If I didn't know any better, I'd think that All-Star Western #18 was the final issue of the series. Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray use this latest issue as a means of wrapping up Hex's adventures in Gotham City. It's a shift that had to happen sooner or later, though I wish they hadn't tried to simultaneously send off Hex and wrap up the battle with Vandal Savage in the same issue.
Pacing is the great enemy in this issue. Whereas several books this week suffered from an overly lackadaisical approach, All-Star Western veers in the opposite direction. The writers follow Hex and Dr. Arkham as they flee their pursuers, make their way through the hidden tunnels beneath Gotham, gain a few new allies, and have their final showdown with Vandal Savage. As with the previous issue, Savage is easily the standout character in this story. Palmiotti and Gray have a strong handle on the villain as he is at this stage in his long life -- a far cry from the sickly, depressed Savage we saw in The Return of Bruce Wayne #4. Savage's showdown with Hex is thoroughly entertaining, with a strong Indiana Jones vibe to it.
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