Random Happenstance

Continuing an unintended theme this week, we've got another western comic, albeit one I've had before: from 2000, Blaze of Glory #1, written by John Ostrander, art by Leonardo Manco.

The story opens with "There is the West of fact. There is the West of legend. This story falls somewhere in between." And it's largely set in my home state, Montana! Which puts it squarely into legend, since literally nothing ever happened there. (A slight exaggeration, but still.) But this uses historical fact, cameos from Buffalo Bill and others, with Marvel's stable of western heroes, including the Rawhide Kid, Kid Colt, and Gunhawk.

There may actually be a few Gunhawks here: Reno Jones is the lead hero of the story, a former slave, Confederate soldier, and former gunslinger with his erstwhile childhood friend/owner Kid Cassidy. Although he had been the subject of a dime novel, in reality the "Gunhawks" broke up when Jones had been forced to shoot the increasingly cruel Cassidy, then flee town to avoid a lynching. When the Klan-style Exodusters attack the town, I'm pretty sure Cassidy ends up being one of them, but another Gunhawk turns up at the end of the issue, a bounty hunter on the trail of Kid Colt. And I'm noting it here, because I always forget: the Two-Gun Kid was the kid that was stuck in the 1970's for a bit around Avengers #144.

I had this whole series, but lost it several years back when my basement flooded. A couple of weeks ago, I got this at a dollar store--along with another copy of Ironwolf, and the reprint tie-in to this series, Gunslingers--at a dollar store. They were bagged with randomly picked trading cards, and a "How to Collect Comic Book Collectors Guide." Send in four proofs of purchase and $3.99 to get "3 Vintage Era Superhero Comic Books All Over 25 Years Old!" That's smack dab in the middle of the 90's, kids; there's quarter-bins full of those!