The Lone Ranger #3
Written by Ande Parks
Pencils by Esteve Polls
Colors by Marcelo Pinto
Letters by Simon Bowland
Cover by Francesco Francavilla
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: March 7, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99

The Lone Ranger #3 could be the last issue of the series and I really wouldn’t care. OK, I’d care A LOT. But in a different way. The creative team has packed everything that I’ve wanted this comic to be into just three issues. I’m happy as a clam all ready. What more do I need? I’m sure I’ll find out in about a month.

Someone get writer Ande Parks to Chicago so I can buy him a drink. I know, I know, a lot of you think I’m just paying lip service to the guy, but if you actually took the time to read the book, you’d understand. As I mentioned before, in just three issues he’s delivered on everything that I’d wanted out of the Lone Ranger comic. Heck, he even threw in my favorite move from western movie — the punch a guy with one hand and and catch his gun with the other movie. Classic.

I was a little confused by the opening splash page. It was billed as part 3 of a 6-part story AND part 1 of another story. Hmmm… well, beyond that, it’s a great issue. These are fast becoming just VERY well done comics. Parks steers clear of what a lot of talent has done in the past. The old “I’m taking a TOTALLY different and weird spin on X property and people are gonna LOVE it because it’s so different!” Excuse me, but bullshit. You know what people want to see in a Lone Ranger comic? The Lone Ranger. And Tonto. And varmints. All of these and more a packed into this issue of The Lone Ranger. You have a town in danger, a double-cross, and many other trademark Western standards that you expect and love.

Esteve Polls is fast becoming one of my favorite under the radar artists. In fact, I don’t know if I’d call him a comic artist so much as I’d call him a comic book ILLUSTRATOR. Seriously, pick up this issue on the stands and just page through it. It’s GORGEOUS!!! Human characters are consistent and drawn VERY well, and the backgrounds — Wow. Don’t get me started. Lush, detailed, ALMOST distracting, even. He’s definitely the artist that needs to be on this book.

From first page to last, this is a phenomenal issue. Can’t recommend it highly enough. Solid story, problems solved in this issue, yet ends with a classic last-page cliffhanger. And, in the middle, we get a nice little John Reid background story that applies to the “meat” of the story. Take a break from your normal read and pick this issue up!… or I’ll shoot you. With a silver bullet.