Pop Culture Chronicles

The Dynamite Lone Ranger Series

I recently finished reading the first ten issues of the Lone Ranger comic book series from Dynamite Entertainment. This completes the first two story arcs of the series, with issues 1-6 covering the origin and issues 7-10 containing the second story. Here are my positive observations:

1) The art is outstanding! Realistic. The Old West flavor has successfully been captured.

2) The story and characters are believable. The character development is beyond anything we've seen in Lone Ranger stories of the past. I especially like what they've done with Tonto who is no longer a submissive, broken-English speaking sidekick. Tonto is a tough customer and not to be messed with. He is definitely someone you want on your side. When he is on your side, there is no more faithful friend. He has a past which is being divulged slowly over time. I'm also intrigued by the romantic tension that seems to exist between the Ranger and his brother's widow.

3) I think a mark of good storytelling is when a seemingly insignificant theme is planted earlier in a story. And then later in the story that theme is revisited, perhaps developed, and shown to be of greater significance. The theme may first appear as something that a character says in passing, but then later resurfaces. There must be a technical literary term for this, but I am unaware of what that term would be.

An example in this tale would be when Tonto makes an extra grave so that everyone will think John Reid is dead. Reid tells Tonto that a cross is not needed on this grave (Perhaps Reid is angry at God for the ranger massacre. Who knows?) But the symbol of the cross turns out to play a vital role in the Ranger's future (though not in an overtly religious way).

This literary device (whatever it is called) is used frequently in the series, so you have to pay attention. In fact, when I get a new issue I always go back and skim the previous ones to make sure I didn't miss anything or forget something. If I had the discipline, I would wait for the trade paperback reprints and read an entire story arc in one sitting. But I can't wait that long to see what happens.

Some less positive observations:

1) I sometimes feel that the art carries a single issue and we don't get the amount of dialog or plot advancement that I would prefer. Just my opinion.

2) A notable difference from any previous Lone Ranger incarnations is some graphic violence. This has disappointed some traditional fans of the character. At times it's like The Lone Ranger meets Lonesome Dove. Well, maybe not that extreme, but there is some blood, grit, and brutality. There is also some occasional profanity. Most of it is relatively mild, with some occasional stronger language from the bad guys. While I like having a more adult Lone Ranger, I'd prefer these two items be omitted in keeping with the traditional history of the character as a children's role model.

But there are still some avenues in which I can share my love for the Lone Ranger with my ten-year-old son. He is a fan of the reruns on DVD and he also reads my old Gold Key comics. I did allow him to get a Lone Ranger # 0 on Free Comic Book Day which was pretty kid friendly.

In addition to Dynamite's current series, I'd love to see an all ages Lone Ranger comic so that more children can return with us to those thrilling days of yesteryear and discover the character we know and love. "All Ages" doesn't have to mean "just for kids" as I believe Marvel has proven with some of their All Ages titles. If I were to dream big, I'd love to see the popularity of this new comic lead to reprints of the old Dell and Gold Key stories, but I am dreaming.

All that being said, I eagerly await the next issue of the Lone Ranger--Hi Yo Silver! Away!          

The Lone Ranger Rides Again!

I didn't have to get up that early, but as a child I set my alarm for 6:30 weekday mornings because that's when the Lone Ranger re-runs aired on television. I loved that show, but I could only watch it when one of our cable channels chose to run it in syndication.

The Lone Ranger began as a radio program in 1933 and it was a TV series from 1949-1957. Although the Lone Ranger was canceled before I was born, the series ran in syndication, and the character became one of my childhood heroes.

The Lone Ranger comics I read as a child were obviously based on the TV series since the comic characters bore striking resemblances to the actors on TV. It was also obvious that in whatever medium the Lone Ranger appeared, it was intended for a juvenile audience. The radio program was not exactly Orson Welles in its sophistication and the TV series wasn't exactly Gunsmoke. The Lone Ranger plots were deliberately aimed at children (But were nevertheless sophisticated on that level, certainly more so than Roy Rogers or Gene Autry).The stars of the Lone Ranger took their jobs as role models for children seriously.

Well, the Lone Ranger is riding again, and again through the pages of comics books. But this time the intended audience is not children. Not only did I grow up with the Lone Ranger, but now the Lone Ranger has grown up with me. The stories in Dynamite Entertainment's new comic series are far more sophisticated than what we've seen with any previous treatments of the character. I always knew the Ranger had this potential.

I've just finished reading the first ten issues and my reflections on the series overall will be the topic of my next post (and I do intend to start posting more frequently).   

Some Stuff I Got For Christmas

Each year I'm fortunate enough to receive some comic related stuff for Christmas. My 2007 haul includes the following:

The Corgi 1940s Batmobile Roadster is a highly collectible toy. Corgi has produced some great Batmobile toys through the years reflecting every phase of Batman's history. This one is large scale die-cast. My wife and kids bought it for me at Target.

Here is a view from the front. Is this sleek or what? Funny though, I don't recall ever seeing this exact version in any of my Golden Age comics reprints (Notice I said "reprints" since I can't afford to own many original Golden Age comics). 

This really fits with my love of nostalgia and of the Golden Age Batman.

Here is a view with the hood open. Batman keeps his engine clean and in peak running condition.

Notice the presence of the Bat logo on the engine and on the backs of the seats.

And now a view from the back, with the trunk open. Here is where Batman keeps all his wonderful toys. The utility belt is stored here along with some batarangs and assorted technology that only wealthy super heroes knew about in the 40s.

Notice the bat-logo on the steering wheel and on the dash board.

And to my added surprise, on the bottom of the car is this "impression" of Batman (for lack of a better term).

Since this is close in size to the average model kit, perhaps I'll display it alongside my Batmobile kits that reproduce the looks of the 50s comics, the 60s TV show, and the 1989 movie.

I also got some books for Christmas, including the trade paperback version of DC: The New Frontier, Volume 1.

This is one of the best comics I've read in a long time--a real page turner that I can hardly put down. If you like nostalgia and all things retro, you'll love this reimagining of the dawn of DC's silver age.

I am also glad to know that this epic will soon be released as a made-for-DVD movie. I only hope they do it justice. Since I also went out and bought volume 2, my review is forthcoming.

And to top off my Christmas, my niece and nephew gave me a copy of this Standard Guide to Golden Age Comics. It's basically a price guide and with publication as recent as 2006, most of the prices are at least still close. But the best part of this book is the collection of 900 Golden Age covers--all in full color!

Hope you had a great holiday as well.