Why a Wildly Underrated Crime Thriller Is Dominating Comic Sales Right Now
That Texas Blood is making a comeback almost four years after its last release.
Southern Gothic has never looked as good as it does on the pages of That Texas Blood. The Image Comics-produced neo-Western series, written by Chris Condon and illustrated by Jacob Phillips, combines the blood-and-dust stained fiction of Cormac McCarthy with the nihilistic noir of a Frank Miller graphic novel.
Despite its phenomenally twisted storyline and intense visual style, That Texas Blood has largely flown under the radar of mainstream audiences. Recently, however, the acclaimed comic flew to the top of the aftermarket sales charts, beating out multiple issues of heavyweight titles such as Absolute Batman and Amazing Spider-Man.
This sudden surge in popularity is not a fluke in the system; That Texas Blood is getting the television adaptation treatment from FX and filmmakers Jim Mickle and E. L. Katz, taking the gritty, dread-inducing series to the small screen. News of the adaptation has driven collectors, long-time fans, and new readers back to the comic.
News of its upcoming adaptation has largely been credited with the renewed interest in That Texas Blood. However, Condon and Phillip’s masterclass in storytelling scratches many itches for contemporary comic fans. While recent releases focus on bringing the audiences of superhero blockbusters into their fold, That Texas Blood brings a tightly-paced visceral journey to life. Set in Ambrose County, Texas, the series follows Sheriff Joe Bob Coates as he attempts to find his place in an increasingly violent world where brutality reaches even his rural Texas home.
Readers don’t have to worry about crossovers or prior reading necessary to understand the characters in Condon and Phillip’s tight yet intense arcs — all you need to enjoy That Texas Blood is on its pages. In a landscape where reunions and crossovers are increasingly a narrative crutch, comics like That Texas Blood provide an enjoyable escape.
Some fans feel the series has largely been abandoned by Image Comics. With the recent popularity of Invincible (both the comic and TV show), it seemed Image was largely focused on bringing more popular titles back to life. Additionally, the last issue of That Texas Blood hit shelves in December 2022 — a Christmas special mostly separate from the central schemes of its nexus in Ambrose County. Its critical acclaim was seemingly not enough to keep the attention of readers until recently.
Now, with its sudden jump back into the comic zeitgeist, Image and FX have the opportunity to capitalize on the oversaturation of superhero burnout. That Texas Blood re-enters the scene as Marvel and DC flood the comic market with traditional titles and tame storylines. Movies and TV shows adapted from comics are still largely superhero-based. Even the “subversive” takes on superhero media are starting to hit their limit; the warped superhero dramedy The Boys recently came to a close, ending its once culturally dominant run with mixed reviews.
That Texas Blood certainly got at least some attention again because of the TV adaptation announcement, but there is no denying this attention is certain to be a result of readers searching for unfamiliar stories. In an era where it often feels like publishers are unsure of where to go, readers have decided to take a trip back to Texas.