SCOUT: WAR SHAMAN #16

“One Last Ride on the Wall of Death”
Writer: Timothy Truman
Artists: Timothy Truman & Ricardo Villagran

Rosa Winters is back in charge and she wants to get rid of Scout permanently. Before she can Atuma comes which sets off his brother the Reverend Sand Dog. The two fight and that distracts everyone for Scout to pull a grenade. He then takes his sons into the hills. There Rosa starts lobbing mortar rounds at them. A rockslide separates him from his boys. As he lies dying Rosa comes down to finish him off. Scout leaves a grenade under his body so it goes off killing Rosa. Sand Dog manages to find and take out Tahzey. Young Victorio found shelter in a cave. He comes out and picks up Scout’s bandanna and sunglasses.

“The Living Years”
Writer: Beau Smith
Artists: Todd Fox & Ricardo Villagran

Beau La Duke is burying Scout. He reminisces about his time with Scout. A very moving look into the real La Duke. He promises to find Scouts sons and take care of them.

So the final Scout issue and it was a doozy. Scout dies but dies a dignified death. Interesting that my journey rediscovering Scout started a year ago. There was supposed to be two more series Scout: Marauder & Scout: Blue Leader. But for whatever reason they didn’t get written. Truman a very talented man moved on to many great projects. Some will be showcased on this blog in the future. This was his first series and it shows he had a deep personal investment in the series.

I started reading Scout back in the ’80s as a teenager. The dystopian future of 1999-2015 seems a long way off. Now I’m looking back at those years. Thankfully the future that was depicted never came about. Sort of fascinating to view this series from both angles. A young man where this could happen and the older one who is safe in the knowledge it didn’t happen. Will Scout come back again. Either the missing series written by Truman as an alternate history or a new reboot. I suppose time will tell.

SCOUT: WAR SHAMAN #15

“Sweet Revenge”
Writer: Timothy Truman
Artists: Timothy Truman & Ricardo Villagran

Redwire has Scout’s young sons hostage. There is nothing Scout can do but surrender. Now Redwire decides to fight Scout with his implanted blades in his hands. Scout gives a good accounting for himself using just his bare hands. Redwire decides to end the fight and draws his pistol. His son Victor uses his psychic ability to basically blow up Redwire’s head and save his father. The boys are reunited but it looks like a short lived happy reunion. Rosa Winters uses the opportunity to get back into her leadership position and she doesn’t look like she wants the let Scout go in peace.

“On the Prod”
Writer: Beau Smith
Artist: Todd Fox

La Duke comes in on his motorcycle guns blazing. He frees Rita and the two start to shoot up Atuma’s pirates. Still numbers are not in their favor so they set off some grenades and blow up the weapons so Atuma and Redwire can’t use them. The ending finds the two in a bar. Rita didn’t get any bounty money. La Duke didn’t get the guns for Scout. Rita suggests that they grab a six pack and see how much romancing they can get. So the day isn’t a total loss after all.

So Scout gets his final confrontation with Redwire. Once again we get to see the power that Victor his youngest son has. Rosa is now back in charge and we are left with a what next? A short story but effective and we are coming to the end of Scout’s epic story.

The La Duke story was also a fun one. Plenty of action and wisecracking from the good ole boy from West Virginia. He also gets the girl at the end so very satisfying ending.

SCOUT: WAR SHAMAN #14

“I’m Coming Home”
Writer: Timothy Truman
Artists: Timothy Truman & Ricardo Villagran

Scout, Rosa and La Duke are back in Arizona. Redwire has a little reign of terror going on against the local Hopi Indians. They join up with the Reverend Sand Dog Yuma. A fire and brimstone preacher with a Schmeisser. La Duke goes off to see a contact about buying some guns. The others then raid Redwire’s camp. It starts off good but at the end Scout is confronted by Redwire who has his two sons prisoner.

“Take Me To the River”
Writer: Beau Smith
Artist: Todd Fox

La Duke has come to see McTaggart to buy some weapons. The river pirate Atuma Yuma hears of this. He is allied to Redwire and also looking to acquire some weapons. So he ambushed La Duke and takes the guns. Before he can kill him a woman opens fire and drives him off. A bounty hunter named Rita Rodricho is after Atuma. She tracks him down and gets captured. Before Atuma can do anything La Duke comes riding in on a motorcycle with guns blazing.

