Weird Western Tales #70 "A Cold Way to Die!"

Weird Western Tales #70 August 1980

"A Cold Way to Die!"

Gerry Conway, story - Dick Ayers & Romeo Tanghal, art - Luis Dominguez, cover 

Immediately after last issue is where we are and Scalphunter is fighting with Wilks for the past thirty minutes. The two men grapple and fall to the ground, knocking over a huge pot of stew that is cooking over a pit filled with coals and a blazing fire. The soldiers stand around, making wagers on who will win while Jase is aghast over this fight that started over her.

Wilks gains the upper hand atop Scalphunter and is holding the warrior's head closer and closer to the flames. Finally Scalphunter executes a maneuver and flips Wilks end over end, landing Wilks hand first into the flames. Wilks starts screaming and Scalphunter takes advantage of the chaos to grab Jase and make for the corral. Scalphunter starts to liberate two horses when a pair of guards try to stop them. Scalphunter grabs one of their rifles and knocks both men out. He and Jase mount up and ride off.

Back at the camp Saunders tells the men to get a surgeon but Wilks shrugs it off, wrapping his hand in a bandage. Saunders learns that Scalphunter and Jase have escaped and says to let them go, since the camp is only a mile from the Rebel line. Wilks, however, says that he'd rather meet the Devil in Hell than let them escape.

Scalphunter and Jase ride through the night, the snow falling around them. They ride in silence until Jase speaks out, saying they are now both deserters. She wanted to join the war to honor her brother who died fighting, but now she realizes that war is senseless and cruel and she way ready to abandon her post as it was. She asks Scalphunter where he will go but the Kiowa doesn't answer. Instead he listens because he had just heard the snap of a branch behind them.

The soldiers are about a mile away, but the cold morning air carries their voices to Scalphunter's ears. Saunders says they should turn back but Wilks has taken control of the men and their fury now and he urges the patrol onward.

Scalphunter and Jase arrive at a frozen lake and on the shore is an ice house. They make their way inside and hide. The soldiers are only five minutes behind them and when they arrive at the ice house they dismount and approach on foot. As they draw closer two of the soldiers foolishly walk in front of the sluice and two massive blocks of ice come careening down the chute. The men try to dodge them but are crushed and injuries by the frozen weapons. Jase asks if those men are dead and Scalphunter cites that they may be, but the others are alive and the two of them must hide. He grabs a pair of ice tongs and they head into the darkness.

The soldiers regroup and make their way into the cold structure and the four of them split up. A creaking board overhead draws Wilks' attention and he climbs the ladder to the second floor. Scalphunter drops on him from above, binding him with the tongs around Wilks chest and the two men slam forward to the first floor. Two other soldiers hear the war cry of Scalphunter and head for the exit, but the are quickly engulfed by falling ice that Jase has toppled onto them, using a long pole for leverage.

Meanwhile Wilks is trying to manipulate his rifle to get a shot at his captor but Scalphunter continues squeezing the tongs until there is a loud snap when Wilks' spine gives way and he falls forward, dead.

 

The last soldier has finally found Jase and he is closing in menacingly. He is one that was hit by the ice outside and he says that his arm hurts horribly, but Jase COULD make it allllll better. As he steps closer a trap door in the floor gives way and he falls onto the frozen lake. The ice breaks and he is pulled under the surface.

Jase stands there, scared and trembling as Scalphunter walks up and they leave the building. Later as the sun is setting she tells Scalphunter that if he stays in the North he'll be hunted as a deserter. He replies that he is heading west, back to his home in the plains. Jase agrees and says she will also go home, even though she feels so lost. Ke-Woh-No-Tey says that she will find her way and she wishes she had his confidence. They briefly hold hands and the Kiowa brave rides off into the night.

Statistics for this issue

Men Killed by Scalphunter - I'm giving Scalphunter one kill, Wilks. We don't know how many soldiers were chasing them, but I think the two hit by ice were only injured. Jase, managed to kill two herself.

Running Total - 130

Compared to Jonah Hex - 30th appearance and Scalphunter has 130 vs Jonah's 115 (in JH #2) (I made a miscount somewhere along the line and I'll have to correct Jonah's stats at a later date)

Scalps Taken - 0

Running Total - 20

Injuries - None

Timeline -  One evening and the next day.

This one was pretty good, a lot of action, the bad guys getting what they deserved and I'm always ALWAYS a sucker for winter westerns (The Hateful Eight is a gem in my eyes). This was a very nice end to Weird Western, it went out while still on a monthly status and Scalphunter did get a backup spot in Jonah's new book.

And I liked the idea of Ke-Woh-No-Tey heading back home to the plains once more. Gerry Conway had a wonderful run on this book, took the character places we thought we would never see him go and built a nice supporting cast along the way with some great story arcs as well. Big kudos for him and having a consistent timeline.

Ads this issue include:

Green Lantern and Twinkies rescue the Bobsled Run

House ad for a new book by Marv Wolfman and George Perez, called The New Teen Titans.

Two page house ad for the new Jonah Hex book

The new Superman/Spider-man teamup book with Hulk and Wonder Woman gets a nice ad

Next time: We get back regular reviews of Jonah Hex but I'll be revisiting the other appearances of Scalphunter in Jonah's book as well as in the Super Spectacular!

Weird Western Tales #69 "Lady in Blue"

Weird Western Tales #69 July 1980

"Lady in Blue"
Gerry Conway, story - Dick Ayers & Romeo Tanghal, art - Luis Dominguez, cover 

March, 1983, Pennsylvania. It is night and we are witness to a small farm, the entire area covered in snow when slowly an entire snow drift stands up to reveal Scalphunter. Clad in a heavy bearskin robe, he lifts his hand and points towards the farmhouse and then several Union troops come on horseback from the nearby forest behind him. Scalphunter has no love for the men he works for.

