Writers – Robert Kanigher, Don C. Cameron
Artists – Alex Toth, Ruben Moreira
Inkers – Alex Toth, Ruben Moreira, Seymour Barry

The first issue of Johnny Thunder’s ongoing series features reprints from All-American Western and Western Comics, the first and third of which star the titular hero, where the second story includes The Nighthawk. Suffice it to say, those stories which star Johnny Thunder are the better ones though the tale without him is not all that bad either. The book begins with Sheriff Tane pondering retirement but he has nobody to take over for him. His son John does not want to be a member of the law.  Instead, he prefers to mould young minds as a teacher. Unknown to the Sheriff, John has a secret, one that finds him fighting alongside the law as the hero Johnny Thunder. Tane is a little disappointed in his son, yet there is nothing he can do. As he steps down, another fills his boots, but that man is corrupt, and it is up to Johnny Thunder to figure out a way to stop him. The Nighthawk, in a story from Western Comics, finds the hero trying to solve the mystery of how a man died due to the fortune he left behind. It was a decent little whodunnit with the artwork by Ruben Moreira being just a touch better than the words it was wrapped around. That said, it managed to engage and would be a nice respite before the book moved on to its final and best tale starring Johnny Thunder. Just like the first feature in the book, it was written by Robert Kanigher and illustrated by Alex Toth, who would find Thunder and Sheriff Tane looking to stop the outlaws calling themselves The Hole-In-the-Wall Gang. The villains would be called as such since they would end up robbing banks all over the countryside by tunnelling into them, thereby confusing and outsmarting law enforcement wherever they went. The one thing they never counted on though, was Johnny Thunder. All in all, this book has a lot going for it even if it is made up of reprints. The stories are fun and are helmed by solid creative teams who know what they are doing, thus tailoring them towards the intended audience. Kanigher writes a couple of adventurous tales, and the great Alex Toth makes them shine, especially in the last of the three. The most interesting aspect of Johnny Thunder is his relationship with his father. Tane is both proud and disappointed in his boy, yet if he only knew the truth, things might be better for the both of them. As it is, this book was a good dose of fun, packed with a lot of good action.

3 out of 5