The Lone Ranger #1
Published by: Dynamite Entertainment
Writer: Brett Matthews
Artist & Cover: Sergio Carriello
Colorist: Dean White
Cover: John Cassaday
Letterer: Simon Bowland

Rating: 5 out of 5

Am I the only person who gets all a-twiddle over things you loved from your childhood being redone, remixed, reformatted, or otherwise lovingly recreated? Given the immense popularity in sequels, remakes, and the whole superhero film genre, I can’t be. When I saw this cover on the stand, with the blood-smeared Texas Ranger star, the only other thing that I needed to entice me to buy the book was that stark, simple title: The Lone Ranger.

To begin with, this is simply a beautiful book. Cariello’s art has a timeless cinematic quality, where not matter the panel dimensions, you feel as though everything is in widescreen - appropriate for a book taking place in the expanses of the Wild West.

In this issue, we are introduced to John Reid, the youngest son of a stern, aging Texas Ranger (a Texas Ranger who bears a strange resemblance to Sam Elliott - again, appropriate). We are quickly fast-forwarded through seminal moments in young John’s life to the point where he is riding in a posse with his father and older brother. A bloody ambush ensues, and the book ends with John’s life being saved by a mysterious mounted Indian.

We can all guess what happens next, but the beauty of this lies in the telling (and retelling). Matthews does a wonderful job with the pacing and story - not overwhelming us with details, but instead showing us the most important beats in the story. I am super-psyched about this book, and hopefully the series continues to be as excellent as this first issue.