Weird Western ‘Bronze Star’ Rides Again With More Monsters & Mayhem

In the world of comics, rare are collaborations fueled purely by mutual respect and love for storytelling. Such is the case with Bronze Star, a supernatural western saga created by Eisner-winning writer Mike Baron and legendary artist Pat Broderick.

Reflecting on how the project began, Mike Baron, now 76, recalls, “[I] always wanted to work with Pat Broderick. And I said, Pat, I’d love to work with you. And he said, Mike, I’d love to work with you. And I said, Pat, what do you wanna draw? And he said, I wanna draw a supernatural western, and Bronze Star was born.”

The critical and financial success of the first volume from 2023 affirmed their creative chemistry. “We sold out almost immediately,” Baron shares. “Anybody who has seen that book has been blown away. That work would be astonishing for an artist of 35, but for Pat to do it at his age — is a miracle.” Broderick turned 73 this week.

While Baron’s writing career is decorated with numerous awards, Broderick’s talent has been equally acclaimed though perhaps less widely recognized. He serves as an Ambassador for the Inkwell Awards celebrating inkers and their contributions, and his artwork has left an indelible mark on characters from Wonder Woman to Creature Commandos, which he co-created at DC Comics.

Broderick echoes the sentiment humbly, calling the project “the best work I’ve done in my life.” When asked about the concept, he explains, “I wanted to draw something that wasn’t spandex superheroes. I told Mike I’d love to do a western, but we gotta add a supernatural element to it.” Baron delivered swiftly, providing a full script in less than a week based on an idea he’d had for years.

Set in a remote mining town in post-Civil War Alberta, Canada, Bronze Star features a sheriff cursed with lycanthropy, a secret he hides while protecting the townsfolk. This merging of folklore, history, and supernatural horror invites readers into a mysterious world, one Baron describes as “the greatest work of [Pat’s] career.”

The second volume promises to deepen this eerie legacy. Baron details, “Bronze Star 2 has two separate stories. Both involve supernatural creatures of the Northwest… I researched these stories very carefully, to make them accurate, and true to the legends.” Adding to the suspense, “there’s also an eight page add-on story at the end the book readers will not expect.”

For Broderick, the new volume is a labor of love: “I worked on it for a year, poured my heart and soul into it, and I know that you guys are gonna love it when you see it.” Fans will find legendary monsters such as the Wendigo and the Ogopogo, as well as cameos by Allan Quatermain and Oscar Wilde.

With the first printings of Bronze Star volume one selling out quickly, the demand for these supernatural western tales remains strong. The initial run was met with enthusiastic praise, with critics calling it “the greatest western graphic novel ever penned and drawn” (Peter Brandvold) and “simply stunning… Highly recommended” (Tony Isabella). As more backers flock to reserve their copies during this Black Friday campaign, it’s clear that Bronze Star 2 has captured the imagination of new audiences, building excitement for this next chapter in the legend.

For those eager to experience this unique blend of supernatural western storytelling, the time to act is now. Reserve your copy over on Fund My Comic or by visiting BronzeStarComic.com to learn more about the series, and join Broderick and Baron’s posse of fans drawn to a tale both timeless and thrilling.

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