The Good
In the last issue of the series Hex and Arkham confront the men that may be behind the disappearance of Gotham's children. Yet from the very start of this fifth issue the plot takes a turn for the worse for Hex when Arkham places himself as well as Hex in a vulnerable position. Surrounded by bad guys, the two characters fall into a whirlpool and come out on the other side, only to come face to face with The Miagani, an group of Natives that have been hiding in the caves beneath the surface of Gotham.
In a way, Palmiotti and Gray sort of draw an interesting parallel between Gotham before and after it became industrialized by including The Miagani natives. At first glance it seems that the Marigani natives were pushed beneath the surface of Gotham to make way for the hustle and bustle of the growing city. This native tribe proves to be a relative challenge for Hex and Arkham, and I look forward to seeing how these relationships evolve.
Moritat knocks it out of the park once again with the fifth issue of ALL-STAR WESTERN. His gritty style is complimentary of the fun and exciting story being crafted by Gray and Palmiotti.
The Bad
I am hoping that the new adversary presented in this issue are given a real purpose and are not simply being used in this issue as a plot device. I think there is potential to dig deeper into Gotham's roots by way of the Miagani. It will be interesting to see whether the creative team takes that particular avenue.
There is nothing really bad in this issue, it is a solid filler issue. Not their best, certainly not their worst.
The Verdict
The creative team has opened a lot of new doors by presenting new characters in this story and it will be interesting to see what happens next. Another beautiful issue. Definitely one of my favorite series of the "new 52."