Screen Rant is thrilled to share the exclusive announcement that publisherOni Pressis set to release the first EC Comics western in decades,Outlaw Showdown, which boasts an all-star team of creators, including100 Bulletscreator Brian Azzarello,Walking Deadartist Tony Moore, legendary Marvel author Ann Nocenti, and more.
According to Oni Press,Outlaw Showdown#1 arrives this fall with an extra-sized debut, a “56-page special celebrating revenge and retribution on the lawless frontiers of the Old West.”
The series celebrates the classic Western comics produced by EC in the formative years of the medium; part of that includes “newly remastered” reprints of classic stories “from the EC vaults.”
Outlaw Showdown#1 Will Feature Writers John Arcudi, Brian Azzarello, David Lapham, Ann Nocenti; Artist Tony Moore And More TBA
Here is how Oni Press describesOutlaw Showdown:
Debuting this October In our inaugural bonfire of bullets: As the sun settles high above this bone-dry stretch of mesa, wipe the blood from your boot heels and place your wagers as Oni Press and EC Comics raise their pistols to pump six cylinders of hot lead and cold hearts into OUTLAW SHOWDOWN #1 – EC’s first 56-page special celebrating revenge and retribution on the lawless frontiers of the Old West! Gunfighters, scoundrels, butchers, and bandits—they’ll all join us here to draw down on fate itself as coffin-bound creators John Arcudi (B.P.R.D.), Brian Azzarello (100 Bullets), David Lapham (Stray Bullets), Tony Moore (The Walking Dead), Ann Nocenti (Daredevil), and more rain hellfire and fury from the holsters on their hip.
This impressive line-up of writers and artists emphasizes the legacy of EC Comics, the influence of which can still be felt to this day. Now, the current generation of superstar comic creators will have the opportunity to craft a new, modern chapter in the history of Wild West comics.
Thanks to Oni Press, it will come under the EC banner.Oni acquired the rights to EC Comicslast year, and stated itsintention to resurrect the legendary brand. Since then, comic fans have eagerly awaited further news about what that would look like, and the reveal ofOutlaw Showdowndoes not disappoint.
Westerns Were Once A Staple Of Comics; Oni And EC Are Trying To Revitalize The Genre Decades Later
Outlaw Showdown#1 Covers By Lee Bermejo, Rian Hughes, Ladrönn, Shawn McManus, And Tony Moore
Hunter Gorinson, President and Publisher at Oni Press, was emphatic in his enthusiasm for the return of EC Comics, starting withOutlaw Showdown. As Gorinson stated:
Ever since we first began drawing up plans for the return of EC Comics at Oni Press, we knew there were genres and stories that would fit EC like a glove – and westerns were always close to the top of that list. It’s no secret that classic Golden Age series like GUNFIGHTER and SADDLE JUSTICE have always been integral – if somewhat under-considered – components of EC’s destructive DNA. But, with OUTLAW SHOWDOWN – and the other forthcoming genre specials that will follow in its wake – we’re aiming to enhance and amplify the combustible combination of ingredients that has made EC’s stories sing – or scream! – across 70-plus years of comics history. These are stories that will grab you tighter than a hangman’s noose…and leave you kicking and screaming for more before the last page is through.
As he notes,Outlaw Showdown#1 is just the first of several Western specials Oni and EC have planned. In other words, readers should expect a violent spectacle that showcases the series' potential.
The reprints of classic EC Comics Western stories add a thrilling dimension to the project on its own, fusing the history of comics and the future in one epic release.
Considering the roster of writers and artists attached to the debut issue ofOutlaw Showdown, anticipation for the book is immediately high for comic fans. Further, the reprints of classic EC Comics Western stories add a thrilling dimension to the project on its own, fusing the history of comics and the future in one epic release.
More than just a return of the EC name, this has the potential torevive the Western comics genreas a whole. Like with film and TV, Westerns once dominated the pages of comics, but they are much rarer in the contemporary comic landscape;withOutlaw Showdown,Oni Presswill make a bold bid to open up that storytelling frontier once more.
