Spotlight: Tall Tales From the Badlands

Got a dollar? Let me spend it for you. Let’s unfurl that dollar like a country quilt. Let’s wring it out for all its worth. And maybe a bit more. I’ll even give a penny back.

From "Abigail" by Seamus Fahey and Jose Holder

Tall Tales From the Badlands is a collection of western tales from some very talented storytellers. All told, it harkens to a time when a dollar was as good as a ticket to new horizons. To mesas. To adventure. As modern comic readers we routinely spend $3.99 or more for stories far less substantial. This book offers five masterfully composed yarns, and there’s a lot to like about every single one of them.

With all sincerity, I think this is the best way to spend a buck today.

From "Easy Livin'" by Sean Fahey and Borja "Borch" Pena

In “Thicker than Water” by Sean Fahey, with art by Lisandro Estherren, a promise made to a condemned partner in crime leads one outlaw to reflect on family and to confront the harsh realities of blood ties and frontier justice.

“Abigail” written by Seamus Fahey and exquisitely rendered by Jose Holder is another tale about familial bonds. When the bread-winner heads out for a long haul, his wife and young son are left to defend themselves against hungry marauders.

In the minimalist and touching third episode, “The Runt,” Sean Fahey and J.C. Grande pay tribute to man’s best friend. It was here that I realized just how impressive and comprehensive an anthology this truly is. It’s a wonderful example of the short story in comic form, and adds to the level of diversity, both tonally and in terms of perspective.

“A Thousand Deaths” by Seamus Fahey and Juan Romera opens as a poignant character study for an aging gunslinger. By its conclusion, I desperately wanted to resurrect Rod Serling to adapt it for television.

To close out the anthology, Sean Fahey and Borja Pena offer scenes from the life of a frontiersman, from his complex relationship with Native American neighbors to the dangers and solace inherent in hanging his hat in the wilderness.

Here are five great black and white stories all culminating in a smartly written, engaging, often poetic anthology. It’s a clinic in short story composition and a wonderful value.

It’s yours for just $0.99 on Graphicly.


Comments

  1. I want to buy this (yeah .99 digital comics!), but I can’t seem to find it in the iPad app. I know this isn’t Graphic.ly tech support, but a search for “Tall Tales From The Badlands” returns no results, and Black Jack Press doesn’t show up in the publishers list.

    If I buy it from the Graphic.ly website will it show up on my iPad?

  2. Yes! This is a great book. I also know some of the artists, and they are awesome people and ridiculously talented. Highly recommended.

  3. Looks great. There’s nothing better than a good western, ah reckon.

  4. I love Western comics, and sadly there are far too few currently being published for my tastes.