He has disdain for Lieutenant Sanders, disgust for Sergeant Wilks, contempt for Dick Lansing, and some friendship for Jase Garson. Sanders says he doesn't like the look of things, the farmhouse could be a Rebel trap but Wilks states that is what they have the Injun for. Lansing asks Jase if he is scared and Wilks kicks Jase's horse who starts and then takes off in a fearful gallop. Jase is unable to control the horse as it heads off into the darkness. Scalphunter hears the horse behind him and reacts on instinct, grabbing the reins, planting his feet and halts the horse on a dime. Jase, however does NOT stop and flies head over saddlehorn, landing into a snowbank. 

Scalphunter walks up, thinking the war is crazy to send children instead of men to fight their battles but he is amazed as Jase rises from the snow and Jase is a woman!!! Jase tucks her hair under he snowcap and begs Scalphunter to not give away her secret. The others arrive shortly and ask if Jase and Scalphunter are ready to head to the farmhouse. They both state they are and the soldiers make their way quietly through the snow.

In the farmhouse the Schillerhorn brothers, all four, have been holed up for three days waiting for a Confederate supply patrol. They don't know the patrol was intercepted the prior night and the captured soldiers told of the stolen beef stored in this valley. They think they hear a noise outside and when one of them goes to the door, it is suddenly kicked in by Wilks who quickly shoves a bayonet into one. 

Scalphunter tries to intervene since there is no honor is slaying foes who are greatly outnumbered. Wilks throws a fist into Scalphunter's jaw and then shoots two more of the Rebels. Lansing guns down the fourth much to the horror of Jase. Wilks tells Lansing to tell Sanders that the Rebs resisted and that is why they had to be killed. Jase suddenly throws her hands over her mouth and rushes outside to vomit. 

Wilks is unfazed and kicks logs out of the fireplace and sets fire to the cabin. One of the soldiers asks if they should drag the bodies outside and Wilks asks if they are gonna complain about the heat and laughs about it. The soldiers run out and the entire cabin is shortly engulfed as the soldiers watch the fire consume everything in the cold winter night. Scalphunter holds his tongue and makes it a point to remember, the fire, the smoke, the men and the smell of roasting flesh.

Next morning the Union soldiers are riding into their camp, escorting several head of cattle. Sanders tells Wilks that what happened at the cabin is better left untold. At the camp Scalphunter goes into his tent and starts to wash away the smell of the night before. With water in his eyes he reaches for a towel and it is handed to him by Jase. She came to thank him for keeping her secret. He says it was not his to tell, even a squaw must have a reason for doing what she does.

Jase is slightly put out and then recounts how she is able to defend herself. She was raised in upper New York state and her father taught her how to use a rifle, ride a horse and fight with fists or weapons. When the war broke out her brothers went off to war but came back in boxes. She was determined to take their place so she cut her hair, put on one of her brother's suits and enlisted. She said she did it to free the slaves and preserve the Union. Those are good reasons, but if those are good reasons, why does war attract such bad men?

Scalphunter has no answer for her and they leave the tent. As they walk away Jase bumps into Wilks who drops the steak he was eating. Wilks looks at the steak in the snow and pronounces it ruined and lashes out at Jase. Scalphunter intervenes and a fight breaks out between the two men. Shortly the entire camp coms running and Sanders orders Wilks to stand down. Wilks is having none of it and knocks Scalphunter backwards into a tent.

The tent collapses and the two man battle it out under the weight of the wet canvas. Wilks gets his hands around Scalphunter's neck and starts choking the life out of him. Jase leaps forward and pulls at Wilks' hair trying to break his hold on Scalphunter. Wilks rises up and shrugs like a bull, tossing Jase backwards off of him. Jase's hat comes off exposing her hair and revealing her true identity. Wilks starts laughing, saying NOW he understands why the Indian was protective of Jase, he was keeping her for himself. Wilks moves toward her saying that all of that is about to change!!!

Statistics for this issue

Men Killed by Scalphunter - None!s

Running Total - 129

Compared to Jonah Hex - 29th appearance and Scalphunter has 129 vs Jonah's 115 (in JH #2)

Scalps Taken - 0

Running Total - 20

Injuries - None

Timeline -  One evening and the next day.

I enjoyed this one even though the 'surprise' was not really a surprise, even without the cover and the title giving it away. Not a lot of originality in this story, mean soldiers, Scalphunter disgusted with war, etc etc but I still enjoyed it. Not in the top ten but not the bottom of the barrel either. My one gripe was that a man like Wilks would not let a steak hitting the ground dissuade him from eating it. I can see it being COLD, rather than piping hot, but come ON! He was walking around gnawing on it like a beast!

And I just love this panel:

Ads for this issue included the second Superman/Spider-Man teamup where they fight the Parasite and Dr. Doom.

O.J. Simpson once again hawks some running shoes as well as Dingo boots.

The Flash and Twinkies are a Flash in the Dam against the Destroyer.

House ad for all the backup features in the DC Implosion (Scalphunter moves to Jonah Hex)

The letters page indicates that Weird Western Tales is about to be canceled.

Next Issue: We got some fire, we got some ice and we have a conclusion!

Weird Western Tales #68 "Night Train to Nowhere"

 Weird Western Tales #68 June 1980

"Night Train to Nowhere"

Gerry Conway, story - Dick Ayers & Romeo Tanghal, art - Luis Dominguez, cover

Just hours since last issue Scalphunter comes strolling into the hotel in the midst of a sudden February snow storm. The huge sack of gold hoisted upon his shoulder, he startles the folks inside who are stoking the fire in the pot-belly stove. A man with a pistol quickly turns and draws his weapon, telling the others to stay back. He tells Scalphunter to stand still or he'll blast him to heathen hell. Scalphunter stares into his eyes and starts to snarl when Nancy Wilson comes from the back room, saying that Ke-Woh-No-Tay works for her husband. 

