Marvel’s western comics lasted well into the 1970s, primarily as reprint vehicles, so a fair percentage of Kirby’s work on them from the early Silver Age got reprinted. This issue reprints one of the Kirby/Ayers stories from RAWHIDE KID #28, “Doom in the Desert”.

Here we see the Kid’s typical gallantry bordering on stupidity, as he finds himself trapped in the desert and gives the last of his water to his faithful steed Nightwind. Following this he finds himself robbed and left to die by a thief, rescued by said thief’s sister and conflicted about his desire for revenge and his reluctance to cause pain to the gal who saved his life.

This issue also has reprints of Werner Roth and Joe Maneely western stories, and a great cover by Gil Kane loosely inspired by a scene in the Kirby story, reportedly one of Kane’s favourites among his covers.

Published 1976

This issue of TWO-GUN KID has a Kirby/Ayers cover, and in addition has the 5 page Kirby/Ayers short story “The Outlaw”, with no continuing characters (the Two-Gun Kid stories in this issue are by John Severin).

“The Outlaw” is an excellent story, about a bank robber who manages to escape from the local sheriff, but the sheriff remains confident. Over the course of the story, the outlaw finds that he can’t do anything with his money for fear of being caught, and is under constant suspicion. Some very nice artwork, check out those faces in panels 2 and 6 of the scan.

Published 1960

Marvel sometimes, far too infrequently for my liking, throws out a reprint one-shot with some Kirby. Usually tied into some then-current storyline, I think GUNSLINGERS #1 came out around the time of some mini-series that had all of Marvel’s western characters.

Two Kirby stories are reprinted in it, both inked by Dick Ayers. “Beware!! The Terrible Totem!!” is a reprint of RAWHIDE KID #22, a full issue story where the Kid fights a giant walking totem pole. While there’s an undeniable pleasure in the way Kirby draws Totem, it’s just a bit too silly. In fact, the actual western story in here, involving the Kid being chased by lawmen and mine safety issues, were a lot more entertaining, and would have made a far stronger story if the Totem was replaced by a more related obstacle.

The second Kirby story in here is “I Hate the Two-Gun Kid”, a five-pager from TWO-GUN KID #60. The story is pretty straight-forward and cliched, with the Kid (no, another Kid) finding his masked identity blamed for some wrong-doing while trying to do the right thing, thus earning the animosity of pretty blonde schoolmarm Nancy Carter, who utters the title of the story. I think the original printing of this was in the first issue of the Earth-One Two-Gun Kid (masked lawyer Matt Hawk version), so it’s setting up the on-going conflicts.

Kirby’s western comics always show a lot of love for the subject matter, clearly learned through the movies and books on the subject from his youth. Lots of action, great background scenery, and I especially love the way he draws horses.

Published February 2000