Book excerpt: Jonah Hex knows ugly, and that ain’t just a matter of lookin’ in the mirror. As the Wild West’s most (in)famous bounty hunter, he’s seen just about every form of inhumanity a man can dish out - and that’s before you get to the out-and-out monsters. But even if he has seen everything under the sun, there are still some fresh hells even Hex has yet to come across. Some of ‘em come from the past - like the savage who’s about to bring the plague to the teeming masses of the lawless city known as Gotham. And some of ‘em hail from the future - like Red River Junction’s strange new sheriff, a fella who dresses like a circus freak and goes by the name of Booster Gold. Hex is about to mix it up with immortals, time travelers, devil worshippers, vigilantes and more, taking him from Gotham City to the Rio Grande and back. When the smoke from his six-shooters clears, who will be left standing? ALL STAR WESTERN: GOLD STANDARD sees the creative team of Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray (POWER GIRL) and artists Moritat (THE SPIRIT) and Staz Johnson (ROBIN) take aim at Jonah Hex’s wildest team-up yet! Also featuring Jenny Freedom and the Stormwatch of the 19th century! Collects issues #17-21.