Gunhawks: Marvel's Western Heroes

[Tulku]

It took me an extra day to find a copy of “Gunhawks”--two of my local comic book shops had no copies. Come to think of it, I don’t think they carried any of the other anniversary one-shots, so my bad not to pre-order. But I did find a copy at the third shop this afternoon. They only had one left. For all I know, they may have only ordered one...

So much to talk about. First, back in the old Western Appreciation thread, we discussed that Marvel has had a few books/characters using the name Gunhawk or Gunhawks. As near as I can make out, none of them appear in this one-shot. However, the first page contains a description of those striving to make order from the chaos of the Old West. “They wrestled the land with ploughs, they corralled vast herds of cattle with a handful of horses and they kept the wildness of man and beast at bay with grit and steel. They were tough. They were fierce. They were...Gunhawks.” So, really, the term is defined broad enough to apply to any Western hero.

Which is why I called this thread “Gunhawks: Marvel’s Western Heroes”--it is not an appreciation thread. We have too many of those, IMHO. I see it more as a discussion thread: to discuss Marvel's rich history of Western characters, whether you appreciate them or not.

But back to the current one-shot. Wow. In one issue, we get introduced to new characters, are given back story, given a current plot and given a resolution. Now THAT is old-style comic book writing!! (i.e., before the curse of the Trade Paperback meant that every storyline had to be inflated to a minimum 5 or 6 issues) Yes, it feels a bit rushed and I wish there had been more. But isn’t that really the sign of a good comic: leaving you wanting more?

I won’t get into details of the plot. When everything is one issue, spoilers can spoil a bit too quickly.

However, at the end of the book there is a brief discussion about the place of Westerns in Marvel’s line-up. And I learned something new! Back on the old thread, I described Kid Colt as the granddaddy of all the Marvel Western heroes. Well, he may have lasted the longest...but it turns out he was not the first. The first? Oh, he appeared in, of all things, Marvel Comics #1 (1939). Yes. The same issue that gave us the Sub-Mariner and the original Human Torch. That book contained a Western hero known as the Masked Raider. A little research shows that the Masked Raider lasted through Marvel Mystery Comics #12...or for roughly through the end of 1940. Kid Colt does not appear until 1948. So if Kid Colt is the Granddaddy, then Jim Gardley, the Masked Raider, is the great-granddaddy!

So, let the discussion begin!

[matt levin]

Gunhawks new issue: I'm a little bewildered: a good story, all done well, but... "and so?"
Haven't seen any indication for a #2, and even if so, would it then feature an entirely different cast?
Why this character? Why this story? why this issue? I'm grateful for nearly any western, but talk about a shot in the dark: is this it for the decade?
I miss Caleb Hammer particularly; always found him as interesting, even more interesting, despite appearing only the once (Marvel Premiere?) than most of Marvel's other westerners. I'd really like to see "Gunhawks" become a continuing series; perhaps featuring a different lead character each issue until, by perhaps issue 5 or 6, they begin to meet up-- talk about leading up to an..."event"..?

[Hypestyle]

well, hopefully this will lead to more one-shots and minis. I stop short of saying "ongoing" because Westerns inevitably get canceled after the first arc, so...

[Tulku]

Gunhawks new issue: I'm a little bewildered: a good story, all done well, but... "and so?"
Haven't seen any indication for a #2, and even if so, would it then feature an entirely different cast?

As I understand it, it was always intended to be just a one-shot--which is why the story wraps up (after a fashion) in the single issue. For its 80th Anniversary, Marvel is doing a number of these one-shots to display the diversity of storytelling that it used to provide, but no longer does.

Personally, I find it kind of poignant that they are highlighting the fact that they have lost their diversity of stories as a "celebration" of 80 years. Maybe it is setting the stage for a return of that diversity--but I doubt it. The beancounters running the comics business will tell us that the economics won't allow it.

[allforgeeks]

As I understand it, it was always intended to be just a one-shot--which is why the story wraps up (after a fashion) in the single issue. For its 80th Anniversary, Marvel is doing a number of these one-shots to display the diversity of storytelling that it used to provide, but no longer does.

Personally, I find it kind of poignant that they are highlighting the fact that they have lost their diversity of stories as a "celebration" of 80 years. Maybe it is setting the stage for a return of that diversity--but I doubt it. The beancounters running the comics business will tell us that the economics won't allow it.

Which to be fair to the bean counters is a perfectly valid reason, sadly. You wonder however if a compendium comic with several different niche stories in at the same time might have legs? Would eight pages of Gunhawks a month be better than nothing?

[Tulku]

Yes, if the costs of producing a book (paying writer, artist, colorist, letterer, editor...; plus the raw cost of paper and ink for non-digital books) exceeds the amount of money the book brings in, then cancelling the book makes economic sense. \

But what if it makes a small profit? Do you take the writer. etc. off the book in the hopes that they can produce something more profitable, or do you stay content with small profit? In the 70s, Marvel's Western books tended to be reprints of stories from the 50s. A few exceptions, of course, but mainly reprints. Which saved on some of the cost since the story was already written and drawn. That way, it did not have to be a huge seller to make a small profit. I think Stan Lee, when he was in charge, was happy to take the small profit to keep the diversity of stories. I suspect he felt that, if you printed stories of every kind, you would bring in more readers than if you concentrated on just one style--like all superheroes. But I suspect these days, they lack the patience to take that small-profit approach.

All of which is my longwinded (tl;dr) of saying: no, I suspect even a compendium comic would not float in the current marketplace. But maybe I am just a pessimist?

[allforgeeks]

An interesting experiment would be to crowdfund it - that way profit would not be an issue, it would just need to break even. X number of people stump up x number of dollars and in return, Gunhawks #1. Wonder if something like that has been tried before?

[jackolover]

Horrible reason for Mexicans to hunt down Dean deadman Donnelly, and a very courageous pact by Donnelly to save his town of Clearwater Arizona, by surrendering for execution.

Even though these disparate one-shots are just an anniversary printing, they feel like parts of Battleworld that have been hidden in ANAD since it started. Clearwater itself felt a lot like 1872’s brutality and severity that was on Battleworld, so, I wouldn’t be surprised if the vampire story, and the others, were to be remnants of untold stories around the world in ANAD.

[Tulku]

A Birthday Celebration for the great Joe Maneely: born February 18, 1926, died June 7, 1958 at the appallingly young age of 32. Co-creator of the Ringo Kid, as well as the original Black Knight and the Yellow Claw and Jimmie Woo. If he had lived, I have no doubt that we would be mentioning him in the same breath as Jack Kirby. Possibly even BEFORE Jack Kirby. You don't believe me? Take a look at this:

Truly, his death was a great loss to comics. Happy Birthday, Joe. You are not forgotten.

[Tulku]

I'm a little late for this one: May 26: Happy Birthday, Herb Trimpe!


And a little early, but I am not sure I will have time to come back before then:

June 7: Happy Birthday Pete Tumlinson!