East of West Volume 2 Explained: The Apocalypse Riders’ Story

In the fractured landscape of Jonathan Hickman’s East of West, where the American Civil War never truly ended and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse ride towards an inevitable doom, Volume 2 – titled We Are All One – escalates the stakes with a masterful blend of political intrigue, biblical prophecy, and visceral action. Collecting issues #6-10 from Image Comics, this arc centres on the enigmatic Apocalypse Riders: War, Famine, and Pestilence, the precocious harbingers of end times who ally with Death’s son in a quest to fulfil The Message. What begins as a tale of rebellion against corrupt theocracies evolves into a profound exploration of destiny, family, and the cyclical violence of history. For fans navigating this dense, alternate-history saga, this volume demands close scrutiny, revealing layers of symbolism that redefine the superhero genre as cosmic Western.

Hickman’s narrative prowess shines here, weaving personal vendettas with grand apocalyptic visions. Released in 2014, East of West Volume 2 builds on the shocking revelations of the first volume, where protagonist Death – the pale rider himself – discovers his resurrected son, also named Death, brainwashed by the fanatical Prophet. The Riders emerge not as mere antagonists but as chaotic agents of prophecy, their childlike innocence clashing with world-ending zeal. This explained breakdown dissects the plot, characters, themes, and artistry, offering clarity on why this volume cements East of West as one of the decade’s most ambitious comics.

At its core, the story interrogates the Riders’ role in The Message, the prophetic text foretelling America’s (and humanity’s) demise. As the seven American nations – The Kingdom, The Confederacy, The Union, The Republic, The Navajo Nation, The Endless Nation, and The Black Towers – manoeuvre for dominance, the Riders embody the inexorable pull of fate. Their alliance with young Death propels the narrative, challenging readers to question whether apocalypse is predestined or manufactured by power-hungry elites.

A Brief Recap: Foundations from Volume 1

To grasp Volume 2’s intricacies, one must revisit the seismic events of The Promise (issues #1-5). In this reimagined 21st-century America, the Civil War Armistice of 1862 birthed a divided continent after a solar event dubbed The End of the World Apocalypse (EOTA) in 1863 killed millions but failed to fully eradicate humanity. Survivors forged the Seven Nations, each with its own ideology, from the evangelical Kingdom to the technocratic Black Towers.

Enter Death, one of the original Four Horsemen, who survived the botched apocalypse. His wife, Xiaolian, a formidable assassin from the Endless Nation, bore him a son – also Death – intended to complete the quartet alongside War, Famine, and Pestilence. Tragedy strikes when President Antonia LeVay assassinates Xiaolian, and the child is presumed dead. Volume 1 culminates in Death reuniting with his son, now a vessel for The Message, and encountering the Riders: three eerie children birthed from prophecy, nurtured in isolation to herald the end.

This setup primes Volume 2’s explosive developments, where familial bonds fracture under prophetic weight, setting the Riders’ story in motion.

Plot Breakdown: Issue by Issue Unravelled

Volume 2 unfolds across five issues, each a tightly coiled narrative bomb. Hickman structures it with non-linear flashbacks, prophetic visions, and brutal confrontations, demanding active reader engagement.

Issue #6: Alliances Forged in Blood

The arc ignites with Death and his son fleeing the Kingdom’s clutches. The Riders – War (boisterous and battle-hungry), Famine (gaunt and manipulative), and Pestilence (plague-ridden and sly) – reveal their origins: engineered by The Message’s cult to embody biblical scourges. They propose an unholy pact to young Death: together, they will assassinate key figures named in the prophecy, starting with the Rangers of the Republic. A visceral shootout ensues, showcasing Nick Dragotta’s kinetic panel layouts as bullets tear through armoured foes. This issue establishes the Riders’ dynamic – sibling-like rivalry masking unified purpose – while hinting at betrayals within the Seven Nations.

Issue #7: The Prophet’s Shadow

Diving into backstory, we witness the Riders’ “birth” via arcane rituals in hidden enclaves. Flashbacks intercut with present-day pursuits by Kingdom enforcers, including the stoic Ranger Ezra Orion. The Riders’ philosophy crystallises: they view themselves as liberators, purging the world of false prophets. Young Death grapples with his dual heritage, torn between his father’s vengeful path and the Riders’ zealotry. Hickman layers irony – the very prophecy they serve was corrupted by human ambition centuries ago.