Ke-Woh-No-Tey slowly smiles and says that he does, indeed, work there. Nancy looks at him and says that she needs his help...in the kitchen. Scalphunter walks past the others (Benson, the man with the gun; Doc; Kantor; David and his wife; a young girl, and a servant, Luella.). The others converse about their current state affairs, how the engineer put them onto the wrong track onto this dead end spur and then the freak snowstorm whips up, and now this crazy woman and an Indian. But, no matter what, they are stuck there.

In the kitchen Nancy asks Scalphunter if Wilson, the fat pig, is dead. He doesn't answer verbally but only nods. She asks "What about....?" and Scalphunter empties the bag of gold onto the kitchen table. She stands there aghast, plunges her hands into the coins and then breaks down weeping. After all the years of her hating him, he beating her and the abuse, now he is gone and here is all of the gold. She asks if he is going to steal it, is some of it actually hers? Scalphunter shrugs, the question ot worthy of an answer and she breaks into laughter, the relief bursting like a dam.

Scalphunter starts to go back into the lobby and knows he has no use for the people there either so he steps outside into the screaming storm. He sees lights in the caboose indicating the engineer and the conductor are there. He looks down at the graves he help dig just the day prior of the two robbers who had brought with them the story of the gold. He hears the sound of snow crunching under horses hooves and sees mounted men approaching through the storm. He ducks behind a wood pile and he overhears them talking. They are Confederate soldiers who are supposed to meet their agent here in order to steal the Union locomotive. 

It was all part of the plan, a broken signal-switch, a brand new engine stuck on a dead end spur and all they have to do is kill everyone and pretend to be Yankees and steal the train. Suddenly one of the soldiers think they see someone and the whole of them gallop off as Scalphunter steals past them in the blinding storm. He enters the hotel and tells the others of the soldiers and their plan to kill everyone and steal the train. The darkness is broken by screams and Scalphunter says that was probably the engineer or the conductor.  Benson says he'll get to the bottom of things and opens the hotel door. 

He stands their, outlined by the interior light, and sees two men carrying the dead conductor. They quickly drop the body and open fire, just as Scalphunter grabs Benson back into the hotel. But not before he is struck in the shoulder by a bullet. Scalphunter tells everyone to barricade the doors and windows. Just then Nancy comes out of the kitchen worried that the gunfire means folks are coming to steal her gold. She yells out the window for everyone to go away. She is quickly gunned down.

Outside the Confederate Lt. tells his men to quit firing at shadows at the windows, but inside, Nancy lies dead at Scalphunter's feet. The Captain is on the locomotive and chastises the Lt. for the gunfire. He says the Sergeant is working on getting the engine up to steam which should take about thirty minutes. He says they should be ready to leave by then. The Lt. understands and starts on the mission to kill everyone.

Inside the hotel, folks are starting to panic, the young girl says that her daddy is a Southern gentleman and she breaks away from Luella and heads for the door. Doc grabs her and administers several swats to her bottom, saying that he had to give her a 'sedative' with a big grin on his face. David breaks down, saying they are all dead. His wife reminds him that he said he wouldn't go to pieces anymore but he says it is no use. Scalphunter tells him to be quiet, tears are for woman.

The Confederates fan out and surround the hotel while Scalphunter sneaks out of an upstairs window. Doc asks if he wants Benson's pistols and Scalphunter says that guns make noise and he must be a silent as the night. He drops to ground and runs to the caboose. He throws open the door suprising the soldier there and just as quickly, buries a knife in the man's chest. The dead soldier falls backward onto the dead engineer that he had killed earlier. Scalphunter fills a metal pail with coals from the stove in the caboose.

Back at the hotel, Doc and the woman are toppling the kitchen stove and David protests, saying it will burn down the hotel. In the lobby Luella knocks over the pot belly stove and as fire eats away at the hotel, everyone rushes up the stairs away from the flames. Outside, the soldiers are astounded to see the hotel burst into flames. The Lt. tells his men to cover the back, since this is a distraction for everyone's escape. They all run around the hotel, leaving the captain as the lone soldier between the hotel and the train.

We see Scalphunter running across the tops of the box cars and just then we see the people in the hotel knock out an upper window and make their way onto the roof, much to the surprise of the Captain.

 

Scalphunter jumps into the locomotive, throws the hot coals onto the soldiers there, lighting them ablaze.  They jump off the train trying to put out the flames in the snow. The Captain draws his pistol when Luella punches him in the back of the head, knocking him out.

They all jump aboard the train and start backing out of town. By the time the soldiers get back around the hotel, the train is out of range so they mount up and head home. On board the train Doc is talking to Scalphunter and says it looks like they are in the clear, but what about the agent the soldiers were talking about. Just then Benson steps forward and says that he is going to earn his pay and HE is taking the locomotive to the Rebels like he was paid to do. Just then David steps forward and shoves Benson off the train. His wife is overjoyed that he took action.

Doc says that it looks like David left his cowardice back at the hotel, and maybe Doc left a bad part of himself there as well. He asks Scalphunter if HE left anything there and Scalphunter replies that he left nothing of value, nothing of importance (as we see the gold melting in the inferno of the hotel).

