What I would consider one of the BEST comic book series ever published comes to an end with the publication of
LONE RANGER #25.
Here's the skinny: In this final issue, the Lone Ranger and Tonto face off against Butch Cavendish. And could there really BE any other way to put a period on a Lone Ranger story? Actually, let me recant the word "
story".
Writer Brett Matthews and artist Sergio Cariello have endeared fans both new and old with not so much a story, but an EPIC.I picked up the very first LONE RANGER trade paperback some years back for "
light reading" on a flight to a comic convention. I was hooked. It wasn't that I didn't know the origin of the Lone Ranger already, but Dynamite's take was both a fresh look as well as a fitting homage to make the characters and story relevant in an age of technology. I was so impacted by the book, that when Comic Collector Live was considering the creation of a DYNAMITE title for a variant cover, I pushed unrelentlessly for
THE LONE RANGER. We had already committed CCL as a sponser to the 75th anniversary of KING KONG, so I thought the RANGER was a perfect fit for us. And so it was after much persistance and persuasion on my part, that our official
CCL LONE RANGER #10 variant came to be. I'll never forget the day we were sent over the John Cassaday cover that would be used for our comic. It was one of the most exciting days of my life, and when I gave my son a copy of the finished product, I teared up...not just because it was my first official comic project for CCL...but because it was an honor to have contributed even in such a SMALL way to this legendary property that Dynamite was doing such justice (no pun intended).
My only disappointment with this book was the long delay in publication, which I will always believe in my heart helped contribute to the demise of this title. It's been months in between issues in some cases, and many comic shop owners I've spoke with claim they lost much of their initial buying readership who were ordering the book because of the book's erratic schedule. It goes without saying this book was probably WAY underordered (the comic store I purchased my copy from had 2) so I would wager this book to be a great long-term investment in your collection, and the 1:10 variant will probably be fairly difficult to locate on the secondary market.
I personally suggest you go out and buy this complete series. If you're a collector and a reader, get the individual issues. You can also still buy copies of our limited edition
LONE RANGER #10 White Cover, limited to only 225 copies worldwide on ComicCollectorLive.com. If you're a reader, all you need are the trades.
But be warned. If you purchase this series, and don't enjoy it...I'm sorry
kemosabe, but there is seriously something wrong with you.