Scans_Daily

Westerns! Typically set in the American old west, in the mid to late 19th century. Westerns aren't so much about the frontier itself (usually), as the ending of it, conflict between settlers and native peoples, new technologies, and all the horrible things done in the midst of it. Westerns can be funny or tragic, reassuring or unsettling--the genre is flexible enough that new Westerns movies, books and comics come out every year. Although not many.

Western comics went out of style along with romance comics (and pirates!), with the rise of superhero stories. By the sixties, Western comics were... hard to find. To say the least. In the last few years, a number of strong Western or Western-themed series have come out. Jonah Hex, Preacher, Streets of Glory, Loveless, (the disastrous) Rawhide Kid, Apache Skies (Apache kid's story), and on and on. And that's not counting the non-American stuff and updates like No Country For Old Men (you guys have seen it, right? RIGHT?). Western comics, they're back baby, and I love them.

But why Westerns? I'm in endless love with revenge stories, with unlikely or wrecked protagonists, and revenge is something Westerns have an overflowing cup of. Survival stories so muddy you're not sure you want the protagonist to survive. Beaten down, travel stained heroes, with pasts that are anything but heroic. You get the idea.

Today I'm going to share 12 pages from issues 1 and 2 the new(ish) Lone Ranger, an update and adaptation of the 49-57 tv series. ( high ho silver, away! )

Also, Merry Xmas for those celebrating, happy day off for those so blessed, and glory glory Western day for the rest of us.