Statistics for this issue

Men Killed by Scalphunter - One and burned two soldiers severely, but we can't count those as deaths

Running Total - 129

Compared to Jonah Hex - 28th appearance and Scalphunter has 129 vs Jonah's 110 (in JH #1)

Scalps Taken - 0

Running Total - 20

Injuries - None

Timeline -  This probably covers an hour to ninety minutes

This issue was dedicated to the films of John Ford and while it doesn't conjure one particular film, it reads just like one of his tales. The varied folks trapped in a location, each person dealing with their own inner demons and each having their own personalities. Of course, in a two hour film, everyone would have been fleshed out in a much better fashion but having 17 pages Gerry Conway can only do so much. I liked this one quite a bit, always enjoying snow storms as a plot device and huge fires as well. The cover was top-notch, even though the train wasn't moving when Scalphunter burned those two guys.

Ads included:

Batman, Robin and Hostess cupcakes defeating Catman on the Prowl!!

The winners of the Wonder Woman contest (It was Orlando Watkins of Detroit, Michigan) who got a Wonder Woman Weekend in New York along with an afternoon at DC Comics. 25 folks won watches, 50 people got sleeping bags, and 100 folks got lunchboxes.

A bunch of in-house ads

A Spalding ad drawn by Jack Davis featuring Rick Barry and Julius Irving.

Next Issue: A really good story with the main secret revealed on the cover! Sheesh!

Weird Western Tales #67 "The Treasure of St. Mary's"

 Weird Western Tales #67 May 1980

"The Treasure of St. Mary's"

Gerry Conway, story - Dick Ayers & Romeo Tanghal, art - Luis Dominguez, cover
 

We open upon a sweaty shirtless Ke-Woh-No-Tay who is splitting wood in St Mary's Church, Pennsylvania. (Hopefully, Sally will count this as a Christmas present). He is at the local hotel and a man named Travers is sitting nearby talking to the Kiowa brave. Travers says that he is a good judge of character and it is obvious that Ke-Woh-No-Tey has a lot of internal pain since he showed up here a month ago. Travers also cites the fact that Scalphunter is dressed as an Indian but really isn't and he postulates that the trouble in the brave's heart is a squaw has left him broken hearted.

As the two walk into the hotel, Ke-Woh-No-Tey tells Travers that he talks too much. They deliver the firewood to the lobby and as they leave three men walk in. The manager asks what he can help them with and one man produces a pistol and demands all the money. Just then Scalphunter bursts back, wielding the axe he was using earlier. He tells them to leave but Henry, the man with the pistol, gets several shots off but none of them find their target. Scalphunter swings the axe and suddenly we are in the Mos Eisley cantina as there is a severed arm on the floor. 

A second man whips out a shotgun and as he takes aim, Scalphunter kicks upwards hitting the barrel, driving the weapon up under the man's jaw just as he pulls the trigger (Not unlike Buster Scruggs several years later). The third man starts begging for his life, saying that there wasn't supposed to be any firearms. Scalphunter turns on him, raises the axe and buries it in the wall next the man's head. Travers has witnessed the whole thing and talking to the clerk, he asks what are they going to do with the remaining robber. 

In a panic the man starts stammering, saying that he'll do anything, even tell them about the treasure.

In the silence you could hear a pin drop and the clerk replies "Did you say.... treasure?"

The man explains that Henry had told him of the Massacre of St. Mary's from about a hundred years ago. At a British fort on the Ohio river French trappers arrived to sell their furs. The Fort's captain, a British Lord promised to buy the furs for gold and he did just that. But when the trappers left the fort, the Captain sent local Indians that had given liquor and guns to follow the trappers, kill them and bring back the gold.

The French trappers realized they were being chased and took to the river and eventually had to abandon their canoes and head across country on foot. The French are killed one by one, with the remaining trappers picking up the dropped gold and continuing onward. Eventually they make a stand and confront the Indians and in the end only one trapper lived and managed to drag himself miles to a nearby road. There he was found by a Quaker before he passed away. The man told the Quaker of the gold and the Quaker had written down everything and passed that information on to his children. Finally, Henry discovered the book while robbing the house and the plan was to rob the hotel to get enough money to buy supplies to dig up the gold.

Travers asks the man if he could lead them to the gold and the man says that he could. The manager decides they could celebrate with a drink.

The next morning, the two dead robbers are buried, Scalphunter, Travers, the manager Wilson and Hodds the robber take their leave while a woman who has seen and heard everything stays behind. The four men travel through the woods in a wagon and during the ride Wilson whispers to Travers that he doesn't understand why they brought the Indian because what does an Indian need with gold? Travers replies that they will decide on that after Ke-Woh-No-Tay helps them dig up the gold. 

As they continue to ride along in the February cold, the sun sets and the moon eventually rises. Hodds shouts that they have arrived, he recognizes a nearby hill that was described in the book. He jumps out of the wagon, grabs a pick-axe and starts digging. He kneels in the hole, unearthing human bones and throwing dirt to the side. He finally comes across a bag of gold and he reaches into the hole and pulls out the coins. He starts laughing and says he wishes that Henry could see him now.

Just then Wilson walks up and says that can be arranged as he crushes Hodds skull with a shovel. 

Travers turns and realizes that Scalphunter is gone! Wilson and Travers continue to dig, pulling up more bags of gold and load everything into the wagon. Scalphunter is in the nearby woods, watching everything. The horse are acting skittish and Wilson and Travers climb aboard the wagon and take off. As they ride along, each man keeps eyeing the other until finally Travers pulls a pistol and shoots Wilson dead.

Wilson falls off the wagon, dropping the reins. Travers can't recover them and the horse are now running wild. Suddenly a pack of wolves erupt from the forest, attacking the horses. The wagon topples, throwing Travers and the gold far afield. An arrow strikes a wolf dead and the rest of the pack runs away. Ke-Woh-No-Tey arrives on the scene, surveying the body of Travers. He gathers the gold, places it into a bag and hefts it upon his shoulder and walks off into the emerging dawn.

