All-Star Western #2
All-Star Western #2 (November 1970) is the confirmed first appearance of El Diablo (Lazarus Lane), a supernatural Old West vigilante who became one of DC's most enduring Western characters and the root of a multi-generational legacy spanning three distinct successors into the 21st century — including a prominent role in the live-action Suicide Squad film. The same issue also debuted the Outlaw (Rick Wilson), establishing the dual-feature anthology format that defined the revived series and paved the road to Weird Western Tales. Together, these two debuts gave DC's short-lived Bronze Age Western revival its creative identity: morally complex protagonists, gothic-tinged storytelling, and a willingness to subvert the clean-cut cowboy archetype that had dominated the genre for decades.
In "Draw Death," Rick Wilson—once a boy who dreamed of following in his father’s footsteps as a Texas Ranger—finds himself hunted by the very man he once admired, after being ensnared by the Fenton Gang. Written by Robert Kanigher and brought to life with stark, expressive art by Tony DeZuniga, this gripping tale unfolds in the dusty shadows of the Old West, where loyalty and justice are drawn in blood. The cover, a striking portrait by Neal Adams, captures the tension of a man caught between two worlds.
In "Draw Death," Rick Wilson—once dreaming of following his father’s footsteps as a Texas Ranger—finds himself hunted by the very man he once admired, after being ensnared by the Fenton Gang. Now a fugitive on the run, Rick must confront the legacy of his father’s justice and the life he never wanted.
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The issue was written by Robert Kanigher — DC's prolific veteran of war and adventure anthologies — with interior art by Tony DeZuniga on the lead Outlaw story and Gray Morrow on the El Diablo backup, under editor Dick Giordano. The cover was painted by Neal Adams, whose dynamic style gave the fledgling anthology a visual authority well above its modest 15-cent cover price. The series had been revived in September 1970 after the original All-Star Western ran from 1951 to 1961; DC was testing whether a more atmospheric, character-driven Western could survive in the early Bronze Age marketplace, and issue #2 was the first to introduce wholly new characters rather than reprise existing ones. Notably, DC's own Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #7 later misattributed El Diablo's first appearance to issue #3, an error the DC Database has since corrected.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of El Diablo (Lazarus Lane), a supernatural Old West vigilante created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Gray Morrow — the foundational version of a character who would later be reimagined twice more and adapted for animation and film.
- First appearance of the Outlaw (Rick Wilson), a young man tricked into a life of crime after being manipulated by the Fenton Gang; his origin story, 'Draw Death,' was scripted by Robert Kanigher with art by Tony DeZuniga.
- Cover art by Neal Adams — one of several Neal Adams covers he provided for the 1970–1972 All-Star Western run.
- El Diablo's second story in this same issue, 'The Devil Has Two Faces!', established El Diablo as a recurring backup feature beginning with this issue.
- El Diablo's secret identity as comatose bank teller Lazarus Lane — whose body is commandeered by a demonic Spirit of Vengeance summoned by Native American shaman Wise Owl — is not revealed until issue #3; this issue presents him purely in action.
- DC's Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #7 erroneously listed All-Star Western #3 as El Diablo's first appearance; the correct debut is confirmed to be this issue (#2).
- The lead story 'Draw Death' was later reprinted in Showcase Presents: Jonah Hex, Volume 1 (2005), collecting it alongside the early Hex stories that ran later in the same series.
- The issue's interior cameos additional industry figures: caricatures of artists Al Williamson, Angelo Torres, and Dick Giordano appear within the El Diablo story, with Giordano also credited as the issue's editor.
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Tomahawk #1/1971 (1971), Tomahawk #1/1971 (1971), Tomahawk #2/1971 (1971), Hurja Länsi #1/1972 (1972), Tomahawk #1/1979 (1979), Tomahawk #1/1979 (1979), Tomahawk #7/1979 (1979), Jonah Hex and Other Western Tales #3 (1980), Jonah Hex #2/1986 (1986), Jonah Hex #5 (1986), Showcase Presents: Jonah Hex #1 (2006), Showcase Presenta Jonah Hex #1 (2009), Tomahawk #2/1971
Key issues in All-Star Western
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