I’m doing one post on these comics, which were five “one shots” under the banner, “Might Marvel Westerns.” And here’s the thing: They’re pretty damn good. Some top-tier talent dig into characters who pre-existed the 616 Universe and tell stories that mostly don’t have much impact, but also mostly are solid reads.
First came “Outlaw Files.” It was just a bunch of “files” on Western characters. No story. Fun to read if you’re a nerd like me who also enjoyed reading the Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe.
Next came the first issue with an actual story: Kid Colt and the Arizona Girl. Arizona Girl was from the old ’40s Western books. This was her only appearance in Earth 616, so I’m not tagging her. Kid Colt, however, fought alongside The Avengers against Kang. In this story, Kid Colt and Arizona Girl come across Rawhide Kid, Wyatt Earp, and a few others in a bar only…It’s skrulls!
Very cool. Written by Palmiotti/Gray and drawn by Manfredi.
Next came a Two-Gun Kid one-shot. Now, he’s been brought into the current timeline in the pages of Dan Slott’s She-Hulk. This issue starts there, with the two facing off against Man-Wolf. John Jameson has gone nuts and all wolfy. Through flashbacks, we learn Two-Gun kid has faced a similar threat before, back in the West. The story is continued in She-Hulk #11, which is an extended story that has Shulkie and Jameson getting married and then quickly divorced due to his Man-Wolfiness.
Fourth in line was Black Rider, making his official Earth 616 debut in a story created by no less than Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers. It features the mystic cowboy teaming up with Ancient One, back when he was just a young man named Yao.
Extremely cool!!!
The final book was titled, “Legends” and it had three short stories that starred some pretty minor characters but also had the story of the first Red Wolf character.
English (US) · 