The new Image Comics series That Texas Blood is a runaway hit! So much so that the first issue is being rushed back to presses just a week after the initial release in order to keep up with demand. That Texas Blood is a mix of neo-noir and contemporary western which the creators have described as True Grit meets Breaking Bad. The series is written by Chris Condon and is artist Jacob Phillips’ first time as sole artist– well deserved, if the cover is any indication.

The first sentence of the synopsis is wild: That Texas Blood kicks off when the search for a casserole dish leads to a dark and tense confrontation on Sheriff Joe Bob Coates’ 70th birthday. Coates has always lived in Fort Lehane. He’s always been in Ambrose County. It’s always been in his blood. It’s a Texas thing. But the crimes don’t stop. And they don’t get easier. For some reason… they keep getting worse. And worse. And… Well. It’s Texas. And Joe Bob is tough. Maybe he’s tough enough to fight it. To last. It’s in his blood, after all. That Texas Blood.

The casserole dish probably doesn’t have much to do with the story, but using it to push the plot forward sounds fun. Maybe it’s just the presence of an elderly lawman, but I’m getting some No Country For Old Men vibes from this one too. That Texas Blood is already garnering a lot of praise within the comics industry:

“Chris and Jacob pull off something remarkable here. A vivid and bright story that nails a thorough sense of foreboding and darkness. A shocking amount of talent for a duo so fresh to comics!” —Chip Zdarsky, Sex Criminals, Daredevil

“Blood and cruelty spill into the kindness and manners that provide Coates’ town a quaint, charming appeal… That Texas Blood is a ghost story and a Western, and it questions whether there is a difference between the two. As it builds upon the legacy of other modern Westerns, which raised similar questions, it’s not difficult to see how the series may stand comfortably upon the shoulders of giants.” —ComicBook.com

That Texas Blood #1, second printing (Diamond Code APR208642) will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 22, so if you missed the first run be sure to keep an eye out for the reprint. You can also find the series across digital distributors. Issue #2 will follow close behind the reprint, popping up in comic book shops Wednesday, July 29.