Along the Canadian

    (Obion, 2004)
™ and © Obion

Creator Joe Rivers presents a tale of the Old West, 10 years after the Civil War. It’s expertly drawn; Rivers’ art style is loose and dynamic and brings to mind Kyle Baker or Jeff Smith. It’s refreshing to see one creator in charge of all aspects of a comic book; it looks as though Rivers even lettered it by hand, unusual for an indie comic book.

Fans of John Ostrander’s The Kents will be right at home here. Like that mini-series, this is a realistic take on the Old West, with none of the whitewashing that used to be associated with the subject. To that end, there’s a lot of racism against Native Americans, but that’s to be expected considering the time period.

Though depictions and events are true to life, this series also contains a dash of mysticism, in the form of two ghostly Native American children bent on revenge. Though the concept mars the realism, it’s worth it.

Here’s hoping for more work from Rivers—this guy’s a real talent in the making.

— Steve Horton
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  • 1
    #1
    Feb 2004
    Cover: $2.95
    W: Joel Rivers  ·  A: Joel Rivers
    B&w series
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  • 2
    #2
    May 2004
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    W: Joel Rivers  ·  A: Joel Rivers
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    #3
    Jul 2004
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    W: Joel Rivers  ·  A: Joel Rivers
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  • 4
    #4
    Wraparound cover
    Oct 2004
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    W: Joel Rivers  ·  A: Joel Rivers
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