Advance Review: Shehan Continues To Impress In ‘Mine Is A Long, Lonesome Grave’ #2

Chris Shehan knows how to make an entrance with his art.

In the premiere issue of Mine is a Long, Lonesome Grave, Shehan showed a man getting iron railroad spikes getting pounded into his eyes. In the follow-up issue we see that same poor soul strung out on the hood of a car for all to see.

He quickly follows that up with a head being disintegrated by a bullet, a chorus of demonic beings egging on the shooter, and another victim impaled by a tree branch. It’s no wonder the first spoken words of this issue are: “Well, fuck.”

Shehan doesn’t rely exclusively on gore in this revenge story – though there is likely plenty more where that came from in the limited series’ final two issues. Every character has a distinct look, which is admirable given the number of gang members main character, Harley Creed, dispatches in this issue. Shehan, along with colorist Alessandro Santoro, also provides a great double-page spread near the end of the issue.

Creed is suffering from a hex that his deceased wife’s family cast on him, He’ll be dead in days unless he can kill the person responsible for the hex. Writer Justin Jordan never takes his foot off the gas, giving the issue – and the entire story today day – some great pacing.

The issue initially feels like Jordan is taking readers on a needless tangent, but it quickly becomes clear that this experienced scribe knows what he’s doing. Jordan is also good when playing with moral ambiguities. Is Creed the hero of this story or the villain? Does either one really exist in this small West Virginia town? And does the distinction even matter at this point?

Those are all questions for readers to ponder while waiting for the series’ next installment.

Mine is a Long, Lonesome Grave #1 is available at comic book shops Wednesday, March 12, 2025, from Oni Press.