Tomahawk #116
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeTomahawk #116 marks the very first cover Neal Adams produced for the long-running DC frontier series — the opening entry in a thirteen-issue run of western cover art he would deliver through issue #130 that stands as a showcase of his developing photorealistic style. The issue arrived in the spring of 1968, precisely the moment Adams was simultaneously redefining DC's visual identity through his Deadman work in Strange Adventures, making this one of the earliest examples of his ability to bring cinematic tension to a genre — the frontier western — far outside the superhero mainstream. The deliberately spare, limited-palette composition was noted by contemporary observers as using grounded realism to communicate danger and survival rather than Silver Age triumphalism, anticipating the tonal shift Adams would soon carry into Batman and Green Lantern/Green Arrow. For collectors and historians tracing the arc of Bronze Age visual storytelling, this issue is a concrete starting point: the first western canvas Adams was given, and evidence that his gravitational pull on DC's cover department extended well beyond the superhero titles.
In "The Last Mile of Massacre Trail!", newly arrived volunteer Matt Willis faces his deepest fear as he joins the Rangers in a desperate stand against British forces. Written by Carl Wessler and illustrated by Fred Ray, this powerful tale captures a moment of raw courage and sacrifice. The dramatic cover, by Neal Adams, perfectly frames the tension of the moment.
In "The Making of a Hero!", new recruit Matt Willis steps into the shadow of legend as he joins Tomahawk's Rangers—facing his deepest fear in the heat of battle. With Big Anvil, Frenchie Duval, Brass Buttons, Cannonball Calhoun, Stovepipe Johnson, Wildcat, and Tomahawk at his side, he must prove himself when British forces strike. The story captures a moment of quiet courage, where one man’s choice defines his legacy.
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By the time Tomahawk #116 went to press in early 1968, Adams had only been freelancing for DC since 1967, initially assigned to war titles and celebrity humor books like The Adventures of Jerry Lewis. DC art director Carmine Infantino, who was actively recruiting fresh visual talent to modernize the line, channeled Adams toward a range of covers across multiple genres simultaneously — including this western series then edited with interior scripts by veteran Carl Wessler and interior art continuing under series stalwart Fred Ray, who had illustrated most Tomahawk stories throughout the book's run. The cover inking was handled by Jack Adler, a senior DC production staffer often tapped for finishing work on prestige cover assignments.
Trivia · 7 facts
- First Neal Adams cover on the Tomahawk title — confirmed by the DC Database and corroborated across multiple collector sources.
- Cover date: May 1968; actual on-sale date: March 7, 1968 (DC Database).
- Cover pencilled by Neal Adams, inked by Jack Adler; Gaspar Saladino lettered the cover.
- Interior stories: 'The Last Mile of Massacre Trail!' and 'The Making of a Hero' — both written by Carl Wessler, with interior art by Fred Ray.
- A short humor backup feature was written and drawn by Henry Boltinoff, a longtime DC staple for one-page fillers.
- Adams went on to produce 13 Tomahawk covers in total, spanning issues #116 through #130 (1968–1970), making this the anchor of that celebrated cover run.
- The Tomahawk series, in which this issue appears, ran 140 issues from September 1950 to June 1972 — one of DC's longest-running non-superhero titles of the era.
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Brûlant #9 (1969), Tomahawk #1/1973 (1973)
Key issues in Tomahawk
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