When is a first issue not a first issue? When Martin Goodman is involved! Your Major Spoilers Retro Review of The Black Rider #8 awaits!

THE BLACK RIDER #8

Writer: Uncredited
Penciler: Syd Shores/Joe Maneely/John Severin/Russ Heath
Inker: Vince Alascia/Joe Maneely/John Severin/Syd Shores/Russ Heath
Colorist: Uncredited
Editor: Stan Lee
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: 10 Cents
Current Near-Mint Pricing: $6,500.00
Release Date: December 27, 1949

Previously in Black Rider: Martin Goodman, the publisher of the multi-named company known at various times as Atlas, Marvel, Timely, and other names, had one belief about publishing: Follow the leader! Whatever was most popular on TV or in theatres became the publishing strategy, When humor was in vogue, funny animals abounded. When the industry began focusing on women, Millie The Model and Venus made their appearance. By 1949, the superheroes were mostly gone, and westerns ruled the roost. This issue is the first to bear the title Black Rider, but the numbering continues from Western Winners, previously All-Western Winners, which was actually launched as All-Winner’s Comics Volume 2. The Black Rider had been the headliner since the book transitioned to western, but this issue is a special one, for a number of reasons, but the identity of the man on the cover is one of the most interesting.

We’ll get to that in a minute.
The issue opens with the Rider taking down another horde of cattle rustlers, transitioning to a university in the far-off city of Chicago. Rejected by his peers, Professor Chalis decides to head west with his giant-ray experiment. Six months later, Doctor Matthew Masters hears rumors of giants in the hills, coming down to rustle the cattle of the locals. Though he professes not to care to Marie Lathrop, he sneaks away into the hills to investigate.
Leaping into action as the Black Rider, whose costume is mostly white because of the printing limitations of the era, The Black Rider immediately encounters a wolf as big as a horse, which triggers a memory for Doc Masters. After going through his medical journals, he finds Chalis’ research, and realizes that the giant-ray must be behind it all. Unfortunately, Chalis has his first test subject, a titan named Zugg, to protect his experiments.
Rather than unmask the interloper, Chalis orders Zugg to kill The Black Rider, who finds himself incapable of defending himself against a foe of such power. This issue also features art by multiple hands, with the pencils seemingly handled by Joe Maneely and Russ Heath, but a number of other artists involved as well. Add in the lack of a credited writer, and it seems like this issue was kit-bashed together by the entire Marvel bullpen of the time.
Fortunately for the Doc/Rider, Zugg’s nine-foot-tall might isn’t up to the task of fighting a horse-sized-horse, falling prey to a kick in the head by his faithful steed, Satan. (The Comics Code didn’t exist when this issue was published, but you have to figure that Satan wouldn’t pass muster with ’em.) With Zugg out of the picture, the other experiments turn on Professor Chalis and burn down his lab, which… Happy ending, I guess?

This issue also features an adventure of the amazing Captain Tootsie!
Remember kids! Nothing stops evil like carbs and sugar! The rest of the issue consists of a story about a mountain lion and a cowboy text adventure that may be written by the man on the cover… Editor Stan Lee! That alone makes Black Rider #8 (which is actually the first issue and also the fourth title for the series as a whole) worth snagging, but there’s also a number of talented artists on board and Stan The Man on the cover, earning 3.5 out of 5 stars overall. In some circumstances, I’d recommend picking it up, but with a four-figure price in the lowest condition, I don’t know if you can afford one, but I know I can’t!

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THE BLACK RIDER #8

70%

70%

A Full Bullpen Cowboy Adventure

The Black Rider himself has a number of elements that would soon become the Marvel Universe, with art by a number of amazing creators and Cap'n Tootsie!

Who's not to love?

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