So the story is coming to a big conclusion. Scout has some allies and is going on the offensive. Rosa still shows that there is some humanity left in her. Reverend Sand Dog is a cool character. The end has the surprise twist of Scout’s sons being held prisoner. A great cliffhanger ending.

The La Duke story was also great. He’s is typical hillbilly good ole boy. Rita Rodricho is an interesting character and Atuma, Sand Dog’s evil brother, makes a great villain. A good backup story that compliments the main story.

SCOUT: WAR SHAMAN #13

“Borderlord!”
Writers: Beau Smith & Timothy Truman
Artist: Todd Fox

Beau La Duke is wandering the frozen countryside of Canada. Having successfully destroyed the train his squad was later ambushed and found dead. La Duke is then set upon by the Canadian ninjas that killed his men. He gives a good accounting of himself but succumbs to numbers. He finds himself tied upside down the prisoner of Hardin the man who was hired by the Canadian government to supply Redwire. He is converting old farm equipment like threshers into tanks. La Duke manages to escape and cause havoc. Hardin foolishly blames the head ninja mercenary Tremayne for his escape. This hurts his feelings and Tremayne then voids his contract and turns on Hardin. It ends with La Duke and Tremayne friends and Hardin left tied up hanging from his tank waiting for the below freezing night.

Oh yeah. I love Beau La Duke. This is a real man. He’s so cool even his hat stays on while he’s hanging upside down. This is a guy who takes crap from no one and just keeps going. I also love the Canadian tanks. They look cool but probably aren’t very effective as tanks. But they are probably cheap and have a high profit margin. La Duke will be featured in the back-up stories for the last three issues of this series so there is something to forward to. You could probably give this character his own strip. I’d buy it.

SCOUT: WAR SHAMAN #12

“Watch The North Wind Rise”
Writer: Timothy Truman
Artist: Ricardo Villagran

The North Wind is a supersonic train. It is carrying oil from the Yukon to supply Redwire’s army. Scout, La Duke and Rosa are there to stop it. They raid a switching station with an army of Indians. The station is guarded by a tank, a pillbox and some ninjas. They are lead by a cowboy named Tremayne. Scout and his guys manage to destroy the switching station and stop the oil. It ends with an alliance with Rosa to stop Redwire.

So Scout and Rosa are now reluctant allies which makes sense. A nice change of scenery from the deserts of the Southwest. This had a lot of action and ninjas. It was also cool to have La Duke back. He is funny and it ends with the next story going to highlight him. Scout reluctantly trusts Rosa so it should be interesting to see how this alliance works out.

SCOUT: WAR SHAMAN #11

“Let’s Have a Party”
Writer & Artist: Timothy Truman

Scout takes his sons to a carnival. The carnival is Dr. Portugal’s Carnival of Delights. The delights are mutations that he has created. Scout notices that Rosa Winters is also in attendance at this carnival. Both his psychic friend Walker and son Tahzey are getting bad vibes. Before they can leave the mutations produce guns and start taking out Rosa’s guards. Redwire has started his coup. He also reveals himself to be Raymond Vaughn. Left for dead from the last series he was brought back by Dr. Portugal. Scout manages to save Rosa and with his sons head out into the desert in a stolen car.

A lot of big reveals in this issue. Redwire is revealed to be Vaughn. That was a big surprise since he was obviously shot dead back in the first series. It would explain his hatred for Scout and Rosa. He also successfully stages a coup and is now in charge of New America. He has made a deal with a shady Canadian arms dealer to equip his army with new tanks. Surprising that Scout still has feeling for Rosa even after she tried to kill him. They are now both on the run from the new regime. Pretty exciting issue.

