Marvel Westerns: The Two-Gun Kid

    (Marvel, 2006)

The Western comic is back! Or is it?

Marvel’s grand experiment begins with The Two-Gun Kid. Dan Slott and Eduardo Barretto present the interesting “Tooth and Claw,” Keith Giffen and Mike Allred present “Tall Tales,” and Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and Dick Ayers give readers “The Terrible Totem.”

As a self-confessed Western historian and fan, I looked at the story with a critical eye. After a second reading, it’s a Western that will appeal to more modern comic fans. The inclusion of She-Hulk seems out of place but, with the appearance of Two-Gun in her title, not really. With werewolves inhabiting Widow’s Pass, a Lone Ranger-type hero (complete with silver bullets) is found dead. His companion, Nantan, bears the mark of the wolf and leads Matt Hawk (Two-Gun Kid) to his almost certain death.

Of all the Two-Gun Kid tales I remember, “The Terrible Totem” is my favorite. The mighty Totem kills all who oppose him — until he meets The Kid. Classic stories like this remind me why I loved this series in the first place.

Welcome back, Two-Gun. Ride easy.

–Tim Lasiuta
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#1

August, 2006
Cover Price: $3.99
6 copies available from $1.50 		Dan Slott, Keith Giffen, Stan LeeEduardo Barreto, Robert Loren Fleming, Jack Kirby