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Marvel Masterworks: Rawhide Kid #1
Marvel Masterworks: Rawhide Kid, Vol. 1
Saddle up, buckaroos! Its time for the Marvel Masterworks to tame the wild, wild West with the one and only Rawhide Kid! Back before Stan The Man and King Kirby spun stories of sensational super heroes, they told the tale of a young man who bore two Colt six-shooters and his mission to bring law to the American frontier. After his Uncle Ben Bart was killed at the hands of outlaws, Johnny Bart made it his personal mission to bring justice to the town of Rawhide.
Packed full of shootouts and showdowns, renegades and rustlers, guns and girls galore, these Western yarns will be sure to please you in the Mighty Marvel Manner! We guarantee you wont be able to hold on to your ten-gallon hat when you read the tale of the Terrible Totem, the Kids battle against the bank robbing Bat, and the war with Wolf Waco! Lasso your copy today, True Believer!
Collecting RAWHIDE KID #17-25.
Packed full of shootouts and showdowns, renegades and rustlers, guns and girls galore, these Western yarns will be sure to please you in the Mighty Marvel Manner! We guarantee you wont be able to hold on to your ten-gallon hat when you read the tale of the Terrible Totem, the Kids battle against the bank robbing Bat, and the war with Wolf Waco! Lasso your copy today, True Believer!
Collecting RAWHIDE KID #17-25.
Hardcover
First published July 5, 2006
3 people are currently reading
68 people want to read
About the author
Stan Lee
7,579 books2,359 followersStan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber) was an American writer, editor, creator of comic book superheroes, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics.
With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor as a superhero, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, The Inhumans, and many other characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. He subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.
With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor as a superhero, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, The Inhumans, and many other characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. He subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
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February 4, 2026Johnny Bart, aka The Rawhide Kid, debuted in Rawhide Kid #17 in 1960. He didn't get an issue #1 because the book picked up the numbering of an earlier series, which featured a different character called The Rawhide Kid.
This newer Kid is raised by his Uncle Ben, who taught him how to use a gun. When his uncle is murdered by outlaws, the Kid takes action. Circumstanced lead to most people believing he is also an outlaw, so he's generally greeted with fear and suspicion whenever he arrives at a new town.
The Rawhide Kid is an interesting character. He's always a little bit angry and his small stature means people often underestimate his fighting ability. But, even though he's perpetually grouchy, he does have Chronic Hero Syndrome. If you're in trouble, he'll help you.
Written by Stan Lee and drawn by Jack Kirby, the stories look great (especially the action scenes) and move along at a fast pace. Most of them rely on standard Western tropes, but Stan and Jack were willing to get a little far out sometimes. In one story, the Kid goes up against an alien shaped like a totem pole. In another, he chases a masked outlaw called "The Bat"--a villain who would not have been out of place in the superhero comics that Stan and Jack would soon be creating.
It's fun to point out that the Kid was put on his heroic path after the murder of his Uncle Ben. A few years later, the same thing would happen to Spider Man after his Uncle Ben was killed. Stan Lee was famous for having a poor memory, so the repeat of the name and theme is probably a coincidence. All the same, if you live in the Marvel Universe and have an Uncle Ben--maybe hire him a personal bodyguard.
The best work of Stan and Jack was still a year or so away with the creation of the Fantastic Four. But if your in the mood for largely traditional Western tales with an occasional dose of oddly shaped aliens, you'll enjoy the 9 issue of Rawhide Kid reprinted here.
This newer Kid is raised by his Uncle Ben, who taught him how to use a gun. When his uncle is murdered by outlaws, the Kid takes action. Circumstanced lead to most people believing he is also an outlaw, so he's generally greeted with fear and suspicion whenever he arrives at a new town.
The Rawhide Kid is an interesting character. He's always a little bit angry and his small stature means people often underestimate his fighting ability. But, even though he's perpetually grouchy, he does have Chronic Hero Syndrome. If you're in trouble, he'll help you.
Written by Stan Lee and drawn by Jack Kirby, the stories look great (especially the action scenes) and move along at a fast pace. Most of them rely on standard Western tropes, but Stan and Jack were willing to get a little far out sometimes. In one story, the Kid goes up against an alien shaped like a totem pole. In another, he chases a masked outlaw called "The Bat"--a villain who would not have been out of place in the superhero comics that Stan and Jack would soon be creating.
It's fun to point out that the Kid was put on his heroic path after the murder of his Uncle Ben. A few years later, the same thing would happen to Spider Man after his Uncle Ben was killed. Stan Lee was famous for having a poor memory, so the repeat of the name and theme is probably a coincidence. All the same, if you live in the Marvel Universe and have an Uncle Ben--maybe hire him a personal bodyguard.
The best work of Stan and Jack was still a year or so away with the creation of the Fantastic Four. But if your in the mood for largely traditional Western tales with an occasional dose of oddly shaped aliens, you'll enjoy the 9 issue of Rawhide Kid reprinted here.