Statistics for this issue

Men Killed by Scalphunter - Two robbers get killed and one gets disarmed (hyuk hyuk!!)

Running Total - 128

Compared to Jonah Hex - 27th appearance and Scalphunter has 128 vs Jonah's 119 (in WWT #38)

Scalps Taken - 0

Running Total - 20

Injuries - None

Timeline -  Even though this one occurs over a month since last issue, it only covers one day.

This issue has a dedication to the films of John Huston, and I think it is an allusion to The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, a very nice film of folks trying to locate a mysterious treasure. I liked this one a lot with the axe tossing Scalphunter, the normal townsfolk turning on one another in their greed for gold and the finale where Travers is eventually undone by his own greed and the teeth of wolves.

Ads in this issue included:

Green Arrow and Fruit Pies rescuing folks in a cable car in "An Arrow in Time"

An In House ad for Jonah Hex and Weird Western

O.J. Simpson in an ad for Spot-bilt shoes

Next Issue: We learn what happens to the gold, a train and a conflagration.

Jonah Hex #13 V2 "Retribution Part 1 of 3"

Jonah Hex #13 V2 Jan '07
"Retribution, Part 1 of 3"
Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti, story - Jordi Bernet, art and cover

The Wyoming Badlands, 1868 - Two wagons sit under a full moon and four men huddle around a fire that is battling back the Wyoming darkness. Bix, Rufus, Pete, and Captain Fulsome are discussing their business, running stolen rifles down into Mexico.

Bix heads out into the black to relieve himself and during the continuing talk we learn that Fulsome served with Colonel Ackerman in the Confederacy. Rufus staggers back towards the fire and falls down, face first, a tomahawk embedded in his back, stuck clean through a wanted poster of the now dead Rufus (wanted for Murder, Train Robbery, and Rape(?!?)). Bix starts to panic and states "It's HIM".

Fulsome gives orders to kill the fire and cover the wagons. A rope leaps through the air and Pete finds himself yanked off his feet and drug into the dark. Bix makes it to the wagons and suddenly finds a knife in his chest, piercing the wanted poster with his likeness. Fulsome makes it to a wagon, yanks back the canvas and drags out one of two women and holds a pistol to her neck. (the woman says words to the effect "not again", so I am taking that as impending rape)

Fulsome shouts that he will kill the girl if he isn't allowed to leave. He should have killed 'him' at Fort Donelson and the camera slowly pulls back into the night.

Fort Donelson, Tennessee, 1862 - A Union wagon train is slogging through a downpour and a few Confederate soldiers rise out of the underbrush as the wagons roll by. They climb on to the back of the wagons in order to gain access to the Fort in the distance. Once inside, the Rebs attack and open the gates to the Fort, allowing the rest of their men access to the Fort. One Reb in particular seems awfully fond of using a tomahawk.

The Union forces finally get a Gatling gun set up and mow down the Confederates as they enter the Fort. Colonel Ackerman and Captain Fulsome stand over the bodies littering the ground. Ackerman looms above our downed Jonah Hex, noting that rumor has it he was raised by Apaches and that Jonah seems to have an affinity for being on the losing side. Ackerman orders all the bodies bayoneted except for Hex, of whom an example shall be made.

The Cumberland River, Sept 18th, 1862 - Day breaks and Jonah is tied to a large wooden X mounted on a raft. He has been stripped naked and covered with a Confederate flag. Ackerman and Fulsome are there and Ackerman gives Fulsome the order to proceed. Fulsome produces a large whip commences to whip Hex. Hex whispers that he will kill Fulsom but the promise rings false on the Captain's ears. He orders Hex set adrift and the raft is pushed out into the current.

For two full days and two full nights, Jonah hangs from the cross, mosquitoes and other bugs feasting in his bloody open wounds. On the third day, Jonah is sighted by a family on the river bank performing a baby's baptism.  The raft is caught and drug ashore. It is determined that Hex is alive, just barely.

Back at the house, we find Jonah on a table, with the father performing surgery on him, removing bullets, shrapnel, and maggots. The son (not the baby) asks if Hex will die. The father responds that the Good Lord saw fit to bring Hex to them so they will do what they can to save him. The boy continues to talk of the evil of Yankees. The father says that Yankees are men, differing only in their beliefs and measure of their brutality.

The boy mentions that he is scared and the father reassures him that the North will never reach this far south.

Some undisclosed time later, the father is reading in the paper that Lincoln is expected to issue an Emancipation Proclamation. Jonah staggers into the room. The father explains Jonah's situation and that with the damage to his throat, his voice will probably never be more that a coarse whisper. Jonah can stay until he heals, but once he is able to ride, he will be outfitted with a horse, clothes and a rifle.

January 17th, 1863 - During a thunderstorm, three Confederate soldiers come to the door of the house. The father opens the door.

Jonah and the boy are in the barn, saddling a horse when they hear a gunshot. Jonah grabs an axe and heads for the house. He finds the father in a pool of blood and the three soldiers grabbing the mother. She shouts that Confederates don't act tin this manner and they explain that they are not soldiers but they stole the uniforms in order to gain entry to homes.

Jonah bursts in and buries the blade of the axe into the head of one man, grabs his pistol and shoots the second. The last man reaches for his weapon and his head is deftly removed from his torso, courtesy of Jonah's axe.

Several hours later we see Jonah burying the father as the son looks on. The family mourns the loss of their husband and father. That night Jonah pays his respects and rides off.

The Wyoming Badlands, 1868 - Fulsome is still shouting to the dark the conditions of his letting the woman go. A pistol barrel gently eases against the back of his neck and we hear "Drop the gun." Fulsome states that it was Ackerman that slaughtered the Apache, Fulsome had nothing to do with it. The darkness replies "His time is coming."

