Reed Gunter 1

This is a lighthearted fantasy cowboy strip, in which Reed and his companion bear have adventures. This issue a female rancher is having problems with a giant snake eating her cattle. It was originally self-published in B&W, but is now in full colour – apparently there are four issues to be reprinted, then it moves on to new material.

The pacing is odd – it only took five minutes to read, because they often tend to spend a few or several panels on something that could have been done in one or two. I reckon you could cut out at least a third of the panels without damaging the flow; not that I really mind the unusual timing, but it does make for a very quick read, which may not be terribly satisfying or seem like good value.

Nonetheless, it is enjoyable. The dialogue is generally lively, and the story may not make a great deal of sense, but it’s reasonably entertaining – I’ve no idea if it will find a young audience, but I am sure it would work well for them, and they’d like the bear in particular. Reed himself seems a bit of a dick, though.

Aside from the aforementioned unusual pacing, the art is attractive. The style is animation, simple in faces and bodies and, generally, composition, with a fair amount of bounce and energy, and bold faces and strong expressions, even though Reed’s crossed eyes reinforce the impression that he’s an idiot – perhaps this is supposed to be the case, but I couldn’t entirely tell.

It does all feel a little thin in all respects – a bit more characterisation of the hero would help, as would a slightly denser flow, something more to the story – but it is decent all-ages entertainment, so I rather hope it can find an all-ages market.