Black Diamond Western #37

The New Mexico–Texas state line becomes the backdrop for a tense pursuit on this cover by Dick Rockwell, as a fleeing outlaw — clutching bags marked "Salt City Bank" — laughs that he's about to cross beyond Black Diamond's reach, only to find a lasso already snapping him clean off his horse. There's real wit in the setup: the bandit's taunt hangs in a speech bubble just as his hat goes flying and his getaway unravels. With three feature-length stories inside, including "Battles the Sheep Killers" with art by Al Luster, this 1952 Lev Gleason issue delivers exactly the kind of fast-moving frontier action the series was built on.