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Real Heroes Die With Their Boots On.
Sheriff Steve Rogers faces corruption and fear in the boom town of Timely. The only thing Anthony Stark seems capable of is pulling a cork, so can he pull Rogers' fat from the fire? But...a stranger comes to town that will change Timely forever... for anyone left standing, that is.

Collectoing: 1872 1-4, Avengers 80, & material from Marvel Comics Presents 170

120 pages, Paperback

First published October 27, 2015

13 people are currently reading
270 people want to read

About the author

Gerry Duggan

1,455 books363 followers

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5 stars
130 (17%)
4 stars
317 (42%)
3 stars
237 (31%)
2 stars
58 (7%)
1 star
12 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
Profile Image for Sesana.
6,278 reviews329 followers
February 9, 2016
I'm honestly surprised at how much I liked this. I'd thought that the concept was interesting, of course, but I didn't expect that it would be executed so well. Perhaps the best thing that I could possibly say about this book is that it does indeed hold together as a western. It's late in the book before any "super" elements show up at all. Honestly, I could have done without the full Iron Man suit, but it doesn't feel terribly out of place. Up until that point, it fits neatly into the western genre, corrupt mayor, dead deputy, shootouts, virtuous sheriff and all. I'm not even a big fan of the western genre, and I was really getting into it. Especially once Natasha and Carol showed up and started playing an active role in the story. This is exactly the kind of thing that I was hoping to get out of these Secret Wars miniseries: letting authors explore different kinds of stories that they just wouldn't ordinarily get a chance to at Marvel. And this is definitely one of the most successful at realizing that.
Profile Image for Chad.
10.3k reviews1,061 followers
April 27, 2022
The Avengers of the Old West plus Red Wolf. All of your main Avengers living as citizens in the town of Timely where Wilson Fisk is mayor. You can pretty much figure out the rest of this by the numbers Western.

I feel like this was a missed opportunity by not making this about Marvel's characters from the Old West like the Rawhide Kid, the Masked Rider and the Two-Gun Kid, etc. There's a couple of Red Wolf reprint stories to help fill this out and cost you a few more dollars. Do yourself a favor and go read John Ostrander and Leonardo Manco's Blaze of Glory instead.
Profile Image for Ruben (BooksVlogs) Arauz.
118 reviews61 followers
August 25, 2017
Final: 3.85

Creo que me gustó lo suficiente como para seguir leyendo los siguientes dos tomos, así podré conocer los siguientes personajes a ver que tan bien los veo en esta nueva ambientación.

Para los que no saben, como yo no lo sabía, este cómic está ambientado en una época de Vaqueros al estilo de "Cowboys and Aliens" 😂🤣, y aunque parezca descabellado me ha gustado un montón, siento que conocer a personajes como Bruce, Steve y Tony desde esta ambientación fue algo sumamente enriquecedor y novedoso para mi, este cómic fue una menuda sorpresa💕 😂👌.
Profile Image for Sam Quixote.
4,803 reviews13.4k followers
December 6, 2016
Marvel superheroes dress up in 1872 cowboys and injuns cosplay - yee-haw! The corrupt Wilson Fisk rules the frontier town of Timely but a gathering of heroes, led by Sheriff Steve Rogers, are fixin’ to bring justice to the west.

I don’t get the appeal of this one unless you’re a Western fan who just wants the standard Western story again. It’s the most generic Western storyline ever but with Marvel characters playing out the roles. What am I missing??

Given that Timely is a reference to Marvel Comics’ Golden Age incarnation before they became Marvel Comics, I was expecting (in between yawns) to see a few ancient characters cameo but Captain America was the only Timely Comics character to appear in the story. I double-checked and found that Timely even had a cowboy character called Masked Raider who would’ve been a perfect fit for this one! Wasted opportunity.

I suppose Nik Virella’s art is ok but Gerry Duggan’s script is so pedestrian and forgettable. Remember that Noir line Marvel ran a few years ago which set its characters in the early 20th century and made their powers more “real-world”? I think that audience might get a kick out of this as it’s a similar approach. 1872 is another missable, crappy Secret Wars tie-in.
Profile Image for Mike.
1,586 reviews149 followers
July 30, 2016
Of all the What-If stories, this is one of the odder ones. It sure takes its premise seriously:



And it keeps up appearances, weaving in all the high point of the modern 616 into an old-west mythos pretty damned finely.

Duggan, is that really you behind the keyboard? I didn't know you had it in you to write a serious story this well.

In some ways, each character does exactly what they'll always do no matter the setting:



In other ways, Duggan surprises us with enough twists to make this an entirely interesting story in its own right (even though we know it has no specific consequence for the overall Marvel timeline). That's quite a feat, to make me care about these people in such a short time period - and unusual among all these "What If" tie-ins to Secret Wars, where most of them just waste their short time on replays of stories of old.

