REVIEW: Lone Ranger #4

Westerns and superheroes have had quite the paradigm shift over the last century. At one time it was the Western that was dominating in both the box office and the comic book page. Slowly but surely things have changed and now superheroes are as popular as ever, while Westerns are a rarity in most forms of media. Every so often something comes out to remind us why the Old West was so intriguing to popular culture of old. Dynamite“s recent relaunch of The Lone Ranger is proving to be just that.

Although The Lone Ranger may not have the name cache it once did you do not last as a pop culture figure as long as he has without reason, especially when you consider he was created before icons like Batman and Superman. With that though the major question is how do you make a character nearly ninety-years-old relevant to today. Often the answer is in the form of a deconstructive narrative that acts as a reactionary piece to their past popularity. What Mark Russell and Bob Q have done instead is lean into the historical elements that existed during the time of the so-called Wild Wild West. Where the original Lone Ranger was a romanticization of the cowboy lifestyle this has acted as a form of realization that showcases the corruption and horrors that existed during that time, while keeping room for the fun and excitement one would expect with this franchise.Â

With this issue, the war for land continues as the State Senator“s hired gun arrives to eliminate Tanto and the Lone Ranger. Once they are out-of-the-way he and his corrupt ranchers can claim the land they seek. That hired gun is not what you would normally expect for a Western assassin even down to his name–Connor. No creative nickname or badass epithet. Just a general first name that gives you little information about who you are about to deal with. Perhaps because no name could do it justice. He is like a more flamboyant Sherlock Holmes with a keen desire for human flesh. He works as a walking allegory for the idyllic way we romanticize the past. On the surface, he is the prim and proper gentlemanly figure but underneath he is a man of brutality born from tragedy and a lifeÂ of taking advantage of the less fortunate.

That has been on consistency since this series began. This theme of the corruption of power and the victims it leaves behind. Here both Connor and Tonto“s backstories are featured to provide further evidence of what this cruel world can create. There is also an intriguing point regarding the way we use sympathy when faced with these stories. How it is an emotion that may be expressed externally but its true reason for existing is often an internal need to justify one’s own action or more often inaction.Â Â

Now, this is not a series that forgoes commentary for the sake of entertainment. There is plenty of action and adventure to be had, but what makes it stand out is the thought behind all the different action beats that are occurring. Typically the action in Westerns is pretty straightforward. From your classic duals to your massive shootouts. Point and shoot. Simple but effective. The Lone Ranger and Tonto are playing more of a mental game. Where strategy is their best weapon, however, they have found that Connor is a true advisory who can see through many of their clever rouses. Â His showdown with Tonto is one of the best moments of the series thus far in how it provides great character context and thrilling action within the same scene.

Artist Bob Q deserves a great deal of credit as well with the work he is done for the series. With what he is doing with this book along with James Bond: Origin he is primed to be a big breakout creator this year. His page layouts never feel overstuffed. They move from scene to scene with ease. He also has a great knack for knowing where exactly to put the camera. A great example of this is when The Lone Ranger stumbles into one of Connor“s traps. The sheer amount of shock that is on his face sets the scene perfectly. When Connor approaches Tonto in the bar he takes the time to set the scene so we understand the area without making his actions obvious. Once the action begins you can understand what is actually occurring. Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou“s lettering adds some great details as well. How his sound effects often visibly reflect the noise that they are making like with a galloping horse or sweeping broom. In addition to emphasizing emotion by highlighting dialog balloons with a small red strip and bolded letters.

This is the type of book where you can tell everyone involved has a lot of pride in their role. Each task is done with the utmost care leading to a book filled with ambition and thought. If you simply want your straightforward Lone Ranger tale about taking out the mischievous bad guys it is there to be had. When you look underneath that you can see there that it has so much more to offer.

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

Writer: Mark Russell
Artist: Bob Q
Letterer:Â Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

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Daniel Clark

A fan of all things comics. Growing up on a healthy diet of 90's Batman and X-Men cartoon series ignited a love for the medium that remains strong today.