That Texas Blood #14
Chris Condon words
Jacob Phillips art, colors & letters
Pip Martin color assistant
From Image Comics
First time in Ambrose County? Make sure to lock your doors and peep the solicit:
THAT TEXAS BLOOD returns with a BRAND-NEW STORY ARC! As a winter storm looms over Ambrose County in January of 1992, a local woman's body is discovered and believed to be the latest victim of a horrifying West Texas serial killer.
That Texas Blood is back, and winter is coming!
The days are cold, the nights frigid, and Sheriff Joe Bob has his hands full with the traumatizing events penned by the masterful Chris Condon.
I geek out on tension, and this issue has the razor wire pulled taut against our trembling necks. There’s an upcoming election, and Ambrose County isn’t all too happy with Sheriff Joe Bob. Plus, it appears someone in the Sheriff’s office might be leaking some evidence. A massive winter storm is rolling through Texas, and the citizens are getting panicky. Oh, there’s also a new serial killer on the loose.
The pacing in issue 14 is off the rails. It’s structured incredibly well. I had to double-back a couple times because I was turning the pages too quickly and worried I might miss the breadcrumbs Condon left for readers to follow.
I had the pleasure of interviewing Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips, and they both assured me that this new arc’s premier is rather tame compared to what they’ve got in store for us. That’s quite the statement, but you can bet your cowboy hat and boots that I’m gonna be lingering around to see how it all plays out.
Phillips did a great job on this issue as well. His art really amped up the horror vibe, and that opening scene had a creep factor of at least 5000.
Jump scares in comics are really hard to pull off, but the first pages of this new issue will straight up unsettle you and get your bones rattling. My nerves were firing off in unsettling ways, screaming, “Danger, Danger!” underneath my skin. I felt like someone was behind me and kept looking over my shoulder. That paranoia stayed with me until the final pages of issue 14, and, folks, nothing can prepare you for it.
Everything about this issue sings (well, perhaps, I should say, “screams”). The old cliche of something firing on all cylinders, it’s happening in real time. That Texas Blood’s engine is purring. Condon and Phillips are depressing the gas pedal. The revs are turning into roars. This car is shrieking down a darkened highway and taking us into unknown territory.
Hop in this back seat, baby. We’re going for a ride.
Blake’s Buzz Episode #38 is out, and I had the absolute pleasure of talking to Chris Condon and Jacob Phillips about the return of That Texas Blood. We talk about the creation process, the stressors of pulling off the perfect sound effects, and all the wonderful ways horror and crime blend into the perfect, bloody smoothie. Give it a listen!
You can download Blake’s Buzz anywhere epic podcasts can be downloaded, or you can go to my Megaphone page here.
Unfortunately, there is no Blake’s Buzz Live this week. I’m taking a breather, but we’ll be back next week! If you missed last week’s epic episode, you can head over to my YouTube channel and check it out.
Chris Moses survived his 3rd Blake’s Buzz appearance while he amps us up to The Saturn Effect ALPHA’s first trade paperback! Robert Krisch dropped by to talk about his raunchy horror comic, Turner Family Terrors, and Charlie McElvy made an appearance to tell us all about the new issue of Spider-Squirrel!
These Wednesday night forums have been really fun, and it’d be awesome if we could get some more live viewers and YouTube subscribers (click here to subscribe). Liking the videos is also super helpful, and I’d appreciate if you took a moment to click that thumbs up.
As always, thanks for reading, watching and listening.
A Review of That Texas Blood #14
Loved the podcast episode with these guys. What a great conversation. I really enjoyed the first arc of TTB and I keep meaning to get back to it. I liked it for most/all of the reasons you mentioned in the interview.
Slow, deliberate, long form storytelling. Authentic Texas vibes. And great characters in a shitty situation that you want to see come out on the other side but you never feel secure in the idea that they will.
It's like GAME OF THRONES in small town West Texas with some horror, crime, and supernatural undertones. What's not to love?
I'll have to get caught up at some point. Thanks for the awesome review!