Weird Western Tales #46 (2024 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

Bat Lash. Gambler. Ladies man. Smuggler and swindler. He's a gentleman with a roguish streak. He claims that he abhors violence. However, he's not afraid to use a firearm or stick of dynamite when the chips are down. You could almost say that Bat Lash is an old West inspiration for Han Solo.

The character was created in 1968. He was one of the first figures developed by Carmine Infantino after he was named editorial director for DC Comics. Fellow editor Joe Orlando assisted in Bay Lash's development before Sheldon Mayer and Sergio Aragones were tasked with bringing the antihero to life 

Bat Lash first debuted in issue #76 of Showcase. He soon started in his own self-titled solo series with Aragones now joined by Denny O'Neil as scribe. Despite winning a pair of Alley Awards for Best Western series and being significantly popular in Europe, Bat Lash was cancelled after only 7 issues.

In 1972, capitalizing off of the easing of restrictions on horror comics by the Comics Code as well as the new found popularity of titles like The House of Secrets, DC commissioned a western anthology series that specialized in the strange and macabre. Weird Western Tales debuted in the summer of '72. The breakout star of the title was the Confederate bounty hunter Jonah Hex. His popularity spun off into his own solo series in 1977. 

After Hex departed Weird Western Tales, the character of Scalphunter was made the feature. Created by Aragones and Orlando, Scalphunter was a young white child named Brian Savage. After his parents are slaughtered, Brian is raised by his family's killers, the people of the Kiowa tribe. Though despised by the Kiowa, Brian is trained to become a fierce warrior. Eventually Savage leaves the tribe in hopes of finding his baby sister who may have survived the massacre of his family.

Assuming the name of Scalphunter, Savage is a man of two cultures; both of which refuse to claim him. In his search for his sister, Scalphunter encounters a number of characters from DC's Old West lineup, including Bat Lash. No stranger to Weird Western Tales, Lash teamed with Scalphunter in the previous issues, agreeing to steal an experimental piece of artillery that very well could change the course of the Civil War.

Bat Lash and Scalphunter were supposed to sell the gun to the highest bidder. However, Lash betrayed his partner leaving him for dead. Enraged, Scalphunter has tracked Bat Lash to Saint Louis where the scoundrel is to meet with representatives from both the North and the South in a high stakes auction. While Lash plans for the Union to win the weapon, the Southern conspirators recruit Scalphunter into an ambush. Seeing a chance for revenge, Scalphunter agrees. Now with the South in possession of the automatic weapon, Bat Lash must convince his new foe that his intentions were pure and work together to save an entire Union regiment from being slaughtered.

Definitely a Western tale. But light on the weird. 

Written by Gerry Conway. Art by Dick Ayers and George Evans.

Completing this review completes Task #25 (A Western) of the 2024 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Rating: 5 out of 10 stars.