Issue #8: Fractured Alliances and Revelations

Political machinations intensify as the Council of the Seven Nations convenes. Bel Solomon of the Black Towers plots techno-dominance, while Confederacy’s Governor Bel III schemes secession. The Riders strike the Republic, their child forms belying godlike power: War summons spectral armies, Famine induces mass starvation illusions, Pestilence unleashes bio-plagues. Death intervenes, saving Ezra but dooming others, underscoring his moral ambiguity. A pivotal twist exposes the Prophet’s manipulation of The Message, planting seeds of doubt among the Riders.

Issue #9: Riders Unleashed

Chaos peaks in a multi-faction war. The Riders infiltrate the Navajo Nation, targeting shamanic leaders. Dragotta’s double-page spreads capture apocalyptic vistas: dust storms laced with pestilence, famine-ravaged ghost towns, war machines clashing under blood moons. Young Death defects momentarily, allying with his father against the Riders, but prophetic visions reaffirm their bond. Xiaolian’s ghost haunts the narrative, her unresolved murder fueling Death’s rampage.

Issue #10: Unity in Apocalypse

Climaxing with the title’s thesis – “We Are All One” – the issue unites disparate threads. The Riders reconcile with young Death, proclaiming their mission’s necessity. Betrayals cascade: LeVay’s machinations unravel, and Ezra confronts his faith. The volume ends on a knife-edge, with The Message’s final verses recited, priming the end times. Hickman’s scripting masterfully balances micro-drama (family tensions) with macro-scale (national collapse).

The Apocalypse Riders: Profiles in Doom

Central to Volume 2, the Riders transcend archetypes, humanised through Hickman’s psychological depth.

  • War: The alpha, a red-skinned berserker with a penchant for melee carnage. His glee in violence masks vulnerability – abandonment by “parents” (cultists) fuels rage. Dragotta renders him as a feral child-soldier, evoking The Boys antiheroes but biblical.
  • Famine: Skeletal and silver-tongued, she wields hunger as a weapon, starving enemies psychologically. Her manipulations echo Machiavelli, questioning survival’s cost in a resource-scarce world.
  • Pestilence: Bubonic and black-humoured, he spreads disease with casual flicks. Least fleshed out here, his arc hints at empathy, subverting plague tropes.

Together, they form a surrogate family for young Death, their interactions laced with dark humour and pathos. Unlike traditional Horsemen, these are products of indoctrination, blurring villainy and victimhood.

Themes and Symbolism: Prophecy as Power

Hickman dissects American exceptionalism through The Message, a corrupted scripture mirroring real-world fundamentalism. The Riders symbolise inevitable decline: War as endless conflict, Famine as inequality, Pestilence as unchecked greed. Volume 2 critiques theocracy – the Kingdom’s zealotry parallels historical cults – while exploring nurture versus nature. Death’s paternal struggle reflects broader questions: can one defy fate?

Cultural resonance abounds. Influences from Preacher, The Stand, and Westerns like Deadwood infuse mythic weight. The divided States satirise modern polarisation, prescient in 2014.

Artistic Brilliance: Dragotta and Martin’s Vision

Nick Dragotta’s pencils elevate the script. Dynamic compositions – Riders silhouetted against fractured skylines, prophetic fractals – convey scale. Frank Martin’s colours pop: crimson wars, ashen famines, viridian plagues. Letterer Rus Wooton’s integrated sound effects immerse readers in chaos. This volume’s art rivals Hickman’s Black Monday Dies, proving East of West‘s prestige status.

Reception and Legacy

Critically lauded, Volume 2 earned praise for narrative density (IGN: 9.5/10) and visuals. Sales surged, spawning merchandise and influencing series like Saga. Its legacy endures in Hickman’s oeuvre, echoed in Decorum‘s world-building. Adaptations loom – Hulu eyed it pre-strike – promising cinematic spectacle.

Conclusion

East of West Volume 2 masterfully expands the Riders’ saga, transforming biblical myth into a mirror for societal fractures. Hickman’s intellect, Dragotta’s artistry, and the Riders’ tragic zeal create a comic pinnacle: thrilling, thought-provoking, timeless. As prophecies unfold across subsequent volumes, this arc reminds us that apocalypse isn’t distant – it’s woven into ambition and belief. Dive deeper; the end rides ever closer.

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