Image Comics; $3.99

The first multi-issue arc in That Texas Blood, “A Brother’s Conscience,” ends its five-chapter run in this issue. Writer Chris Condon and artist Jacob Phillips have created a multi-layered, multi-faceted tale that is steeped in Texas ambience without once dwelling on topics like the heat or how spread out things can be in the Lone Star state.

There is something for most crime comics fans in this series, much of it packed into this issue. The set-up was solid, but still the payoff managed to feel like it was a bit out of left field (but in a “geez-I-didn’t-see-that-coming” way, not a bad way).

Whether by design or not, the laconic sheriff, Joe Bob, has an incredible appeal and I can’t wait to see more of him whenever this series returns to comic shops. I hope it’s not a long wait.

– J.C. Vaughn