Prize Comics Western #88
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freePrize Comics Western #88 (cover-dated July–August 1951) sits squarely in what historians recognize as the title's most artistically distinguished period, when John Severin and inker Will Elder were elevating the American Eagle feature into one of the most thoughtfully rendered Native American characters in Golden Age comics — a Crow warrior portrayed with a degree of historical nuance that was genuinely unusual for the era. The lead story 'Rebellion,' penciled by Severin and inked by Elder, exemplifies the team's cinematic panel construction and meticulous period detail that would later earn them celebrated status at EC Comics. As part of the unbroken American Eagle run from #85 through #113, this issue is a building block of what Fantagraphics later called a 'neglected masterpiece' when it assembled the entire Severin run in a landmark reprint volume.
# Prize Comics Western #88 This issue features an anthology of Western-themed stories and articles. "The Roundup" section includes historical articles on Old West topics such as the Oklahoma Outlaw's exploits in California, Indian signal systems using mirrors and smoke signals, conflicts between wild horses and cattle ranchers, early transcontinental train travel, and the discovery of the famous Comstock gold and silver lode in Nevada. The main comic story follows a preacher and sheriff who investigate a gang of outlaws operating in their territory; when the bank is robbed, they pursue the criminals, and the preacher aids in tracking and capturing the gang members.
ComicBooks.com Value
Find on ebay
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸History
Prize Comics Western was itself the product of a publishing pivot: the original Prize Comics superhero anthology was retitled with issue #69 (May 1948) as the superhero genre cooled and western comics surged in popularity, a shift the Kirby Museum blog attributes in part to the commercial momentum of Simon and Kirby's crime and romance output for the same Crestwood/Prize publishing house. John Severin had been contributing backup stories to the title since roughly issue #73 (January 1949), but with issue #85 (January 1951) he became the undisputed lead artist, taking over both covers and lead stories as American Eagle replaced Dusty Bellows as the title's flagship feature. By issue #88, Severin was working in close creative partnership with his high-school classmate Will Elder — the same team that was simultaneously breaking into EC Comics — producing scripts and art directly for Crestwood without the intermediate Simon and Kirby studio.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published by Prize (Crestwood Publications) with a cover date of July–August 1951, approximately the 88th issue of the series that began as Prize Comics in 1940 and became Prize Comics Western with issue #69 in May 1948.
- The lead story is 'Rebellion,' starring American Eagle, penciled by John Severin and inked by Bill Elder — confirmed by The Comics Journal's obituary of Severin, which specifically reproduces a page from this issue.
- American Eagle is a heroic Crow warrior, introduced three issues earlier in #85 (January 1951); the character was conceived as a deliberate contrast to the stereotype-heavy portrayals of Native Americans common in 1950s Western comics.
- Additional stories in the issue include 'Death Came Too Soon' starring Dusty Ballew (art by Marvin Stein), 'Ambush' starring Jeff Baker (art by Moe Marcus and Jack Abel), and 'Double Trouble' starring the Preacher (art by Mart Bailey).
- The cover was produced by John Severin and Bill Elder, consistent with their practice of handling both interior and exterior art during this period of the run.
- Severin worked as writer, editor, and artist on Prize Comics Western, contributing to nearly every issue from #73 through #113 — an unusually sustained single-creator presence for the era.
- The entire run of American Eagle stories by Severin (PCW #85–#113), including this issue's 'Rebellion,' was collected and reprinted by Fantagraphics in the hardcover anthology 'The John Severin Westerns Featuring American Eagle,' published in 2023.
- Severin and Elder were simultaneously working for EC Comics during this same period (Severin's first EC story appeared in Two-Fisted Tales #19, February 1951), making this issue a product of one of the most productive creative partnerships in early 1950s American comics.
Reviews
Reader reviews
No reader reviews yet.