REDCOAT #9, by Image Comics on 1/29/25, recalls a wildly tall tale when Simon Pure arrives in Ohio for his annual get-together with Johnny Appleseed. This time, they’re on the hunt for an arsonist.
Credits:
- Writer: Geoff Johns
- Artist: Bryan Hitch, Andrew Currie
- Colorist: Brad Anderson
- Letterer: Rob Leigh
- Cover Artist: Bryan Hitch, Brad Anderson (cover A)
- Publisher: Image Comics
- Release Date: January 29, 2025
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Page Count: 36
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of REDCOAT #9:
Recap:
When we last left Simon Pure in Redcoat #8, the immortal from the Revolutionary era stopped at a lonely farmhouse for food and shelter on his travels. Unfortunately, Simon picked the house of the infamous family of murderers who prey on wayward travelers, the Bloody Benders. Thankfully, the Bloody Benders were surprised to meet a victim who doesn’t go down without a fight.
Plot Analysis:
Redcoat #9 begins with Simon Pure running through a forest, chasing a gigantic beast that looks a lot like a worm. With him is a kind-eyed man in bare feet and a dented pot for a hat – Johnny Appleseed. After a brief preamble, Simon narrates the history of his many-year friendship with the famous planter of apple trees.
Simon explains he first met Johnny Appleseed in 1798 during a strangely fun adventure in Ohio. Every year since, Simon and Johnny meet on the same day to catch up, swap stories about their recent adventures, and get drunk on Johnny’s special mix of apple cider. During their latest meeting in the year 1816, Johnny arrives late to meet Simon in Western Ohio near the town of Friendship.
Johnny points out that the small settlement town of farmers was harassed by a greedy landowner who decided to burn the town down after a deal went bad. Simon half-heartedly helped the townsfolk clean up, but he felt demoralized by witnessing Johnny’s simple, open kindness in giving the townsfolk all the help he could.
Later, Simon and Johnny talk over their annual drinking session. Johnny detects Simon is disturbed by the day’s events, and Simon explains that the only way he knows how to help is through bloodshed. Johnny refuses to help Simon find and kill the arsonist, but after a few more sips of liquid courage, the two agree to track down and apprehend the arsonist.
When their drunken tracking leads them in circles at night, Johnny proposes borrowing a little of Simon’s magic to enchant an apple that will roll in the direction of their prey. Simon drunkenly quarrels with Johnny about his obsession with apples, prompting Johnny to quarrel right back. Their quarrel warped the magic spell, causing the apple and the worm inside the apple to grow to the size of an office building.
The issue ended with Simon bucking the world’s weirdest bronco and killing two birds with one apple.
First Impressions:
Amusing. Geoff Johns’s fantasy story fits perfectly within the realm of short stories made famous by writers such as Washington Irving. There’s a spirit of non-threatening danger that keeps you engaged by relying on the outlandish developments and the atmosphere to carry you through this one-and-done story.
Artwork and Presentation:
Bryan Hitch, Andrew Currie, and the rest of the team uphold Ghost Machine’s reputation as the imprint with the most gorgeous comics around. Hitch’s detailed line work is near miraculous, which is a must to keep readers engrossed in the alt-history world Geoff Johns created. The world and everyone in it looks amazing.
Art Samples:
Story Positives & Negatives:
The Positives:
In the classic sense of the phrase, Redcoat #9 is a fantasy fable. Geoff Johns crafts a short story brimming with history, adventure, whimsy, and magic to thoroughly captivate readers with a yarn about a fascinating period in Simon Pure’s immortal life. This issue is a one-and-done story, but the tale is fun enough that you could easily see one or more tales of adventure in the future starring Pure and Appleseed.
The Negatives:
The issue suffers from two down points, both minor. First, Simon’s narration in the first section regarding his history as Johnny Appleseed’s friend drags a little bit. It’s interesting information in the grand scheme, but the narration comes too close to becoming a wall of text.
Second, the resolution concerning the giant apple skips a beat when Geoff Johns neglects to explain how Pure and Appleseed were able to move it.
The Bigger Picture:
Series Continuity:
Redcoat #10 promises to show the legendary first meeting between Simon Pure and Annie Oakley in another one-and-done issue. It’s not clear if the introduction of legendary characters to Simon Pure’s mythology signals some kind of team-up in the future, so, for now, Geoff Johns is simply having fun exploring history.
Final Thoughts:
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REDCOAT #9 is a thoroughly entertaining one-and-done story that reads like a classic tall tale about Simon Pure on an adventure with Johnny Appleseed. Geoff Johns’s spirit of whimsy and wholesome adventure is a delight, and the art team’s visuals are the best of the best in today’s market.
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