Lady Rawhide #1
Written by Eric Trautmann
Art by Milton Estevam
Colors by Dinei Ribeiro
Letters by Marshall Dillon
Cover by Joseph Michael Linsner
Edited by Joseph Rybandt
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: August 7, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

Lady Rawhide #1 really surprised me. I’m a big fan of Zorro and his universe, but in the past, Lady Rawhide was basically the Catwoman to his Batman. That has really changed in this new incarnation from Dynamite Entertainment.

I’ve been a fan of writer Eric Trautmann for a little while. Actually, I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with him. I LOVED his work on the excellent Flash Gordon: Zeitgeist miniseries. He was doing such a great job on that book, I was really hoping that it would turn into an ongoing series. Then, I didn’t really care at all for his Red Sonja issues. So, when I heard he was writing another book with a female lead, I was more than a bit skeptical. Well, I was pleasantly surprised by this issue. It wasn’t just good, it was GREAT!!!

Trautmann packs a LOT of story into this first issue, setting up a great villain for the series. Actually, there’s a couple of villains that are introduced here. He gives Lady Rawhide an origin that makes sense, ties into this universe, and doesn’t take over the issue, leaving lots of room for other aspects of the story. A very entertaining read, this is not just another “hot girl” book.

Artist Milton Estevam is FANTASTIC!!! He was born to draw this book. First, he draws some GREAT looking ladies. Second, he’s got a real touch for the scenery, characters, and mood of the book. His page layouts are great, and he pulls off a couple of double-page spreads here that are truly phenomenal. Dynamite is one of the few companies that keep creators on certain titles for a long time and I hope that’s the case for Estevam. He’s very talented and I love him on this series.

Overall, this is a REALLY impressive start for this series. Despite all the controversy surrounding this book, the Dynamite Entertainment team really put some work into Lady Rawhide #1 and has made it better than, I think, anyone was expecting it to be. I highly recommend you give this book a try!