Review: ‘Jinny Hex Special’ #1 Is A Fun And Thrilling Read That Sets Up Jinny For Future Stories Down The Road

I have to admit I have a soft spot for Young Justice’s Jinny Hex. The moment I saw here, and that mysterious treasure chest of hers, I was intrigued by this new DC Comics’ characters potential. The box alone – holding enigmatic artefacts collected a long time ago by her ancestor Jonah Hex – had the potential to spin her out into a standalone series, but for now I’ll make do with this one-shot. Although, with so many Wonder Comics titles now cancelled, I do worry for the continuation of this line. I fear we may well have seen the last of it with Jinny Hex Special #1. I just hope that doesn’t spell the end – for the foreseeable future – of this fun new addition to the DCU. Hopefully the strength of the genre-bending one-shot will work its charm on any commissioning editors still left at DC Comics. That, and Brian Michael Bendis taking over writing duties on Justice League, which gives him ample opportunities to write-in Young Justice whenever he likes. 

Jinny is back home in nowheresville, USA. The heartland of America. And part of America that doesn’t get a look-in that often outside of Superman’s vistas back to his hometown every now and then. It’s also a great backdrop to project various Western tropes onto, but with a modern twist, In this case a travelling vampiric alien-tainted horror known as Three-Eyed Jack. The name alone points to the hybrid genre of this tale. Writer Magdalena Vissagio seems to be having so much fun on this book, and it’s infectious. Hell, even the opening page starts off with a joke, before taking a decidedly darker turn briefly. Which seems to be the narrative pattern for this book. A who lotta fun with a balanced dose of thrills, spills and alien chills! The jokes juts keep on coming, as does the action. It’s a very well balanced book.

And so, instead of a malevolent Western-era gunslinger taking over this small town, its a rather gothic/sci-fi monster with the firepower to match. A man with a history directly tied to the old West, as is revealed along the way. And, while artist Gleb Melnikov has been making the news this week for all the wrong reasons, here he shines as an artist with a bright future ahead of him. He has a style reminiscent of Dan Panosian, and a style that will only further evolve. If nothing else, Melnikov is better known today than he as a day ago. Whether he knows it or not, he’s just pulled of an excellent piece of self-promotion. Although, it really should be his work he is judged on, and here it’s amazing. He manages to capture the wide-eyed innocence of youth while also depicting darker characters and darker moments. All this and a captivating depiction of Mid-West America makes for a wonderful little “Wild” Western tale.

What this one-shot does expertly is set up the potential for further stories featuring Jinny Hex. Setting up her complex heritage and best friend-cum-travelling-companion with snappy, warm and endearing dialogue throughout and all accompanied by dazzling art makes this one of my favourite reads of the week. Sadly, it will be a comic book many, many readers will not pick up. They’d be wrong not to. A funny book that embraces the fun and frothy tone of all the past Wonder Comics titles, and one worthy of your attention. If you;’e passing a comic book store anytime soon, you should really grab this. 

Jinny Hex Special #1 is out now from DC Comics/Wonder Comics

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