Marvel Masterworks: Rawhide Kid, Vol. 1

Marvel Masterworks: Rawhide Kid #1

by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby (Illustrator)

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.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Westerns, Action

Hardcover

First published July 5, 2006

About the author

Stan 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.

Reviews

[Dimitris Papastergiou · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[John Reis · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Emanuele Malpezzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Rich Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Edward Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[J.R. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty one note. Same stuff happens pretty much every time.