By Morris
Publisher: Cinebook
ISBN: 9781849181556
This book sees a reprinting of one of Lucky Luke’s earliest adventures, before Morris teamed up with writing partner Goscinny, and only the eighth Lucky Luke tale to see print. Morris’s cartoon style is still developing at this point, and Luke has some way to go to settle on the look and style of later volumes, but he’s still recognisable, and the tone of the story is very much set in place by this point.
Phil Wire is a hired gun; a deadly individual who also just happens to be exceptionally tall which lands itself to several quality gags, not least where the dresser in Phil Wire’s bedroom is nailed halfway up the wall so the mirror’s at the correct height. Over in Bottleneck Gulch a wealthy saloon owner has seen his trade threatened by a rival saloon opening right next door, so after throwing his weight around a bit and getting nowhere he sends for Phil Wire to put an end to the predicament once and for all. Unfortunately for Phil, he crosses paths with Lucky Luke as he leaves and the letter offering him employment falls into Luke’s hands. Luke swiftly ascertains that something’s up and resolves to get involved, which is handy for the new saloon owner who goes from being on the hit list to having a guardian angel (he and Luke are also, it transpires, old friends).
By the time Phil Wire turns up in Bottleneck Gulch, the saloon owners and the local populace think the matter all sorted, but Phil, naturally, has other ideas, and so Luke has to go head-to-head with one of the deadliest guns in the West. We even get to see some of Phil's shooting practice which includes shooting at bottles while doing a hand-stand (and he shoots two-handed).
You can tell Morris was enjoying himself tremendously with this one, and he’s even based Phil Wire’s look on Jack Palance which works very well. You get a good idea from the level of humour already present just what attracted Goscinny to take on the writing chores a short time later. It’s great fun all round and another welcome addition to the Lucky Luke series.
And if you enjoyed that: Plenty more where that came from
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