The Lone Ranger

By: Kurt Amacker
Date: Friday, September 08, 2006

With a few exceptions, licensed titles rarely stand equal to their comic-original counterparts. Like licensed video games, they usually feel like a quick cash-in on the success of a story found in another medium. Dynamite Entertainment seemingly wants to go the Dark Horse route and snap up available licenses for quick sales and positive buzz generated by fans. If you print a HIGHLANDER or BATTLESTAR GALACTICA comic, someone's going to buy it. It doesn't matter if it succeeds or just sucks. Franchises like that have a built-in audience that promises strong early sales.

Much to my surprise Dynamite put out a LONE RANGER comic, of all things, that shows a lot of promise. Brett Matthews retells the Ranger's origin with a few tweaks. Petty criminal Collins leads a group of Rangers into the backcountry and into a bloody ambush perpetrated by a group of thugs. Young John survives, though his brother, Dan, and their father die in a barrage of gunfire. During both the chase and the ensuing carnage, John reflects on growing up with his father as a ranger and return from college and city life to ride with him. Matthews never shows John and Tonto as childhood friends, though the famous rescue remains intact.

Most of the time, I hate licensed books. This destroyed my expectations by presenting a classic bit of Americana with a more realistic spin. Matthews and artist Sergio Carriello show the blood absent from so many prior depictions of the Lone Ranger. This isn't Clayton Moore on Saturday morning television. This is UNFORGIVEN and its attendant visceral consequences. Carriello conveys the sun-blighted desolation of 19th century Texas with both dusty landscapes and fleeting, comfortable family moments. For those seeking a visual reference, think of Cary Nord's work on CONAN with inking.

American comic books rarely offer much for western fans. I'd encourage anyone that wants more from the genre to check out THE LONE RANGER. Licensed or not, it's a great start.

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