Rocky Lane's Black Jack #20

Rocky Lane's Black Jack follows a lonely drifter named Slade Barnes, who befriends Rocky Lane's remarkable horse and catches the attention of the corrupt Vance Lillis—setting in motion a dangerous plot to use the boy as bait. When Lillis's scheme spirals into gunfire and hidden ambushes, Black Jack proves to be far more than just a dependable mount, stepping in repeatedly to protect those Lane cares about. In the end, a showdown forces Lillis to reckon with both the marshal and the horse he fatally underestimated.

Rocky Lane suspects a mysterious Texan with a familiar face when the stranger rides into town on a swift gray horse—but his recognition comes too late to stop a scheme involving rigged horse racing and stolen money. When Rocky and his horse Black Jack catch wind of a swindle targeting the townspeople, they're drawn into a high-stakes race that will determine whether the con artists escape with their ill-gotten gains. It's a tale of quick wits, faster hooves, and a range horse proving he's more than just a working animal.

During the Crusades, war horses proved as formidable as the knights who rode them, their powerful hooves and strength often deciding battles when victory hung in the balance. This illustrated feature explores how the horse transformed the history of the American West, enabling tribes like the Sioux and Kiowa to rise to dominance, and reveals the natural fighting instinct that makes horses fierce defenders even without human guidance.

Hyde Burnwell was the sole survivor of a brutal raid by the Doggo Gang, and he spends fourteen months recovering with one burning purpose: vengeance. He takes a job with a local boss named Manley while deliberately making noise about hunting the gang, hoping to draw them out of hiding—a dangerous gamble that forces the outlaws to show their hand. When the masked riders finally come for him, Burnwell gets the confrontation he's been waiting for, with unexpected help arriving at just the right moment.

Gopher Face tries an unconventional solution to a broken doorbell, while a fellow named Pickens explains his peculiar approach to building a wardrobe in this lighthearted frontier tale. These two quick sketches from 1957 deliver the kind of deadpan humor that made Rocky Lane's Black Jack a frontier comic standout.

Rocky Lane finds himself caught up with the Jeff Crowder gang—but takes a blow to the head that leaves him too dizzy to ride. With the outlaws heading for the border, Rocky relies on his trusted horse Black Jack to track them down, enlisting the sheriff and deputies to follow the animal's lead. When one of Crowder's own men tries to poison Black Jack to stop the pursuit, the remarkable horse proves just how capable he really is.