Writer – Gary Friedrich
Artist – Dick Ayers
Inker – Vince Colletta
Colours – Janice Cohen
Letters – Charlotte Jetter

The ninth issue of Red Wolf also happens to be its last and while the story was a decent one by Gary Friedrich and Dick Ayers, it left things unfinished which made it slightly disappointing. For the final time, the book focuses on the modern Red Wolf whom we find out is named Thomas Thunderhead and Friedrich decides to delve into the man’s origin story which is good to see. It makes this Red Wolf more relatable and shows the reader how he was just an ordinary guy called upon to serve as the Owayodata because his people supposedly needed him. There is a bit of a crime caper that takes place and we get to see Red Wolf in action again along with his new friend Jill Tomahawk and his faithful companion Lobo who has somehow gained supernatural abilities between this issue and the last. It is a little strange that Friedrich would want to shake things up in this final story, but it does explain how Lobo is able to be by Red Wolf’s side in the city, though not how he would have been able to hurt his paw in a previous tale by Gardner Fox and this one sees him invulnerable. The script and story is an improvement over the last book, but being the last issue in the series, it would have been nice to find out about the fates of everyone who had appeared previously like Fawn, Molly Brennan and Johnny Wakely, the original Red Wolf. It may not have been a fitting ending for the series, but Ayers would provide some very solid artwork and Friedrich would do his best to give us one last exciting tale and that is all that anyone could ever ask for.

3.5 out of 5