That Texas Blood #5 Review
riter – Chris Condon
Art – Jacob Phillips
Publisher – Image Comics
One of my favorite new comics of this year has easily been That Texas Blood. This neo-western noir style story really has surprised me because while I do enjoy a good noir style story, it’s not too often that I get into one and get hooked like I did on the first issue of this series. After reading the advanced review copy of issue one, I was blown away and immediately reached out to the writer of the story, Chris Condon because I knew I needed to find out more about the man behind the pen and after not only doing an interview with Condon but actually staying in close contact with him, I’ve learned why this story checks every box as Condon is probably one of the most genuine creators out there and his extensive background as a film writer has really made That Texas Blood shine and the reason it’s heading back for multiple printings.
Well…
That Texas Blood #5 takes us right into the chaos caused by our protagonist Randy. From the last issue we were taken on a deep dive into Randy’s current psychological state as events seem to unfold very fast for him after returning home to Texas and his demons quickly grab a hold of him. Condon then walks the story back a bit and takes readers in a true noir style series of events that inform readers on how he got to the point he was at in the beginning of the issue. This issue is easily my favorite of the series so far and that’s mainly because of the writing elements used by Condon in this issue that really takes the reader on a deep dive into how did we get to this moment and the issue reads as if it was a film or short brought to life in the pages of a comic book rather than a screen and really sets this issue a part from not only the series but other comics out there right now. The writing of the issue also pulls readers emotions into the story, making readers sympathize with Randy and letting us feel his pain while also making us kind of question his actions and making us feel angry by his actions and his cowardice. Truly a fully immersive experience all around that checks all the boxes I look for when scoring a comic issue as high as I did for this issue.
For the art of this issue, Jacob Phillips really sets the bar high by delivering what I feel is his best work in the series to date. From issue one to now, you can really see an overall evolution in Phillips art as well as colors as he starts to become more comfortable with his character designs and details, giving readers a really smooth look overall with the characters as well as the settings and backgrounds as well as delivering some more beautiful detailing that really helps to create a more realistic visual in this issue. Phillips really sells the emotions of the story through his artwork in this issue and without even seeing dialogue you can feel the story and the overall tones and his color work on this issue specifically might be some of the best I have seen in a recent comic. The first page alone really pulls you in and with only art and colors you can feel the dark tones and already know what you’re about to get into as you turn through the pages of this issue. To be able to sell the story with no dialogue is something that requires great skill from the artist and in this issue Phillips proves that he has the talent to pull that off and more. Overall, just a stunning visual that really sells readers on the tones and emotions of the story.
That Texas Blood #5 really is sets itself apart from most other books out there and even though Condon is a newer name to the comic world, he is making a huge splash gaining more recognition and proving that he has the chops to deliver what I believe to be one of the best noir style comics we’ve seen in a long time. Then add Jacob Phillips on top of that and you get a stunning visual that that stimulates the readers imagination and really sells the overall tones and emotions that give readers an immersive experience into the world that these two have created and it’s such an amazing ride that you don’t want it to stop. Truly a gut punch right into this dark world set in a small Texas town that delivers all the highs and lows that equate to a story readers won’t soon forget and will want to revisit time and against
That Texas Blood #5 is available today at your local comic shop so make sure you head down to your preferred shop and pick it up. The issue is also available via digital download from your preferred digital retailer. Make sure you guys let us know what you thought of the issue and what you thought about Randy by leaving a comment down below!
-Wes Greer
Art – Jacob Phillips
Publisher – Image Comics
One of my favorite new comics of this year has easily been That Texas Blood. This neo-western noir style story really has surprised me because while I do enjoy a good noir style story, it’s not too often that I get into one and get hooked like I did on the first issue of this series. After reading the advanced review copy of issue one, I was blown away and immediately reached out to the writer of the story, Chris Condon because I knew I needed to find out more about the man behind the pen and after not only doing an interview with Condon but actually staying in close contact with him, I’ve learned why this story checks every box as Condon is probably one of the most genuine creators out there and his extensive background as a film writer has really made That Texas Blood shine and the reason it’s heading back for multiple printings.
Well…
That Texas Blood #5 takes us right into the chaos caused by our protagonist Randy. From the last issue we were taken on a deep dive into Randy’s current psychological state as events seem to unfold very fast for him after returning home to Texas and his demons quickly grab a hold of him. Condon then walks the story back a bit and takes readers in a true noir style series of events that inform readers on how he got to the point he was at in the beginning of the issue. This issue is easily my favorite of the series so far and that’s mainly because of the writing elements used by Condon in this issue that really takes the reader on a deep dive into how did we get to this moment and the issue reads as if it was a film or short brought to life in the pages of a comic book rather than a screen and really sets this issue a part from not only the series but other comics out there right now. The writing of the issue also pulls readers emotions into the story, making readers sympathize with Randy and letting us feel his pain while also making us kind of question his actions and making us feel angry by his actions and his cowardice. Truly a fully immersive experience all around that checks all the boxes I look for when scoring a comic issue as high as I did for this issue.
For the art of this issue, Jacob Phillips really sets the bar high by delivering what I feel is his best work in the series to date. From issue one to now, you can really see an overall evolution in Phillips art as well as colors as he starts to become more comfortable with his character designs and details, giving readers a really smooth look overall with the characters as well as the settings and backgrounds as well as delivering some more beautiful detailing that really helps to create a more realistic visual in this issue. Phillips really sells the emotions of the story through his artwork in this issue and without even seeing dialogue you can feel the story and the overall tones and his color work on this issue specifically might be some of the best I have seen in a recent comic. The first page alone really pulls you in and with only art and colors you can feel the dark tones and already know what you’re about to get into as you turn through the pages of this issue. To be able to sell the story with no dialogue is something that requires great skill from the artist and in this issue Phillips proves that he has the talent to pull that off and more. Overall, just a stunning visual that really sells readers on the tones and emotions of the story.
That Texas Blood #5 really is sets itself apart from most other books out there and even though Condon is a newer name to the comic world, he is making a huge splash gaining more recognition and proving that he has the chops to deliver what I believe to be one of the best noir style comics we’ve seen in a long time. Then add Jacob Phillips on top of that and you get a stunning visual that that stimulates the readers imagination and really sells the overall tones and emotions that give readers an immersive experience into the world that these two have created and it’s such an amazing ride that you don’t want it to stop. Truly a gut punch right into this dark world set in a small Texas town that delivers all the highs and lows that equate to a story readers won’t soon forget and will want to revisit time and against
That Texas Blood #5 is available today at your local comic shop so make sure you head down to your preferred shop and pick it up. The issue is also available via digital download from your preferred digital retailer. Make sure you guys let us know what you thought of the issue and what you thought about Randy by leaving a comment down below!
-Wes Greer
A Look Inside
