Writer – Joe R. Lansdale
Artist – Timothy W. Truman
Inker – Rick Magyar
Colours – Sam Parsons
Letters – Brad K. Joyce

An ancient Aztec monster has come back to life thanks to one Captain Barrett, a villain in his own right and a man who had no idea that his greed would be his own undoing. Never did he think that the demon would possess his soul and enslave him and yet while all of his men die thanks to this creature, he is powerless to stop it all. Elsewhere, the Lone Ranger and Tonto travel to have a meeting with the governor of Texas who is looking for re-election and thinks he can get a few brownie points by having the two men show up so that he might show them off. With some blatant disrespect and racism towards Tonto by various people, including the governor himself, the man finds himself being threatened by the men he was looking to for support. After properly cowering and apologizing, he offers up the other reason why the men were called and that has to do with one Captain Barrett and the Wind Wagon Gang. He tells of the treasure that was stolen and of how they need to get it back, of how Texas is depending on them to do so. Despite everything that happens, the Lone Ranger and his best friend Tonto agree and once upon their mission they do happen to come upon a couple of the Wind Wagon gang, mad as a hatter and mumbling about something that crawls. Joe R. Lansdale and Timothy Truman craft not just a tale about betrayal or of best friends separating but one of horror and it is creepy stuff indeed. The Aztec creature is on a mission of its own, at least of a sort, and it does not seem like it will be stopped, not easily that is. As far as Tonto and his friend the Lone Ranger go, they have no idea what they are riding into for they have probably never faced anything of this sort before. Making this horror as palpable as possible is Truman whose pencils are as good as ever in this book, the man is always able to provide some of the best horror in the business. As for the relationship between the two stars of the book, Lansdale continues to plant the seeds throughout and one can see it coming a mile away, or at the very least, a confrontation between the two about how a person expects to be treated no matter the colour of their skin.

4 out of 5