Black Diamond Western #9
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeBlack Diamond Western #9 (March 1949) is the launch point for Lev Gleason's only long-running masked western hero, delivering both the origin and first appearance of Black Diamond (Bob Vale) and his horse Reliapon in a single issue. The series represented Gleason's deliberate pivot away from the crime and war genres that had made the publisher notorious, channeling the late-1940s western boom into a format that sustained 52 issues over seven years. As the renamed successor to the short-lived Desperado, this issue marks a meaningful editorial retooling by Charles Biro and Bob Wood, two of the era's most influential comics editors, who brought their story-driven sensibility to a genre they had not previously headlined. The masked-marshal concept — a secret-identity lawman who leaves a diamond playing-card as his calling card — gave Golden Age western readers a character with the structural appeal of figures like the Lone Ranger or Zorro adapted squarely for the postwar comics page.
# Black Diamond Western #9 (May 1949) This anthology western issue features multiple stories including "Black Diamond" by William Overgard, in which the protagonist faces threats from criminals and must protect his interests; "Sure as Shootin'" by Claude Moore; "Sheriff Bill Wayne" by Test; "Western Whackies" by Robert Perry; "Sombrero Nick Tibberts" by Fred Kida; and "Sheriff Bill Cranton" by Guardineez, a true wild west story depicting the fearless sheriff's efforts to bring law and order to a lawless California town during the 1850s gold rush era. The issue also includes a contest promotion offering $1,000 as a first prize with $1,500 in total cash prizes for readers who solve puzzles and submit entries to Lev Gleason Publications.
In the wake of a brutal massacre on a newly completed railroad line, journalist Bob Vale—survivor of the attack and sole witness to the tragedy—returns to the frontier town of Junction, determined to rebuild and protect the community he now calls home. With a child he rescued from the wreckage and a mysterious ring found at the scene, Vale vows to uncover the truth behind the raid and stand against those who would destroy the promise of the West.
In a tale of greed and eccentric menace, the notorious outlaw Nick Tebbets—distinguished by his impossibly wide sombrero—hunts buffalo not for sport, but to sell their tails and amass a fortune, all while evading justice through cunning and violence. When a stolen gold shipment proves too heavy for his horse to carry, Nick’s obsession with his own bizarre image leads him on a desperate flight through treacherous terrain, pursued by both lawmen and bandits alike.
When a brutal stage robbery claims the life of an old man standing up to the bandit Red Bongers, a stranger named Bill Cranton arrives in the lawless town of Pine Bluffs seeking justice—and the community soon discovers he has the grit and marksmanship to be exactly what they need. As Cranton proves himself by taking down outlaws and standing firm against challengers, the town begins to see him as their only hope against the violence plaguing the territory. But with Red Bongers still at large and trouble brewing from unexpected quarters, Cranton's reputation will be tested like never before.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
Black Diamond Western #9 launched in March 1949 as the direct continuation of Lev Gleason's Desperado (1948), retaining its numbering from issue #8 and introducing a new title character to anchor the anthology. The book was edited by Charles Biro and Bob Wood — the same team behind Crime Does Not Pay and Daredevil — who brought their character-focused editorial approach to the western format. The lead Black Diamond story was drawn by William Overgard, a young California-born artist who had moved to New York in 1948 at Milton Caniff's urging and was among the first comics credits of what would become a long career; supporting stories in the issue were handled by veterans Fred Kida and Fred Guardineer, the latter a Golden Age pioneer who had contributed to Action Comics #1 a decade earlier. The cover was painted by Charles Biro himself, a consistent signature of the series throughout its run.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance and origin of Black Diamond (secret identity: Bob Vale), a masked U.S. marshal, and his horse Reliapon — the defining key of the entire series.
- First issue of Black Diamond Western (March 1949); series numbering continued directly from Desperado (Lev Gleason, 1948 series) #8, making this a retitled launch rather than a true #1.
- Cover by Charles Biro; edited by Charles Biro and Bob Wood — the same editorial team responsible for Crime Does Not Pay and Lev Gleason's Daredevil.
- Lead Black Diamond story drawn by William Overgard; supporting stories in the issue by Fred Kida and Fred Guardineer.
- Black Diamond's character concept: orphaned by outlaws, Bob Vale adopts a mask and disguise to fight crime as a secret federal marshal, leaving a diamond-suit playing card as his calling card — a deliberate echo of the masked-hero archetype.
- A Canadian edition of this issue was simultaneously published by Superior Publishers Limited, reprinting the full interior and cover contents.
- The series ran for 52 issues, concluding in 1956 when Lev Gleason Publications ceased operation; William Overgard remained the primary Black Diamond artist throughout much of the run.
- The cover of Black Diamond Western #9 was reprinted in Tops: The Complete Collection of Charles Biro's Visionary 1949 Comic Book Series (Fantagraphics, March 2022).
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Reprints
Reprinted in Black Diamond Western #9 (1950), Tops: The Complete Collection of Charles Biro's Visionary 1949 Comic Book Series #[nn] (2022)
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