It is a hard country and the people must learn to live in it, or suffer sadness and sorrow. The Lone Ranger tale gives us a look at Tonto’s past, as Major Spoilers reviews The Lone Ranger #8.
THE LONE RANGER #8
Writer: Ande Parks
Artist: Esteve Polls
Colorist: Marcelo Pinto
Letterer: Simon Bowland
Editor: Joe Rybandt
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Cover Price: $3.99
Previously in The Lone Ranger: If you ever wanted to know Tonto’s origin story, this arc has it. A respected warrior of his tribe, Tonto raised his wife and child the best way he possibly could. But the Calvary is after a tribe who killed a white family, and ignorance and rage is a recipe for disaster.
REVENGE DRIVEN TALE
This tale is told via flashbacks as Tonto is still injured and out in the back of the Lone Ranger’s wagon. Though the Ranger has met with Tonto’s tribe, the group doesn’t seem too concerned whether the duo live or die. Via the backstory, readers learn more about Tonto’s family and tribe and the vicious attack the Calvary brought down on the tribe in an early morning attack. As far as graphic violence goes, Ande Parks does a good job at portraying the slaughter of Native Americans while at the same time not going too far into the gore porn territory that many other books heartily embrace when showing people getting shot in the head, stabbed in the chest, or losing a body part. Mr. Parks is telling a tale that is true to the actions of people during that time, and his tale is heartbreaking and horrifying at the same time.
Though this is the second chapter in the arc, there really isn’t anything that occurred before that is super relevant to the tale, so those who haven’t read issue #7 aren’t going to be lost when jumping into this issue. This issue reads rather quickly, mostly because of the battle between the soldiers and the tribe takes up the bulk of the issue and very little dialogue is present during the attack. The sequence is necessary as it sets up Tonto’s decision to leave the tribe on his own to seek revenge.
THE BLOODY PARTS
While Mr. Parks did not expressly describe the violence on the page, it was up to Esteve Polls to bring the tale to life, and he does it with great restraint. The battle is very well choreographed, and as mentioned previously, Mr. Polls keeps the gore to a minimum. I really like how Mr. Polls used a very silent sequence seen from outside the tent to let the reality of the aftermath of the attack sink it. It’s a wonderful sequence that works so well for both the characters and the readers.
BOTTOM LINE: PICK IT UP
The Lone Ranger series has had its moments, and the Hard Country series is doing an excellent job of showing the hardships that have fallen on everyone who went to tame the land. The Lone Ranger isn’t for everyone, but for those that like the character, or simply want to read Western comics, this is a series worth picking up. This issue is a very fast read, it contains a lot of action, and gives the reader better insight into the origin of The Lone Ranger’s faithful companion. The Lone Ranger #8 is worth picking up, earning 4 out of 5 Stars.
