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Gunpowder Girl and the Outlaw Squaw
Book Released: 20 Jul 2005
Review posted: 08 Aug 2005
Writer: Don Hudson
Artist: Don Hudson
Publisher: Active Images
4.00 out of 5 Stars
Reviewed by Adam White
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I’ve always been a fan of the Western genre, so I was thrilled
when I came across a solicitation for Don Hudson’s Gunpowder Girl and the
Outlaw Squaw. Westerns are currently very few and far between, and only
HBO’s Deadwood television series and John Ostrander/Leonardo Manco’s
Blaze of Glory and Apache Skies for Marvel several years ago
come to mind as being of any worth (apologies to any that have slipped my
mind). So when I saw a preview for Hudson’s original graphic novel I had to
at least give it a look. Thankfully my instincts once again did right by me
and I found the only enjoyable Western in comics in years.
Hudson’s story starts off playing on both Western and gender
stereotypes, and then quickly turns it on its head. The main characters are
female outlaws Jill, Molly and Anuteh, who start off the OGN with a train
robbery and shootout. While Hudson makes use of all tenets of the Western
genre, he also goes beyond them to accurately explore the plight of women in
Western-era America, the essence of what makes an outlaw, and the nature of
real friendship and family. Hudson really impressed me with his handling of
the material and never fell into any of the genre traps that could have made
it stale or generic. The story really focuses on good characters, and
that’s what makes or breaks any story in any genre.
“Maybe it’s time somebody woke up and gave
this man some recognition.”
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Hudson’s art was also a pleasant surprise, really capturing the
emotion of the story through his characters’ facial expressions. The only
other artist I can think of who does facial expressions as well or better is
Kevin Maguire (Formerly Known as the Justice League;
Defenders), so that puts Hudson in an elite group of two. Every
character is unique and has a wide range of emotions, as if they were actors
in a film instead of drawings. The story flows throughout, with Hudson
focusing on the big moments and the small at just the right times. The
whole package fits together nicely, with my only complaint being that at the
end I’m left wanting more.
Don Hudson has apparently been around the business since the mid-
to late 1980s, so I’m wondering why I’ve never really heard of him until
now. This guy has the skills and he’s put in his time — maybe it’s
time somebody woke up and gave this man some recognition. I’m thankful to
Active Images for publishing Gunpowder Girl and the Outlaw Squaw and
giving Hudson the opportunity to do his work on his own terms and produce a
genuinely entertaining tale and one heck of a Western.
—CCdC— Cover image used without explicit permission in accordance with the "Fair Use" provision of US copyright law.
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