There's a teaser at the end that "The Avengers of the West Will Return...", but I can find no mention of this on Marvel Unlimited, GoodReads or the web. Which must mean if I'm looking that hard, I would totally read more of this story. Well done Duggan, you made me enjoy something of the old West. (A damned accomplishment better than Palmiotti's New 52 Jonah Hex I'll tell you...)

Profile Image for Art the Turtle of Amazing Girth.
775 reviews25 followers
April 29, 2018
This is my kind of thing, my jam so to speak.
A western, with the Marvel people all showing up.

Sharper eyes will catch Medusa as an upstairs girl.

Watch out for the coming of the spider bite at the Parker 'stead.

Natasha, always the wicked fighting machine, holds true to that here.

I really enjoyed how they incorporated the Demon in a Bottle storyline for Stark to overcome to try and honor his fallen friend.

The bounty hunters are formidable but fall a touch too easy, even if they do get the last laugh over our out-numbered sheriff.

Speaking of which, Fisk watching the hogs do their work is the most gruesome thing in this tale, yikes! and he was alive to boot, sheesh!

Kind of a big push to a rather unknown character in Red Wolf, but at least cameos galore throughout made it very interesting.

Carol, Bruce, even Ben Urich. Simon Williams, Bucky, and the map at the beginning, with all the homesteads and such.

This had everything for me, and I only want more.
Profile Image for Gary Butler.
826 reviews45 followers
October 28, 2018
55th book read in 2018.

Number 187 out of 715 on my all time book list.

Much like the Marvel 1602 line this places heroes in the wild west.
Profile Image for Dimitris Papastergiou.
2,526 reviews85 followers
January 26, 2025
A fantastic and fun read that reimagines some of our favorite characters, primarily the Avengers, in the Old West. The comic is packed with namedrops, clever callouts, and subtle hints to other Marvel heroes, making it a treat for fans to spot familiar elements in this unique setting.

If you’re a fan of westerns, this comic is absolutely for you—and as someone who loves the genre, it hit all the right notes for me. Steve Rogers takes on the role of sheriff, while the Kingpin serves as the corrupt mayor. The story follows Rogers and his allies as they try to stop the Kingpin’s gang from lynching an Indigenous man. It’s a straightforward plot rooted in classic western tropes, but it’s well executed.

"The undertaker had begun running short on pine."

The artwork is stunning throughout, perfectly capturing the gritty yet vibrant feel of the Old West. The ending is satisfying and teases more to come, though unfortunately, we only get a continuation of Red Wolf’s story beyond this. Personally, I’d love to see a full series dedicated to The Avengers of the Old West.

Overall, 1872 is a creative, action-packed reimagining that blends Marvel’s iconic characters with a rich western setting. Highly recommended for fans of both!

And all the promises at sundown, I meant them like the rest.






Profile Image for Artemy.
1,045 reviews964 followers
October 21, 2015
This was one of the best Secret Wars limited series. Reimagining Marvel characters in different time periods is nothing that hasn't been done before, but the wild west setting fits in very naturally, and the execution is top notch. Highly recommended, and it seems like this storyline is going to get a regular ongoing series! So I will look forward to that.
Profile Image for Chelsea 🏳️‍🌈.
2,038 reviews6 followers
January 11, 2016
This was one of the best series to come out of the Secret Wars event in 2015. The new take on the characters was really interesting and fun. While I didn't quite like the idea of making Tony Stark the town drunk, the relationship between Tony and Sheriff Rogers was fun to read. I enjoyed the use of Natasha and her relationship to the cause as well. I really wish this turned into a longer series.
Profile Image for Eva B..
1,566 reviews444 followers
November 3, 2023
You're as shocked as I am about a Western getting this high of a rating since they're typically very much not my genre, but I was shocked by how good this was. Historical AUs are a favorite of mine and I loved seeing the Marvel crew here--although, me being me, I do wish Hank got more than a mention and that Jan had been there, like, at all. It was also surprisingly (yet pleasantly) dark, with and poor, poor
I do still maintain that would NEVER flee the town because of injustice and would instead have stayed to fight tooth and nail for a fair trial for Red Wolf, but obviously a four-issue AU isn't going to focus on the best friend of a character who doesn't even appear.
All in all, I expected a silly and goofy romp but was pleasantly surprised to instead receive an incredibly gutwrenching story about corruption and prejudice. And also a design for Bruce Banner that was absolutely adorable <3
Profile Image for Chris Lemmerman.
Author 7 books123 followers
October 13, 2024
A solid Western interpretation of your favourite Marvel heroes, anchored in the centre by a stellar turn by Red Wolf and Black Widow. Some great artwork from Nik Virella really sells the dusty old town aesthetic, and every character you see is some variation of someone you know and love, even if they're just in the background. The story itself has a couple of nice twists and turns along the way, and I'd quite like to revisit this setting again someday.
Profile Image for Mike.
248 reviews4 followers
July 7, 2024
This one is average from top to bottom. It's Marvel favorites in the old west. I think there was great potential here. It wasn't ENTIRELY wasted, because there are definitely fun moments. But I think it went a bit "by the numbers" for most of this.
Profile Image for Quentin Wallace.
Author 34 books178 followers
March 3, 2016
I am a big fan of "Weird Westerns," having even wrote a few of them myself. That being said, I may have been a bit biased towards this one. I really enjoyed it, though.

