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.

Piracy #6 (2023 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

The comic book known as Piracy was produced by EC Comics. It ran for 7 issues from October/November, 1954-October/November, 1955. The timing of Piracy's publication places it at an awkward time during the history of William Gaines' publishing house. 

Piracy was the last New Trend title EC released before the company shifted focus of its publications. That's because from April to June, 1954, the US Senate held several public hearings on juvenile delinquency and comic books were placed under the microscope as being its number one cause. Across America, civic groups lead massive burnings of comic books. 

There's actually a famous photo taken in the Norwalk, Connecticut community of a Catholic League community bonfire composed of thousands of comics going up in flames. And there's my future grandmother-in-law smiling triumphantly over the paper barbecue. Also in the picture is my wife's 7 or 8 year old uncle, frowning despondently as his prized comic book collection went up in smoke. 

Needless to say, comic books were on life support. To prevent the complete extinction of the art form, several publishers got together and formed the self-governed Comics Code Authority. Gaines was initially hesitant to concede to the CCA, instead, opting to cancel most of his controversial line of comic books.

Only 3 books made the cut. The humor comic MAD changed to a larger format and was exempt from CCA rules operating as a magazine. Panic, another humor title, remained comic sized. Piracy, was the third surviving title. 

Piracy still had EC's signature twist endings. But they were no longer sensationalized. Haunt of Fear #19 had for a shock conclusion, a rival baseball team dismembering a baseball player who used poisoned cleats and using the guys entrails for a ballpark foul line. Issue #1 of this series has a boat captain finding the man who shanghaied him decades earlier and getting revenge on him... by thanking him for his cowardly deed. 

There are 4 stories that fill issue #6 of Piracy. Reed Crandall's 'Fit for a King' has a drunkard regaling the patrons of a tavern with the truth about a missing fabled swashbuckler known as The King of the Pirates. 'The Skipper' by George Evans tells of a sailor whose been stuck as first mate for so long, that he secretly begins sabotaging his cargo ship in a twisted plan to have the captain removed from the helm. Then readers head back in time to the seal hunts of the great white north in Graham Ingels' 'Fur Crazy.' Lastly, Jack Davis spins a yarn about a shipmaster haunted by the screams of the crew he lost years prior in 'Solitary.'

The cover was illustrated by Bernard Krigstein.

EC Comics launched 7 new titles in early 1954 as part of its New Trend line of titles. Because Gaines refused to issue a CCA stamp on the cover of his books, newsstands refused to carry them. Gaines would eventually acquiesce later in the year. But at that point, the financial damage was done and most titles were cancelled with issue #5 (Nov/Dec, 1955). A controversial ruling by the CCA for the powerful anti-racism story 'Judgment Day' in Incredible Science Fiction #33 led to William Gaines turning his back on comic books, devoting himself as publisher of MAD Magazine until his death in 1992.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.

Completing this review completes Task #33 (An EC Comic (Reprints are allowed)) of the 2023 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.