Fulsome is grasping at straws now. He says that Ackerman can't be taken down, he has too many men, he'll be too angry to find his rifles stolen, he won't stop until Hex his dead. Hex orders Fulsome on his knees, places the wanted poster against Fulsome's chest and says...

Statistics for This Issue
Men Killed By Jonah - 10 (Fulsome and his men, three 'Confederates', two in the fort and I'm not counting all the others dead in the fort) 
Running Total - 585 (432 past, 55 future, 15 Vertigo, 83 V2)
Jonah's Injuries - Dehydration, exposure, shot, whipped.
Timeline - Well, 1868, flashback to 1862 and into 1863. The flashback covers four months, current day; about 15-30 minutes.
Rape Percentage - 46% (6 out of 13)

This story caused a lot of speculation when it was announced. How close would J and J stick to the Fleisher origin?  The details regarding the Fort Charlotte massacre were changed, pretty much removing Quentin Turnbull from the picture (for now) and the entire scene with the whipping brought up concerns that maybe THAT is how Jonah got his scars. So far (I'm trying to not give things away), I'm liking the story and I especially loved the explanation of Jonah's voice, something that we will never hear in a comic but allows us to cast his voice as that of Clint Eastwood.

Bernet's art, first time here, was slightly cartoony but gritty enough and fluid enough to really really work for me. In fact, I like more photo-realistic art myself, but Bernet won me over eventually. In some cases his work, cinematically, works as well as that of Ross, especially here...

All in all, a great issue and a fantastic place for folks to jump on board and learn more about the scarred bounty hunter.

Next Issue - Woodson Hex, The Apache and two panels that sum up the entirety of Jonah Hex's life.

Jonah Hex #37 "Stonewall!"

Jonah Hex #37 June 1980
"Stonewall!"
Michael Fleisher, story - Dick Ayers & Danny Bulandi, art - Luis Dominguez, cover

Jonah Hex is standing, hat in hand, head bowed, before a large tombstone. Nearby, an old cemetery groundskeeper and his grandson look on. The young boy asks if that is really Jonah Hex. The groundskeeper affirms that it is and that Jonah stops by whenever he is in the area. The youngster asks who is buried there and the grandfather's reply is that it is the grave of "Stonewall" Jackson.

The old man tells the story of what a great general Stonewall was and how Hex was a good fighter in his own right, just being a lieutenant. Once, when Hex was on a scouting mission, he saw a Confederate being chased by five Union soldiers. The Confederate is shot off of his horse and then Jonah intervenes, hitting one Union soldier in the chest and another in the head. He continues to fire at the three remaining Union soldiers when his horse takes a tumble down the hillside and Jonah ends up on the ground in the open. He squeezes off three shots, killing the rest of the Unions troops.

The injured Confederate soldier comes forth to thank Jonah and introduces himself as General Stonewall Jackson. Stonewall invites Jonah back to camp where he outlines his mission. Stonewall has been ordered to take the Federal armory at Harper's Ferry (placing this part of the story in Sept. of 1862). Stonewall needs a man who can singlehandedly dynamite the bridge over the Potomac. Stonewall has heard that Jonah spent time with the Apache, so could he navigate a canoe?

Jonah takes on the mission and soon finds himself on a canoe traveling down some hellish rapids. Of course, this being a Jonah Hex comic and the financial straits that the Confederacy was suffering at the time, Jonah's canoe paddle breaks. Since the Confederacy was suffering all of those financial cutbacks, their map makers (low-paid that they were) didn't bother showing little extras on the map. Things like.....waterfalls.

Jonah survives the falls, retrieves his backpack, and continues on to the bridge. Once at the bridge, he pulls out some dynamite, tied it to the bridge and then lights it. I was completely unaware that the South had waterproof explosives and matches back in 1862!

Jonah is discovered by a Union patrol but he manages to knife one of them and blow up the rest when the bridge explodes. Jonah reports back to Stonewall where he is thanked for a job well done and then returns to his cavalry unit.

Seven months later, Stonewall Jackson is engaged at Chancellorsville where he is routing the Union forces. Night falls and Stonewall and his men get lost. Several miles away, Jonah Hex and his men are holding a position, on the lookout for Union forces that are attempting to flee Chancellorsville. In the darkness they see several riders approaching. Jonah has told his men to hold their fire until he shoots. Jonah takes the first shot, striking General Stonewall Jackson.

Back to present day, the groundskeeper explains to his grandson that Jonah Hex is the man responsible for the death of Stonewall Jackson. We see Jonah mount his horse and then ride off.

Statistics for this issue
Men killed by Jonah- 6 Unions soldiers shot, 1 stabbed, 1 blown up & Stonewall Jackson for a total of 9
Running Total - 270
Jonah's Injuries - Dumped over a waterfall, but that doesn't ever hurt Jonah.
Timeline - We have no idea when the opening takes place except that it is after 1866. It is probably during one of Jonah's trips to Virginia, encountering Quentin Turnbull. The flashback takes place in 1862 & 1863.

All in all, the story isn't bad, but there isn't much there. Jonah shoots some Union soldiers, goes over a waterfall, saves the day, and loses the war for the South. It is nice to see Jonah pre 1866, history is always nice to have on a character. Of course, there is no explanation of how Jonah rejoined the Confederacy after the Fort Charlotte Massacre.

Next Issue - A dying Indian's plea, an ancient map, a blind prospector and Jonah takes his shirt off!

