Target Comics #1 - pt. 1

Here we are, starting out on a new comic book series again. This uncredited artwork is obviously Bill Everett, who we've already seen at Centaur and Timely.

Wenton, Arizona isn't a real place -- but Wenden, Arizona is.

Cowboys in comic books are really acrobatic. I mean, jumping up, grabbing the rafters, swinging yourself up -- while wearing spurred boots and heavy chaps, no less -- and then kicking the door open in mid-swing to boot? That's one, possibly two stunts right there.

If I don't introduce a Cowboy class in 2nd edition Hideouts & Hoodlums -- and I'm leaning towards not -- it will be because most cowboys are Mysterymen.

Further, that's an interesting tidbit at the end about what you can tell from how a cowboy leaves his reins.

I can't help it; I am so amused by the over-the-top misogyny of this first panel. I also can't decide if he's that hard to please, or if she's admitting to herself that her coffee just isn't that good.

As bad as that is, the racist dialog in the second tier is even worse and only excusable because it's coming out of a bad guy's mouth.

Lastly -- the real reason I shared this page -- is the interesting effect of being hit in the face by a hot coffeepot. Not only does it seem to do significant damage (perhaps treating it as a regular club and not an improvised weapon), but the heat seems to do residual damage on the following turn.

Bill studied his cowboy tropes for this story; here we see Vault into Saddle, which I believe was one of my original stunts for the Cowboy class (back when stunts worked more like powers and spells).

Bill's idea of "point-blank" range looks a little long to me, as I'd guess that's...at least 80' between them?

Shooting at someone behind you, when you can't turn to face them, should probably be at some sort of penalty, and maybe as much as -2.

And we have precedent here for grappling attacks from on horseback.

Along with Bill Everett is that other Timely Comics stalwart, Carl Burgos, here offering us his third android superhero, Manowar. This page covers his origin, with the big difference being that, while the Human Torch came from the present and Iron Skull is from the future, Manowar comes to us from the past.

His electric eyes (that sounds like a song title...) can wreck things, and it looks like he could wreck through a brick wall, which is the Cars category. That means Manowar has to be at least 2nd level (an android great man), with 1 brevet rank since he's just started gaining XP.

Manowar, at least at this point, doesn't seem to have any defensive-buffing powers engaged, so the machine gun is just missing him.

Here's what appears to be a clear example of a single, normal strength head blow downing a superhuman (and an android to boot; does he have an off switch on the back of his head, maybe?). Or is it? Perhaps the machine gun was "hitting" him, abstractly, reducing his hit points until this moment when he finally went down to 0.

"Bolita" is obviously Bolivia.



(Scans courtesy of Comic Book Plus.)