Reading East Of West Vol 1: What Actually Happens When You Open It
Most people start with the cover — the dead horse, the three Presidents, the title that sounds like a geography mistake. Then they get to page one and realize Jonathan Hickman has done something different with the American mythos. East Of West Vol 1 collects issues #1 through #5 of Image Comics' series. It runs about 144 pages and costs roughly $16.99 on a good day. The story opens with the Death of the President — literally. A sniper takes out the man in the Oval Office at the start of the first issue, and three men who look identical are tasked with finding his replacement before the country tears itself apart.Why East Of West Vol 1 Matters (And Why It Might Not)
I picked this up thinking it was just a cool premise. It is, but it's also a book that asks you to stay with it through roughly forty pages of worldbuilding that feels more like a policy briefing than a comic. Hickman doesn't hand you exposition. He hands you a map and assumes you're paying attention. The world is a future America split between the authoritarian Eastern States (led by a President Thomas Jefferson III who treats the Constitution like a suggestion) and the libertarian Western states, with the devastated "Deathlands" in between. Water is currency. The government is collapsing. And somewhere in there, the original President's ghost is a thing that actually happens. The art by Nicolas Kim is clean, functional, and occasionally striking. It doesn't try to be David Mack or Sean Gordon Murphy. It does its job and moves on. Which is exactly what this story needs — the visuals support the political chaos without trying to outshine it.Personal note: I skimmed the first issue once because I thought the dialogue was too dense. Returned to it second time around and caught that every single line of political back-and-forth was doing double duty — worldbuilding AND character. That's not easy writing. Most comics can't pull that off.
The Three Riders and What They Actually Represent
The central cast is built around four brothers who are all clones or copies of the same genetic template. One becomes President. One leads the resistance. One goes missing and becomes a ghost story. The fourth — that's War — and he's the one you'll remember. War rides east. That's the whole title. He's hunting something, and whatever he's chasing becomes the through-line of the entire volume. The other brothers have their own arcs, but War's journey is what holds the book together. Here's what beginners miss: the clone family isn't just a sci-fi gimmick. It's Hickman's way of asking what happens when identity is commodified. The Presidents aren't leaders. They're interchangeable parts in a system that ran out of organic options centuries ago. That's the real horror underneath the action sequences.I ran into a specific problem during my first read — I kept losing track of which brother was which because they all look the same. The workaround was simple: I started noting who was speaking in the dialogue bubbles by their narrative role, not their face. Once I stopped trying to visually distinguish them, the story clicked into place. They're supposed to look identical. That's the point.
How to Read East Of West Vol 1 Without Getting Lost
Don't rush it. This isn't a book you consume in one sitting and move on from. The political structure alone — the Eastern States, the Constitutionalists, the various factions — needs you to pause and let it settle. Start with the map at the front of the volume. Yes, really. The geography matters more than most readers realize. The Deathlands, the East River quarantine zone, the Western territories — knowing where things are helps you understand why characters make the choices they make. Pay attention to the water references. Every time someone mentions water, drought, or thirst, pay attention. It's not set dressing. It's the economic engine of the entire story. The tone is deliberately cold. Hickman doesn't want you to feel sorry for anyone. He wants you to understand the system. That's why the violence, when it comes, hits harder — because nobody's crying about it in the panels.What This Volume Gets Right (And Where It Stumbles)
East Of West Vol 1 succeeds as atmosphere and concept. The political thriller framing works because Hickman actually researched American constitutional history enough to twist it into something recognizable yet terrifying. The Founding Fathers as cloned dynasty is absurd until you realize it's not that far from how political families already operate. The pacing in the middle issues drags slightly. Issues #3 and #4 spend more time on worldbuilding than character development, which is fine if you're invested but frustrating if you picked this up for the action. War's journey should have more breathing room. Nicolas Kim's art is consistent but doesn't push boundaries. For a book about cloning and political assassination, you might expect more visual experimentation. Instead, you get competent, clean storytelling art. It serves the material. It doesn't elevate it.Download and Where to Get It
East Of West Vol 1 is available as a collected paperback from Image Comics, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and local comic shops. Digital versions run through ComiXology and the Kindle store. If you're looking for the exact trade paperback: ISBN 978-1-63215-532-1, released August 2015. The digital edition is roughly $9.99.I found that buying from a local shop supported the creators better than the big retailers, and the staff actually knew what they were talking about when I asked questions. That's not something you get everywhere, but it's worth seeking out if you're serious about comics.
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Who Should Read This (And Who Shouldn't)
Read it if you like political thrillers, dystopian futures, or comics that treat you like an adult. Hickman doesn't hold your hand. He assumes you can connect dots across multiple panels and issues. Skip it if you want straightforward superhero action or emotional warmth. This book is a machine. It runs efficiently. It doesn't care about your feelings. The sequel, East Of West Vol 2, continues War's journey and answers questions raised in this volume. If you finish Vol 1 and want more, the series runs six volumes total. Each one stands alone but gains context from the previous material.My honest assessment after reading it twice: this is a concept book. The idea — cloned Presidents, water wars, a post-collapse America — is strong enough to carry the execution. And the execution is competent, if not groundbreaking. It's the kind of comic that sticks with you because of what it makes you think about, not because of what it shows you.
