Introduced for the first time in 1972 in the comics All-Star Western #10, Jonah Hex is a creation by writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga. A bad-tempered brutal bounty hunter, Hex emerged at a time when the Western genre was deconstructed and the character contributed to that with his two-face. Looking at him from one side, he looked like the handsome cowboy, but from the other side, with half of his face disfigured, he was a terrifying killer.
The comics introduced him like this: “He was a hero for some, a villain to others… and wherever he rode people spoke his name in whispers. He had no friends, this Jonah Hex, but he did have two companions: one was death itself… the other, the acrid smell of gunsmoke…” Enough said!
At a time when the Comic Code regulations started to loosen up, the violent Jonah Hex became popular in the pages of the Weird Western Tales comics (DeZuniga drew the character for years, but Albano only wrote the first ten adventures of Hex), and after a few years, he finally got his own book. The Crisis on Infinite Earths event put an end to his regular adventures and, since then, he has made multiple comebacks.
Jonah Hex Comics Reading Order
The pre-Crisis Jonah Hex comics have not been collected properly by DC Comics for now. This may change one day, but in the meantime, there’s still a book offering a selection of comic book issues from that period:
- Jonah Hex: Welcome To Paradise
Collects All-Star Western #10, Weird Western Tales #14, 17, 22, 26, 29, and 30, and Jonah Hex #2 and 4.
The first solo Jonah Hex comics series (written by Michael Fleisher with art by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez) began publication in 1977 and was canceled in 1985 following the planned relaunch of DC. This happened with the Crisis on Infinite Earths miniseries–with Hex joining several heroes (in issue #3) in the fight against the Monitor. It’s the beginning of the Modern Age of DC Comics and the bounty hunter was sent in a new direction.
Let’s note that, a few years before that reboot, Jonah Hex already met superheroes as he was a guest star in Justice League of America #159-160 (in 1978) and #198-199 (in 1981)
HEX
Simply titled Hex, his new comic book series came once again from Michael Fleisher (but with art by Mark Texeira, Ron Wagner, and Keith Giffen), but adopted a sci-fi twist. Jonah Hex went from the 1800s to the 21st century, in a bizarre post-nuclear world. The legendary gunfighter is determined to go back to his own time, but this will take time. The Hex comics series was canceled after 18 issues. It still has not been collected.
After that comics ended, Hex appeared in Secret Origins (1987) #21 and he made his last apparition of the 1980s in Swamp Thing #85 (titled “My Name is Nobody”).
Vertigo’s Jonah Hex
After a few years, Jonah Hex starred in a new book, but he had to leave the regular DC line to do that and joined the Vertigo imprint. This marked another notable change for the character as this new take from writer Joe R. Lansdale and artist Tim Truman took him into the Western horror genre. Their work consists of three Jonah Hex comics miniseries: Two-Gun Mojo (1993), Riders of the Worm and Such (1995), and Shadows West (1999), in which Hex fought zombies, a race of subterranean monsters, and Spirit people.
- Jonah Hex: Shadows West
Collects Jonah Hex: Two-Gun Mojo #1-5, Jonah Hex: Shadows West #1-3, and Jonah Hex: Riders of the Worm and Such #1-5.
Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti’s Jonah Hex
Possible Entry Point! Also known as volume 2 of the Jonah Hex comics, this new ongoing written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti (and drawn by various artists, including two issues by Tony DeZuniga) was launched at the end of 2005 and ran for 70 issues.
- Jonah Hex Vol. 1: Face Full of Violence
Collects Jonah Hex #1-6. - Jonah Hex Vol. 2: Guns of Vengeance
Collects Jonah Hex #7-12. - Jonah Hex Vol. 3: Origins
Collects Jonah Hex #13-18. - Jonah Hex Vol. 4: Only the Good Die Young
Collects Jonah Hex #19-24. - Jonah Hex Vol. 5: Luck Runs Out
Collects Jonah Hex #25-30. - Jonah Hex Vol. 6: Bullets Don’t Lie
Collects Jonah Hex #31-36.
- Jonah Hex Vol. 7: Lead Poisoning
Collects Jonah Hex #37-42. - Jonah Hex Vol. 8: Six Gun War
Collects Jonah Hex #44-49. - Jonah Hex Vol. 9: Counting Corpses
Collects Jonah Hex #43 and #50-54. - Jonah Hex: No Way Back
Collects the Original Graphic Novel published to coincide with the film version of Jonah Hex. Art by Tony DeZuniga. - Jonah Hex Vol. 10: Tall Tales
Collects Jonah Hex #55-60. - Jonah Hex Vol. 11: Bury Me In Hell
Collects Jonah Hex #61-70.
In modern times, Jonah Hex was brought back to life during the Blackest Night event to become an undead member of the Black Lantern Corps.
The Jonah Hex Comics during the New 52 Era
In 2011, with the end of the Modern Age era came the New 52 relaunch, a huge reboot of the continuity. For Jonah Hex, even if some elements of his history were preserved, these new adventures are not connected to previously published work. Everything was published in the new All Star Western comics series (Volume 3) written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Moritat.
The story is set during the 1880s with Jonah Hex being recruited by the Gotham City Police Department and teamed up with Amadeus Arkham. With issue #21, the comic book series took a turn as Hex is set to the present.
- All Star Western Vol. 1: Guns and Gotham
Collects All-Star Western Vol. 3 #1-6. - All Star Western Vol. 2: The War of Lords and Owls
Collects All-Star Western Vol. 3 #7-12. - All Star Western Vol. 3: The Black Diamond Probability
Collects All-Star Western Vol. 3 #0, #13-16. - All Star Western Vol. 4: Gold Standard
Collects All-Star Western Vol. 3 #17-21. - All Star Western Vol. 5: Man Out Of Time
Collects All-Star Western Vol. 3 #22-28. - All Star Western Vol. 6: End of the Trail
Collects All-Star Western Vol. 3 #29-34.
Jonah Hex: Rebirth and Beyond
The All Star Western comics concluded in 2014 and there has not been a new ongoing Jonah Hex comic book series since then. The DC Universe was once again relaunched, this time in 2016.
Jimmy Palmioti came back to write a one-shot story as part of the Jonah Hex / Yosemite Sam Special #1, a DC/Looney Toons crossover.
Jonah Hex was reintroduced in the DC Universe as a guest star in issue #9 of the Adventures of the Super Sons mini-series. He made other brief appearances and his great-great-granddaughter, Virginia “Jinny” Hex, was introduced. Like so many other characters, Hex appeared in the Dark Nights: Death Metal event.
Did we forget an important issue? Did we make a mistake? Let us know in the comments!