Somehow, I slept hard last night, over eleven hours! Of course, I'm scheduling this ahead, so this was probably two weeks ago; but it was the kind of sleep where you're still kind of sleepy when you get up, so we'll try and wake up with today's book! From 1980, Jonah Hex #41, "Two for the Hangman!" Written by Michael Fleisher, pencils by Dick Ayers, inks by Tony De Zuniga.
Hex has brought in the Jody Randolph gang with a minimum of fuss, and is advised by an officious-looking man that they'll go on trial before Judge "Hang 'em High" Harrow shortly. And we cut away to said judge returning home from her circuit: Judge Harrow was a woman, but would probably come down on any wrongdoer harder than her hardest-assed male counterparts. She didn't think she could give the impression of weakness. Her son Rodney was home as well, for a change, but just to hit her up for money to buy diamond earrings for his girl, Vanessa. (Where would he buy something like that, in ye olde western town?) Upon hearing it was no sale, Vanessa turns on the tears, but has an idea how Rodney could earn the cash: Jody Randolph was looking for somebody to spring him from the poky.
The escape does not go smoothly: Vanessa attempts to sneak weapons to the gang, but their breakfast is checked by the deputy. Rodney has to be cajoled into pistol-whipping the deputy to death, then the gang rides off guns-blazin', as Hex grumbles these Podunk hicks could at least hang on to those varmints after he catches them. Rodney also gets a rude awakening as there is no payoff for freeing the gang: Vanessa was Jody's girl, and he was a sap, now reduced to the gang's whipping-boy. Although not a good cook, Rodney does prove valuable, as he's the first to see Jonah Hex! After Hex had already killed two of them, but still. Hex is a little off his game, worried that five years ago he would've killed these guys already; and he does catch one in the arm, forcing him to finish off Jody with the firewood ax. Vanessa shouts at Rodney to shoot Hex; and Jonah doesn't so much talk him down, as much as advise him he would get wrecked if he tried it.
Rodney's surrender may have been unwise, since he and Vanessa are shortly brought before Judge Harrow, found guilty, and hung. Rodney was not cut out for the outlaw life, man. Hex rides out of town with them still swinging on the gallows, not particularly moved by any of it. Also this issue: a Scalphunter story! I can't say I've read of ton of his, although I know I have his Brave and the Bold appearance. Some other time for that, then.
"Death Mist" Written by Gerry Conway, pencils by Dick Ayers, insk by Romeo Tanghal.
Poor Rodney. Just another example of what happens when you get strung on the puss, you hang from the noose.
ReplyDeleteI also gotta' say that artwork is the best of Ayers' I've ever seen. I think the fact that Tony Dezunga inked him is why. Wish he had been his inker during his Avengers days.