East of West: The World

by Jonathan Hickman & Nick Dragotta

After ending its first year of the apocalypse, East of West treats readers with a special one-shot this week. East of West: The World is a comprehensive way to gather all of the little bits of world building provided so far in the series. East of West: The World also has a lot of new information packed into it as well.

This issue does start off with a small story starring the apocalypse three. The short comic at the beginning shouldn’t be too new for regular readers. Most are probably very familiar with War, Conquest & Famine’s affinity for torturing humans. Any fans who love Nick Dragotta’s art as much as I do, this short will be the extent of it you’ll get in this issue.

After the short comic, East of West: The World then goes on to do a more in-depth look at each of the of the seven different American territories. Each region is broken down with a block of statistics and a few paragraphs summary of their history. Readdressing how North America is outlined is refreshing for monthly readers and serves as a good introduction to new readers.

The last segment in East of West: The World is a long timeline of this America’s history. Any fan of Jonathan Hickman’s work will immediately recognize the style in which the timeline is presented. It’s very similar to how he designs the covers of The Manhattan Projects. There is a different colored timeline to represent each district of America so you can follow separate timelines if the reader wishes. This is also a more comprehensive way to understand the entire timeline as a whole.

East of West: The World isn’t exactly essential, even though there is some new information presented within its pages. It is however, very helpful at gearing readers for the next year of East of West. Current fans will enjoy getting a more in-depth look at this America. Those who may have been holding out on reading East of West might consider checking this one-shot out to get a grasp on what they are in for.