Thursday, April 04, 2024

The secret is, to repress any curiosity about what's in the stew.

Huh, I wouldn't have bet Marvel was still making new Rawhide Kid stories in 1973. Rawhide Kid #112, "Frontier Fury!" Story and art by Larry Lieber, inks by George Roussos.
Cole Jessup, a gunhawk on the run, spies Rawhide Kid enjoying a nice bowl of stew in the saloon, and has an idea: he joins the Kid for dinner, so when the Fargo gang catches up to him, they draw on Rawhide as well. Unwise. Surprisingly, no one gets killed in the shootout, but Rawhide isn't thrilled about being used. Before that can go any further, "another angry figure enters the saloon!" as a woman slaps a man, accusing him of trying to run her off her ranch. She looks for help, and doesn't find any, except Cole and Rawhide. The bad guy kind of wonders, if she hasn't hired herself trouble, and opts to let things play out.
The rancher girl isn't named, for like three pages, but Cole and Rawhide are of course both interested in Nora: Cole makes his move, getting grabby in his proposal. Rawhide has to give him a thumping, then shoot his gun out of his hand. Cole storms off, maybe forgetting that he had pissed off the Fargo gang, who bushwhack him. The Fargo Gang join up to help rustle Nora's cattle, but while Rawhide has to recover the cows and shoot it out with the gang; Nora finds the wounded Cole, and hugs him when he recovers. Cole gets there in time to help with the gunfighting, this time with more fatalities: Rawhide finishes the boss, then rides off, leaving Nora and Cole to their happy ending. Or toxic relationship. Could go either way.
Also this issue: reprinted from 1960's Kid Colt Outlaw #95, a Lee/Kirby/Ayers short, "A Man and His Gun!" A preacher's son won't carry a gun, but proves his courage by pulling a jerk out of a fire.

1 comment:

  1. Yeah those two "lovebirds" are definitely not going to last long as a couple, especially without Colt there to play off of.

    DEFINITELY don't ask what's in the stew; it's soylent green!
    Still delicious tho.

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