Comic Review: That Texas Blood #1

That Texas Blood #1

Image Comics

Writer: Chris Condon

Artist: Jacob Phillips

Sheriff Joe Bob Coates is celebrating is 70th birthday. The old man is spending the day on the clock trying to recover a casserole dish that his wife needs for tonight’s dinner. Poor Joe Bob is also stumbling into something much bigger than a casserole dish.

That Texas Blood is the latest series published by Image Comics. It’s written by Chris Condon, making it the writer’s debut with a major publisher. His story is a modern Western crime tale, and this first issue is a slow burn. The script is full of mundane and seemingly unimportant moments as the reader gets to know Job Bob. There isn’t too much action until the very end, which will likely put off some readers.

For those who stick around, there might be something special here. Condon does a fantastic job of building the world, establishing the characters and their little quirks. All of the mundane moments feel authentic, and Joe Bob is full of life despite his age. After all of the exposition, readers are treated to glimpse at some of the town’s darkness as some weird stuff happens. It’s likely that the next issue or two will have much faster pacing as Joe Bob uncovers more. It looks like something supernatural is brewing, which can add an exciting element to the genre.

Jacob Phillips is mostly known as the colorist for Criminal. He makes his art debut in That Texas Blood and leaves behind a strong first impression. It’s not surprising that his colors are fantastic throughout the issue. The color choices throughout the issue set the tone for each situation, and do more than just add depth to the art. The panels flow together well due to some great sequential art, showing that Phillips already has a great understanding of storytelling in comics.

While it mostly feels uneventful, That Texas Blood is an interesting debut that is full of character. Fans of crime and western stories will want to check this one.