Comics Roundup- Second Shots

By strange coincidence the second issues of three western comics that I read and reviewed in the last few months were at my local comics shop this week.  To my great delight, all of them topped their first issues.

After a disappointing first issue of Deadlands, the second one-shot turns out to be a hit.  Written by Jonah Hex scribes Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Grey, Deadlands- Massacre at Red Wing tells a nice little tale of magic and revenge, as a woman who may or may not be a native American (personally I think she’s Welsh of the Magog tribe) travels to a town with Deadwood levels of decadence with a mission of mercy that goes bad.  Unlike the first Deadlands one-shot, this one felt true to the game and to the Deadlands world.

Having enjoyed the first issue of Zeke Deadwood, Zombie Lawman, I was left uncertain as to whether there was going to be a second issue, or if this was a one shot.  Luckily the creator found my very favorable review and let me know that a second issue was forthcoming.  Hooray!  I read that second issue this week, and it was great.  In a lot ways this felt like a first issue rather than a second.  The character was better fleshed out (which is a hard task when you are a zombie!) and the world in which he roamed felt more developed.  It also reads like it is the last of the series which is very disappointing.  Hopefully there will be more of Zeke in the future.

And then there’s Reed Gunther, or as I like to call it MY FAVORITE COMIC BOOK ON THE STANDS TODAY.  This second issue builds on the all ages fun of the first issue and keeps getting better.  Funny, action packed, and with supernatural mystery, Reed Gunther is everything I could want in 20 minutes of harmless entertainment.  Well, mostly, but to add the other stuff I want would keep it from being an all ages comic.  Any story that has a cowboy riding a lovable grizzly bear is doing good in my book.