Artist and writer superstar Skottie Young is here with Ain’t No Grave. Released by Image Comics, this fantasy western tells the story of Ryder, a reformed thief trying to get more time with her husband and daughter before her death. Ryder’s solution to skirt her demise isn’t to cheat death, but to find and kill Death.
Revolver Ridge Ryder was the best thief this side of the Mississippi River until she met her husband Darius and had her daughter Joey. Ryder settles into a peaceful home until a life-changing diagnosis of consumption gives her a long-forgotten outlook on life. Ryder’s story cuts back and forth between the present and the past, where she and Darius struggle between how to spend her remaining days. Darius wants her to stay home, get treatment, and prolong her life. Ryder wants to leave home to go on this quest to make sure her family is taken care of while making her last stand with her pending mortality.
When you get into the meat of the story, the world Ryder goes through is bonkers, which is par for the course of a Skottie Young story. The people and things that Ryder crosses paths with are not necessarily what nightmares are made of, but they are not desirable. Reckoning with her past without asking for any forgiveness for the crimes committed is a ballsy move. With its chapter titles named after the five stages of grief, this story feels like a reverse Coco by way of Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven and Cullen Bunn’s The Sixth Gun.
Jorge Corona is able to contrast this world of uneasy characters with beautiful landscapes, as if they were filmed in 70 mm cameras by John Ford. Jean Francois Beaulieu’s colors adapt well between the time jumps. They balance the times when we see Ryder at home and when she’s on her quest. Nate Piekos’ lettering contrasts the two points in the story that are quiet and loud. While there are more of the former, the lettering shines as it also disrupts those quiet moments.
If you’ve struggled with getting someone interested in westerns, Ain’t No Grave is a great start. The tone and grit of westerns are represented well, but the fantastical elements are a great touch.
Creative Team: Scottie Young (writer), Jorge Corona (artist), Jean-Francois Beaulieu (colorist), Nate Piekos (letterer)
Publisher: Image Comics
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