A Hurried End?
One of the things I really liked about Bat Lash: Guns and Roses, Chapter 6 - 'Dancin' with El Diablo', was the cover. I have to admit, the 'RIP' cross and tagline 'Trail's End!' definitely led me to expect a different ending than what was in store in this book.
On the downside, it seems as if this final installment was a bit rushed. There are points at which the art looks simplistic and perfunctory compared to past issues. In my review of last issue I mentioned that there was a point where it seemed like a panel was possibly missing; in this issue there are a few places like that, where it seems like either a panel was skipped or where another panel would have helped cover 'jumps' in the story. Whatever the case, it seems pretty clear that from about page 12 to about page 19 the quality is not as good as the preceding or following pages. I don't want to overstate the case, because there still is a lot of pretty good work in those seven pages - just not the excellent work that elevated Bat Lash: Guns and Roses above the level of average.
Still, the ending sets up Bat Lash's origin and as with most westerns, it's a tragic story. Argones, Branvold and Severin may not push any envelopes, but they at least know how to deliver what's expected.
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