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. which is a phrase oft repeated in this book - that was surprising. Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips’ That Texas Blood, Volume 1 is one helluva debut! Like father, like son, Jacob Phillips, like his dad Sean, has found a great Ed Brubaker-esque partner in Chris Condon to produce what could easily be a new addition to the Criminal library. 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

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.” Now THAT is some by god good damn comics, y’all. I knew as soon as I finished the stellar #1 issue that I was gonna just burn through this, and whatta ya know…