Jonah Hex #8 Vol. 1 "The Mark of the Demon"

Jonah Hex #8 Vol. 1 Jan 1978
"The Mark of the Demon"
Michael Fleisher, story - Ernie Chan & Vincente Alcazar, art, Ernie Chan (Chua), cover

This story, continued from last issue, is stated as taking place "Spring, 1874". Ooookay, 1874 it is. (Mr. Fleisher, you're killing me here with your continuity). We are treated to a splash page stating that Jonah is tracking the Apaches that have kidnapped Adrian Vaden. Then we get a 1 page recap of the flashback and on page three we pick up when Jonah is captured by the Kiowas.

They tie him to a stake & get ready to burn him alive when suddenly the camp is attacked by white men who slaughter Indians for their scalps ($25 each at Fort Hastings). They kill everyone in the camp, including slitting the throats of two Kiowa children. When Jonah, whom they have just freed, protests, they gut shoot him & leave him for dead.

Several weeks later, Jonah awakens in the cabin of an old trapper. It is not revealed how the trapper found Jonah, but he nurses the boy back to health through the summer & fall & into winter. Jonah walks for three days to find the Apache camp, but it is deserted. Then we get a montage of Jonah as a "wanderer on the frontier", a buffalo hunter for the Army, a tracker, a scout, and then in the Civil War at Chancellorville (May 1863), Vicksburg (July 1863), Shiloh (April 1862), Antietam (Sept 1862). Therefore, the Fort Charlotte Massacre occured sometime after July of 1863.

After the war is over Jonah comes upon a wagon that has been destroyed. Looking through the ruins he finds Noh-Tante's medicine amulet. Within the week he finds the Apache village and meets White Fawn. She explains that she has wed Noh-Tante. Jonah confronts the chief and explains how he was betrayed by Noh-Tante "twelve years before" (so we are now in 1866). The chief declares that this arguement must be decided in a tomahawk fight.

During the battle Jonah accidentally hits a tree and the handle on his tomahawk breaks. Noh-Tante holds Jonah down and gloats that he had weakened the handle so that it would break. Jonah, about to die, grabs the knife he keeps in the collar of his coat & stabs Noh-Tante. Jonah has broken Apache law by using a weapon other than the tomahawk and he must pay a price. The chief explains that Jonah had saved his life once but then killed his son, so the world must know that Jonah is half good & half evil. They tie Jonah between two poles and press a heated tomahawk into the right side of his face. He is kicked out of the camp & told that he will be killed if he ever returns.

Back in present day (1874), Jonah locates the Apache village where Laura is being kept. An Indian attacks him from behind, knocking him unconscious. He awakens tied before the chief, his one-time 'father'. The chief explains that come dawn Jonah will be tortured and then burnt alive. Later that night, White Fawn stabs the brave guarding Jonah and then frees Hex. She is going to escape with Jonah but the chief kills her with an arrow in the back. Jonah shoots & kills the chief, grabs Laura and starts to escape.

As they ride away, they are ambushed by Count Henri D'Aubergnon & Pierre (remember them?). Now the Count knocks Jonah off his horse by bending a tree over, tying it down and cutting the rope, letting the tree spring back. looking at this tree I'm wondering that if the Count can bend a tree that big around, why didn't he just grab Jonah & break him in half and eat his organs? The count ties Jonah up and Pierre takes up collecting arrowheads. The Count frees Jonah and together they are able to fend off several waves of Apaches attacking. Jonah decides that one of them can save Laura if the other provides cover. The Count falsely states that he has enough ammo to last hours (he has two bullets). Jonah & he argue about who will stay & who will go. The Count suggests the toss of a coin. Heads, he will stay, tails, Jonah will stay. It comes up heads and Jonah rides off with Laura. The Count ends up fighting the Apache with just his saber.

As Laura & Jonah ride off, they have this exchange:
Laura:"Did you ever study French, Mr. Hex?"
Jonah:"Nope! Why?"
Laura:"Well, I was just thinking how funny it is that when we were leaving, the Count called out "adieu" to us. In French, that means 'farewell'.
Jonah: "So whut?"
Laura: "Well, when you're expecting to see someone again, you're supposed to say 'au revoir', which means 'until we meet again'."

And then we are treated to this visual:

reminds me of a Jack Davis EC book.

Statistics for the issue
Men killed by Jonah : Noh-Tante, the chief, and at least 4 other Indians (6 total)

Running Total - 140
Jonah's Injuries: Gut shot, Branded on his face with a hot tomahawk, knocked out, knocked off his horse by a tree
Timeline: Whew! 1874, 1866, 1862, 1863, 1854, all over the place.

Overall this was a great issue. The art by Ernie Chan/Chua was good but Alcazar's inks weren't refined enough to make this stellar. Major awards go to the last panel. The cover has Jonah wearing Union Blue instead of Reb Grey.

Finally, one for Ragnell & SallyP
Next Issue: More exposing of sweaty man-flesh, a vast Mexican treasure, and an awkward moment....Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Weird Western Tales #29 "Breakout at Fort Charlotte"

Weird Western Tales #29 July-Aug 1975
"Breakout at Fort Charlotte"
Michael Fleisher- story, Noly Panaligan - art, Luis Domiguez - cover

There is no way that I can do this story justice, but I will try. If you are a Hex fan, you have to get a copy of this, either on ebay or in the Showcase Presents. It is that good, the artwork and layouts are that rich, the story is that pivotal in the Jonah Hex saga. I understand it will also be retold in the upcoming 3 parter in the new Jonah Hex series. But, I'm getting the cart before the horse. Let's get to the story.

The story starts with Jonah riding into Red Rock Texas, 1875. As Jonah dismounts a young man calls Jonah a Judas & a traitor and starts yelling at Hex about Fort Charlotte. He says that his dad died because of Jonah being a traitor. Jonah turns and walks away, leading his horse, but the young draws his pistol and fires. He misses Hex, but hits the bit on the horse's bridle. The bullet ricochets away but the horse, spooked, rears up and accidentally kicks Jonah in the head. The doc comes rushing out and gets Jonah into his office. There, Jonah starts crying out in a delirium and the story goes into a flashback.