We have Steve Rogers as an old west sheriff and the Kingpin as an old west mayor. Bullseye, Doc Ock, the Grizzly and Elektra are a band of evil bounty hunters. Tony Stark and Bruce Banner show up, as does the Black Widow. It's basically just Marvel Heroes and Villains tossed into classic old west tropes, but it was really fun. The art fit the story great as well.

The collected edition also had a reprint of Avengers 80, the first appearance of the "modern" Red Wolf. Also collected was a short story from Marvel Comics Presents 170.

This story had very little to do with the Secret Wars series it was supposedly a part of, but as a standalone read I really liked this one. If you like western comics, you'll probably like this.
Profile Image for Victoria.
1,164 reviews
November 7, 2016
Finally got my hands on a copy! I've been intrigued by excerpts I'd seen via the BuckyNat parts of fandom, so I was startled to discover that Bucky isn't actually in this one at all. Natasha was great! And that's really all I can say for it. Steve was wasted, Tony was literally wasted, Bruce did a ridiculous amount of dithering for such a short graphic novel... and I kept waiting in vain for Bucky to show up in Winter Soldier style.
Profile Image for Alex Sarll.
7,060 reviews363 followers
Read
January 14, 2016
Marvel's heroes and villains reimagined as a Western, because why not? So Tony Stark is the town drunk, Steve Rogers the stubborn sheriff, and the attempted lynching of Red Wolf by Mayor Fisk's lackeys begins the tale. I make no claims for it as art, but found it a soothing read on a bad day in much the same way someone else might turn to a supermarket check-out magazine.
Profile Image for Tiferet.
569 reviews20 followers
December 7, 2015
Great Marvel AU fanfic, except that . Carol and Natasha kick ass though :)
Profile Image for Paul W..
450 reviews13 followers
May 10, 2021
This is so in my wheelhouse its like it was written for me. Marvel heroes cast in a western. My only small complaint is more things that show them still being Marvel heroes. There was some, but there could have been more.
Profile Image for Miranda.
525 reviews127 followers
November 19, 2016
Although sometimes the characterizations were a tad off -- Bruce saying "Lord have mercy" when, even in 1872, he'd be an atheist and you know it -- this was still awesome.
Profile Image for Paxton Holley.
2,151 reviews10 followers
January 24, 2019
From Marvel's Secret Wars. A western comic version of the Marvel Universe. Steve Rogers is sheriff. Wilson Fisk is Mayor. Bruce Banner is doctor.
Profile Image for Henry Blackwood.
657 reviews2 followers
October 10, 2019
I mean it’s not bad but it certainly isn’t original.

I still think the idea was really cool and very well executed but the short story did leave a little to be desired.
421 reviews2 followers
May 25, 2021
Decent Western story starring different versions of Marvel heroes and villains. It follows many of the classic cliches so if you like westerns this is for you.
Profile Image for Mery ✨.
675 reviews39 followers
November 29, 2021
4/5

Oh, man! Why did this GN remind me of a Western movie with Liam Nelson but without the supernatural stuff?

Anyway, this was very gay and very angst! In 616 Tony designed the iron man suit to shield himself from an abusive family, in this universe he built it to shield himself from the pain he felt over Steve's death and to avenge him. Let me cry in peace, thanks.
Profile Image for Lindsey DeLost.
418 reviews6 followers
December 1, 2017
Didn’t hate it but didn’t love it. Preferred Gotham by gaslight for alternate reality
Profile Image for Rosaria Battiloro.
430 reviews57 followers
October 5, 2021
I really liked this one! I have a thing for What if...? stories, and also I like a good old western setting! I loved the art too, wishing for more of this story aaah!
Profile Image for Sophie N..
17 reviews
October 20, 2023
Can’t believe they fridged Steve Rogers
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews

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