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Hell Paso: The Story of Dallas Stoudenmire
El Paso, Texas, 1881. Corruption runs rampant, crime and violence is high, and El Pasoans are scared. Who can turn this city around? There is only one man who can, and his name is Dallas Stoudenmire. You've heard of famous Western lawmen such as Wyatt Earp, Pat Garrett, and Wild Bill Hickok. Now discover El Paso Marshal Dallas Stoudenmire, the one man who had the courage to tame the most violent city in the Old West. Read the greatest western time has forgotten, and learn why the city earned its nickname: Hell Paso. (Based on actual events from El Paso, Texas, between 1881 and 1882.) Hell Paso: The Story of Dallas Stoudenmire Special Edition is a 186 page, flip book, trade paperback that collects originally published issues #1-6. It also contains over 30 bonus pages, including a "Hell Paso Facts" section which details the historical facts of events researched by Jaime Portillo, original newspaper articles (reprints), original photos of the people involved, sketches, and pinups.
186 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 12, 2015
I only recently started reading graphic novels. Out of the comic book world, my favorite character is Jonah Hex, a cynical, whiskey-swilling, scar-faced bounty hunter. When I had come across a graphic novel that featured a story that was centered on Dallas Stoudenmire, I just couldn't resist.
Everybody has heard the names of Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hickok, Billy the Kid, and Bat Masterson. These are the Wild West legends that come to mind when talking about that time era. If you were to mention the name Dallas Stoudenmire, you would get a deer-in-the-headlights look. Throughout his career as a Marshal in El Paso, TX he participated in more gunfights than any of his other Western contemporaries and also managed to significantly lower the astronomical crime rate in El Paso.
Jaime Portillo has written a short biography of Stoudenmire in the form of a graphic novel. Being such a history buff, I found this to be a fantastic combination. Half of the book is the story written by Portillo, and the other half is something of mini-encyclopedia explaining the real life people, events, and places mentioned.
While I highly praise this comic, I also have complaints with it, hence the 3 star rating. I'm not an artist and have no talent with drawing, but I personally found the artwork in this to be somewhat choppy and stiff. The dialogue spoken between the characters seems very tame and lax. I always preferred the dialogue in western stories to be tough, gritty, and unrepentant. The character development, particularly with Stoudenmire, leaves something to be desired. We see him in his lawman form (and what a form it is!) but we never get to see the off-duty Dallas Stoudenmire. What pushed him to be such an effective lawman? Were there periods of anxiety and melancholy in an otherwise bravado personality? What made him carry such a sense of personal righteousness? We're given only the slightest hints to these questions but never exposed to the full picture, which could have made for a more engaging story.
All in all, I still found this to be an exciting read. It is a great combination of fiction blended with history, and as far as accuracy is concerned, I found it to be very well researched. I give bonus points for including a mini-encyclopedia at the end of the book to help with those who aren't familiar with the history. I have always said that Dallas Stoudenmire was one of the best yet under appreciated lawmen of his time, and I'm personally very thankful that someone has finally written a story about his exploits.
Everybody has heard the names of Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hickok, Billy the Kid, and Bat Masterson. These are the Wild West legends that come to mind when talking about that time era. If you were to mention the name Dallas Stoudenmire, you would get a deer-in-the-headlights look. Throughout his career as a Marshal in El Paso, TX he participated in more gunfights than any of his other Western contemporaries and also managed to significantly lower the astronomical crime rate in El Paso.
Jaime Portillo has written a short biography of Stoudenmire in the form of a graphic novel. Being such a history buff, I found this to be a fantastic combination. Half of the book is the story written by Portillo, and the other half is something of mini-encyclopedia explaining the real life people, events, and places mentioned.
While I highly praise this comic, I also have complaints with it, hence the 3 star rating. I'm not an artist and have no talent with drawing, but I personally found the artwork in this to be somewhat choppy and stiff. The dialogue spoken between the characters seems very tame and lax. I always preferred the dialogue in western stories to be tough, gritty, and unrepentant. The character development, particularly with Stoudenmire, leaves something to be desired. We see him in his lawman form (and what a form it is!) but we never get to see the off-duty Dallas Stoudenmire. What pushed him to be such an effective lawman? Were there periods of anxiety and melancholy in an otherwise bravado personality? What made him carry such a sense of personal righteousness? We're given only the slightest hints to these questions but never exposed to the full picture, which could have made for a more engaging story.
All in all, I still found this to be an exciting read. It is a great combination of fiction blended with history, and as far as accuracy is concerned, I found it to be very well researched. I give bonus points for including a mini-encyclopedia at the end of the book to help with those who aren't familiar with the history. I have always said that Dallas Stoudenmire was one of the best yet under appreciated lawmen of his time, and I'm personally very thankful that someone has finally written a story about his exploits.
Displaying 1 of 1 review