Image Comics' long-running dystopian Western comic East of West is coming to an end in December. The series by writer Jonathan Hickman (Dawn of X) and artist Nick Dragotta (Fantastic Four, Howtoons) will conclude with its 45th issue.
"In this business, it isn’t often that you get to end a project exactly the way you want to, and I think that’s what makes this one so special," Hickman said. "We started East of West with a story we wanted to tell and we’ve had the incredible honor of having a bunch of fans make that story a reality. So, enjoy it. God knows we have."
East of West originally debuted in March 2013. The series puts a sci-fi twist on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, who are the only hope of a dystopian United States torn apart by a never-ending Civil War. The story concludes in East of West #45, where the political tensions, character relationships and action will all be tied together.
"It all goes down in East of West #45, an extra-length, action-packed issue that has been one of my favorites to draw," Dragotta added. "Creatively with Jonathan, Frank, and Rus, East of West has been an incredible ride, and none of it would have been possible without you—the readers—and Image Comics. We did it, 45 issues... thank you and enjoy the end times."
The series will be collected into ten trade paperbacks and three deluxe edition hardcovers. East of West #45 will be available Dec. 25.