Richmond, Virginia, Christmas Day, 1861. Jonah, unscarred, and his best friend Jeb ride up in front of a large plantation. The black butler calls for Mr. Turnbull to come out because Jeb Turnbull & Jonah are home. Jeb explains that he & Jonah are on a three day pass. They are welcomed into the home & they present Mr. Turnbull with a present, the Eagle-topped cane that we have seen previously. Jeb mentions that they took it off a Union General.


During dinner there is a discussion about how well the war is going. Jeb, full of bravado, exclaims that within three months, the Confederacy will have won its freedom. Jonah expresses doubts because it seems that for every Yankee he shoots, six more seem to pop up. Just then, one of Mr. Turnbull's men comes in, shouting that some of the slaves have gotten loose and started an uprising by setting the barn on fire. They all rush outside to see some of the hired hands and some loyal slaves shooting into the mob, trying to calm the riot. Suddenly one of the slaves rushes up behind Jonah, wielding a large club. Jeb shouts a warning & Jonah turns and shoots the slave dead.
Jeb shouts, "YAHOO! You got im, Jonah boy! Good shot!" Jonah appears remorseful at having killed the man and mumbles a short thanks. Mr Turnbull orders his son to forget about Jonah and to "get those rebellious darkies back to their sheds so we can resume our Christmas dinner".

The next day, Mr. Turnbull personally takes it upon himself to flog the leaders of the uprising. Jonah comments that maybe the slaves had been whipped enough, but Turnbull says that slaves are like children, requiring beating to understand their master's love for them. A day or so later, Jonah & Jeb are back on the front lines, fighting the Yankees.

January 1st, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation takes effect. Even though it was written on Sept 22nd of '62, this story shows Lincoln reading it on Jan 1 '63.

An undisclosed time later, Jonah & Jeb are talking over the campfire. Jonah explains that he can't continue to kill Yankees while they are fighting for men to be free, but he can't turn & fight against his friends. His only solution is to turn himself in to the Union & sit the war out in prison.

That night, Jonah appears in the bedroom of the commander of the nearby Fort Charlotte. The Commander thinks that the fort has been overtaken, but Jonah explains that he is surrendering to the top man at the fort. The commander questions Jonah as to the location of his unit, but Jonah explains that he alone is surrendering & will not divulge that information.

The commander calls for his orderly, a black soldier, & berates him for allowing Jonah to get into the bedroom. He tells the orderly tha Jonah can have free reign of the stockade area. Jonah, mentally notes that it seems like the black man has no real home in the North or the South. Later, the orderly comes in and explains that he found red clay on the hooves of Jonah's horse. That may lead them to where Jonah's platoon is camped. The commander orders that a platoon be sent out to check a nearby marsh.

That morning, Jonah's entire platoon is captured in their bedrolls and not one shot is fired. As they are being taken to Fort Charlotte, some of the men are already blaming Hex, calling him a "sneaky, nigger-lovin'..." before being threatened by Jeb. once they are all in the fort, the commander has Jonah brought out and publically thanks him for turning traitor on his friends. Jonah punches the commander, but the damage is done, his friends believe he has turned them in. Jonah is then locked in solitary confinement.

While in solitary confinement, Jonah locates a loose board that leads to a tunnel. The jailer brings Jonah's ration of bread & water, notices the loose board and then warns the captain. The captain is overjoyed because the fort doesn't have enough supplies to feed their own soldiers, much less dozens of prisoners. The captain orders gatlin guns placed around the perimeter, ready for a breakout.

Jonah climbs down the tunnel into the prisoner barracks. He hands out some guns he stole along with wire cutters, however only a few men of the thrity five escaping are able to escape alive. Jeb dies in Jonah's arms, begging to know if Jonah is guilty of the betrayal.
Jonah later hunts down the captain and kills him in revenge. Two weeks later when the news reaches Quentin Turnbull, he swears vengence upon Jonah for the death of Jeb.

The flashback ends as Jonah awakens. Jonah asks the doctor about the young man that shot at him. The doctor tells him that the young man is still waiting across the street. Jonah walks out and asks the man if he's ready for a showdown. The young man quickly pulls his gun and guns Jonah down before Hex can get a shot off. The doctor runs out & pronounces Jonah dead. The young man, having avenged his dad, rides slowly off. Once he is gone, Jonah gets up. The doc says that Jonah took an awful chance, letting the boy take a shot, but Jonah replies that a kid that wet behind the ears couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. He then rides off as well.

Statistics for this issue
Men killed by Jonah - 2; Jonah shoots the captain and we see Jonah shoot a man in battle.
Running Total - 84
Jonah's Injuries - Kicked in the head by a horse and punched in the face.
Timeline - 1875 for the opening & closing and 1862-63 for the flashback. This is the beginning of some of the stickier points in Jonah's timeline. 1875 was a dumping ground for Michael Fleisher and it seemed that later on, when the Jonah Hex stories started having a continung storyline the 1875 stories that were told earlier were not shoehorned in. This was a western comic & people weren't paying attention to it. The errors, starting with issue #30, just kept coming.

Like I said earlier, this is probably one of the best & most pivotal stories in the Hex legend. Quentin Turnbull was a driving force in Jonah's life and that would come to a climax in the next issue.

Next Week: Disgrace, Cowardice, Yellow Paint, and Turnbull almost upchucks!!!

Note of thanks to Susan for spotting my error on the year Turnbull got the cane. It wasn't 1962 (or even 1862) it was 1861.