Published by Image Comics, That Texas Blood #7 is written by Chris Condon with art and a cover by Jacob Phillips.
That Texas Blood #7 releases in print and on digital from June 30, 2021 where all good comics are sold. Grab your digital copy from Comixology right here.
Synopsis
THAT TEXAS BLOOD returns with a BRAND-NEW STORY ARC! Following the traumatic and bloody conclusion of “A BROTHER’S CONSCIENCE,” Joe Bob reminisces about one of his first cases: a haunting and bizarre evening that left a boy dead, a girl missing, a cult on the loose, and introduced a mysterious man called Harlan Eversaul
Review
That Texas Blood is back, and it is back in style! It’s been a year since I reviewed issue one of this series and almost seven months since the last issue was released, a wait that Chris Condon addresses in the first piece of dialogue in the issues which reads “Sorry for the wait, printer got jammed”. This issue was worth the wait.
We are back with Joe Bob, retired Ambrose County sheriff, as he seeks advice from the local pastor and purchases and builds a model aircraft. All of this eventually leads Joe Bob to reminiscing on an old case as we eventually flashback to the case of ‘The dead boy and the missing girl’. The first half of the book is a brilliant slice-of-life story with excellent and engaging dialogue from Condon. You cannot help but, well, read in Joe Bob’s voice and be immersed in the characters ticks and inflections. This is a sign of great writer as Condon has a profound grasp of his characters and their voices. The back matter is another example of Condon’s growing talent and confidence. It fleshes out the story and gives an insight into characters new and old, deftly and effectively mimicking a newspaper articles and a handwritten letter.
Let us take a minute to talk about Jacob Phillips. Just wow! There are instances in the book with minimal or no dialogue in which Jacob Phillips is let loose to tell the story with his art. The character acting and expressions are engrossing and simply perfect. You feel the terror and disgust with Joe Bob, particularly in on 9 panel grid sequence. The pacing of this scene is outstanding as the crime scene photographs alternate with Joe Bob’s reactions to them. It eventually leads up to the final photograph of a dead boy, the pacing working to make this image shock and resonate with the reader. It is a great piece of story telling in this issue. Jacob Phillips has really come into his own and you can see how far he has come over the past year.
Condon and Phillips are the rising stars in the industry producing a book that seasoned pros would be proud of. I hope they continue to collaborate for a long time as this has just, again, become my favourite book. Whatever happens, they are both destined for great things.
Verdict
10/10 – Don’t sleep on this one. If you love True Detective and Neo-Western’s then you’ll love this. If you love great characters and intriguing mystery, you’ll love this. If you are a fan of comics, you will love this!
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