February 6, 2025
Rawhide Kid is a mediocre read that, unfortunately, shows its age. While the artwork reflects the style of its time and holds some charm, the story and dialogue are typical, cliché Western fare. The simple script doesn’t offer much beyond what was common in Westerns of that era, making it feel more like a nostalgic piece than a compelling read for modern audiences.
September 16, 2023
This is a collection of the original Rawhide Kid issues published in 1960 and 1961.
Johnny Bart, “The Rawhide Kid” is the greatest gunslinger in the west, thanks to his adopted father’s training. While in town gathering supplies, gunmen stop at the ranch and kill Ben. He avenges Ben Bart’s death and leaves town. He is a small man, but impossibly strong. He gets into adventures, one of which earns him a reputation as an outlaw.
He moves about the country, attempting to keep ahead of sheriffs and marshals, all the while saving people and occasionally taking the blame for wrongdoing. He does fight The Living Totem, a supernatural being.
These are simple stories. The Kid is impossibly accurate, shooting guns or horse reins from his opponent’s hands. I have not read a comic book in decades and at this distance in time can say these were actually written for children. Kirby’s drawing is distinctive and mostly crude. Yet, the book itself is well put together.
Johnny Bart, “The Rawhide Kid” is the greatest gunslinger in the west, thanks to his adopted father’s training. While in town gathering supplies, gunmen stop at the ranch and kill Ben. He avenges Ben Bart’s death and leaves town. He is a small man, but impossibly strong. He gets into adventures, one of which earns him a reputation as an outlaw.
He moves about the country, attempting to keep ahead of sheriffs and marshals, all the while saving people and occasionally taking the blame for wrongdoing. He does fight The Living Totem, a supernatural being.
These are simple stories. The Kid is impossibly accurate, shooting guns or horse reins from his opponent’s hands. I have not read a comic book in decades and at this distance in time can say these were actually written for children. Kirby’s drawing is distinctive and mostly crude. Yet, the book itself is well put together.
November 20, 2018
Più che "grandi storie western", come pubblicizzato dalla copertina dell'edizione italiana, in questa antologia ci si trova davanti a tanti piccoli nuclei di quella materia che André Bazin ha definito, tanti anni fa, come "sur-western". I modelli della narrativa western sono troppo autoriferiti, troppo spinti verso una ridondanza che rischia di intaccare il legame che si instaura tra opera e lettore.
Eppure questo non succede.
E la buonanima di Stan Lee lo sapeva bene.
Sapeva benissimo che agli eroi ci si affeziona sempre e comunque. E per quanto le gesta eroiche del cowboy (o del tizio mascherato di turno) possano diventare trite e ritrite, noi non ci stancheremo mai di leggerlo.
Per il resto, non ci sono storie memorabili o degne di nota (a parte una, nella sezione finale). Sono tutte avventure pregevoli quando non sfociano, come succede in troppi casi, in un paternalismo insopportabile.
Eppure questo non succede.
E la buonanima di Stan Lee lo sapeva bene.
Sapeva benissimo che agli eroi ci si affeziona sempre e comunque. E per quanto le gesta eroiche del cowboy (o del tizio mascherato di turno) possano diventare trite e ritrite, noi non ci stancheremo mai di leggerlo.
Per il resto, non ci sono storie memorabili o degne di nota (a parte una, nella sezione finale). Sono tutte avventure pregevoli quando non sfociano, come succede in troppi casi, in un paternalismo insopportabile.
July 22, 2018
It was great to reread these stories. As a kid I love the Rawhide Kid Comics.
Yeah the stories can be cheesy, but it's good fun. Sort of a comic book version of the old B westerns my dad used to watch
Yeah the stories can be cheesy, but it's good fun. Sort of a comic book version of the old B westerns my dad used to watch
November 14, 2025
A collection of tales and short stories following the life of Johnny Bart, AKA, Rawhide Kid. Johnny has been branded an outlaw and stays one step of the law as he brings his own style of justice to the wild west
April 3, 2014
This is one of the best Masterworks volumes that I've yet read! Simple, old- fashioned comic book stories. And even better, western comics by Jack Kirby, one of the creators of the genre. Dick Ayers, Don Heck, and Paul Reinman also contribute art, as well as one early tale drawn by Ross Andrus (or at least it sure looks like his work).
This is the way comics are meant to be produced! Highly recommended!
This is the way comics are meant to be produced! Highly recommended!
May 8, 2015
Fans of Westerns will love this wonderfully illustrated collection, reprinting Rawhide Kidd issues 17 to 25. It kind of jumped the shark with issue 22, when he takes on a haunted totem pole (?) and it was a little disappointing that issue 23's opening story is issue 17 with new artwork! But other than that, some great historical fun.
February 9, 2016
The Marvel Masterworks volumes are fantastic reprints of the early years of Marvel comics. A fantastic resource to allow these hard to find issues to be read by everyone. Very recommended to everyone and Highly recommended to any comic fan.
November 27, 2017
Pretty one note. Same stuff happens pretty much every time.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews