Wild Western Primer
Series Overview
Wild Western continued to see publication after Timely Comics changed over to Atlas Comics and ran for 57 issues, coming to an end for 1957. The series continued being an anthology western title. The series didn’t expand on any of the characters as most stories ended with the status quo being restored. Almost none of the tales in these issues developed the characters any further than the previously established status quo.
Issue #19 continued featuring the Black Rider, the Apache Kid, and Gunhawk as regular features. The Black Rider then went on a hiatus from the title until issue #32 to 45. The Black Rider’s final appearance in the title was in issue #50. Apache Kid only appeared until issue #22, although the cover to issue #39 states it features an Apache Kid character that was an error. The Gunhawk’s appearances in this series also lasted until issue #22.
Kid Colt returned to the title in issue #20 and appeared in the series until it finished. There was a stretch between issue #26 to 31 where Kid Colt was the only recurring feature in the title as it favored one-off western tales in lieu of its recurring characters. Issue #23 introduced both the Texas and Arizona Kid. The Texas Kid appeared until issue #25, while Arizona Kid didn’t fare as well only appearing in issue #21 and 23 before being dropped.
Issue #32 saw the return to the Two-Gun Kid to the title. He regularly appeared in the title until issue #37 before making sporadic appearances in issues #39, 41, and 42. His appearances are the only ones offering anything of substance added to the character. Issue #34 provided an origin story for the Two-Gun Kid. However this origin is refuted as the Two-Gun Kid later had two completely different origins provided in Two-Gun Kid #36 and #42
The Native American warrior called Arrowhead then started appearing in the title in issue #34 and appeared on the regular until issue #39. Lastly, the Ringo Kid was added to the title in issue #40 who appeared until the series ended with issue #57. Other characters appearing in this title were Wyatt Earp in issue #47, Buckskin Billy appeared in issue #48 and 49. By issue 50 Kid Colt and Ringo Kid were the only recurring features in the title with the rest of the book being filled with one-off western tales.
Index Scope
As usual, I am skipping all the one-off western tales. Also a number of issues contain reprints of Kid Colt storie, those have also been omitted.
