This story takes place in 1911, near the end of the Lone Ranger's adventuring days and late in his life.
Panel 1: The Lone Ranger and Tonto ride into Metro City, a large-ish California city not unlike Los Angeles.
Caption: 1911, Metro City
Caption(Lone Ranger): THE WEST MAY HAVE GROWN LESS WILD OVER THE YEARS, BUT IN EVERY TOWN THERE EXIST BANDITS, CROOKS AND SCOUNDRELS...
Panel 2: Lone Ranger and Tonto stop at the offices of the Metro City Planet, with a logo that echoes the logo of Metropolis' Daily Planet.
Caption(Lone Ranger): ...AS WELL AS THE HONEST HEARTS FOR WHOM DEDICATION, LOYALTY, AND RESPECT ARE A STEADFAST CODE.
Panel 3: As the Ranger and Tonto walk into the offices, they're greeted by Jeremiah Olsen, a lanky, young, red-haired reporter.
Olsen: LONE RANGER! THANK GOODNESS YOU'RE HERE! METRO CITY IS IN INCREDIBLE DANGER!
Panel 4: We see "Lancelot" Luthor, the town's mayor, standing at a podium in the town hall. He's got a sort of huckster sheen to him, like a more sinister Harold Hill.
Caption(Olsen): IT'S THE MAYOR, "LANCELOT" LUTHOR. HE'S BEEN SUCKING THE TOWN DRY BY LETTING THE GRAHAM GANG RANSACK ALL OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES IN EXCHANGE FOR A CUT OF THE PROFITS!
Caption(Olsen): I'VE SENT A TELEGRAM TO THE GOVERNOR, BUT EVEN IF IT DOES GET TO HIM, IT'S THE WORD OF THE MAYOR AGAINST THE WORD OF ONE LITTLE REPORTER.
Panel 5: Back in the Planet offices, with a worried Olsen begging the Ranger for help.
Olsen: I'M BEGGING YOU, RANGER! SAVE OUR CITY!
Ranger: DON'T WORRY, MISTER OLSEN. A RANGER'S DUTY TO THE CAUSE OF JUSTICE DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN THE LOWLIEST CATTLE THIEF AND THE MOST POWERFUL OFFICIAL WHO HAS TAKEN TO ABUSING HIS POWER.
Panel 6: Olsen and the Ranger seal their deal with a handshake.
Ranger: IF YOU HAVE DEDICATED YOUR LIFE TO PROVIDING A VOICE TO THE DOWNTRODDEN AND ABUSED IN SOCIETY, I PROMISE THAT YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE THE RANGER AT YOUR SIDE, WHETHER IN THE FLESH OR SIMPLY IN SPIRIT.
Nice mix of two canon and a different, more modern setting for the Ranger.
ReplyDeletePlus, it has a type of Jimmy Olsen in it so I'm automatically sold.
Interesting merging of mythologies here. Also, I like the idea of seeing what happened to the Ranger in later life. And you capture him brilliantly here.
ReplyDeleteCompelling blending of two very different canons. You mix the two together brilliantly, sprinkling the scene with enough hints and winks that as a fan of both universes I get a real kick.
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