SCOUT: WAR SHAMAN #10

“Born Under a Bad Sign”
Writer & Artist: Timothy Truman

Scout has decided to go through a purification ritual. He has fasted for four days. He finally gets a visit from a witch who shows him the history of the Apache. How they prospered in the mountains. Even after the Spanish came they still had great success in raiding the settlements. One day an American named James Johnson from Kentucky came. He had traded with the Apache and became friends with them. He brought a large pile of gifts to the tribe. Under the gifts was a howitzer that blasted the tribe. The Mexican government was offering 100 peso per Apache scalp and Johnson made a lot of money that day. He also started the war with the Americans since all wars are tribal to the Apache.

Eventually the fighting wore them down and they agreed to live on the reservations. The Apache prospered as farmers and the Army was about to leave. The local merchants didn’t like that so with some Papago who were the Apache’s sworn enemies they massacred a camp. This started up the war that would eventually end in defeat. The Apache were moved to Florida and died from the climate. Geronimo was paraded all over the country. It wasn’t until the 1970’s that the Apache were allowed to move back to their native lands.

Now this was a very interesting issue. Truman decided to use this issue to tell the story of the Apache and it is one interesting story. I learned a lot from this and can see why the Apache are held in such high regard. A nice little break from the dystopian future. Scout gets new purpose in what he has to do to find a safe place for his sons.

SCOUT: WAR SHAMAN #9

“The Bigger They Come Part 2”
Writer & Artist: Timothy Truman

Scout and La Duke track the Doodyites to a ranch. They decide to cause a stampede of elephants into their camp. So riding the giant armadillo Delbert the two drive a whole herd of elephants into them. Then Scout shoots a few and manages to rescue his son. He’s somewhat mad but once he gets his son back calms down. He plans to take his kids back to the cave of the Hopis. Meanwhile Redwire is making a move to take over Rosa’s army. He has all sorts of goodies for her troops, food, medicine, beer and TVs.

“The Choice”
Writer & Artist: Timothy Truman

Child of Water has destroyed all the monsters and now the Apache can live in peace. Usen the Giver of Life gives Child of Water and his brother Slayer of Enemies a choice. He lays out a gun and a bow and arrows. Slayer of Enemies being older gets first choice and chooses the gun. Child of Water gets the bow. Slayer of Enemies goes east and becomes the father of the white man. Child of Water goes to the mountains and became the Father of the Apache. And that is why we became different.

Well this issue was a somewhat light read but no less interesting. Scout finally gets his son back. We get a good elephant stampede and Redwire looks like he is planning some sort of coup. Interesting things are coming.

This also ends the Tales of the Apache folklore. My guess this was a more newer addition to the folklore with the introduction of the gun and how the white man came about. This was a real interesting story and a great insight into Apache culture. Very much appreciated this.

SCOUT: WAR SHAMAN #8

“The Harder They Fall”
Writer & Artist: Timothy Truman

Scout has a Doodyite staked out in the old Apache fashion. He wants to know where they have taken his son. When he refuses to talk then the ants get dumped on him and that gets him to talk. So Scout continues on with his son Tahzey on the trail of the Doodyites. He meets up with his old friend Beau La Duke. La Duke rides around on a giant armadillo named Delbert. Delbert was rescued from a mad geneticist lab. They get ambushed by the Doodyites but old Delbert puts the fear of God into them. La Duke agrees to help Scout rescue his son.

“The Antelope Monster”
Writer & Artist: Timothy Truman

Child of Water has killed three of the four monsters. Now its the Antelope Monsters turn. The Antelope Monster is the most dangerous of the monsters. He can kill with just looking. Child of Water gets help from a lizard. The lizard shows how to make special arrows that can cause a fire. Child of Water shoots an arrow and starts a fire. The Antelope Monster comes looking to kill who started the fire. Child of Water hides on the ground and keeps shooting arrows and causing fires when Antelope Monster isn’t looking. The Antelope Monster keeps running to the fires and eventually dies of exhaustion. Now the world is safe for people.

No elephants were harmed in this story. Scout and his son come upon an elephant that was from an old game reserve but do not harm it. The cover is a bit misleading. So we see that Scout knows how to torture out information the old Apache way and can you blame him. They kidnapped his two year old son. We also get Beau La Duke back into the story. Riding a giant armadillo no less. Its great to have him back. Now with Scout they are obviously going to kick some major ass.

The Tales of the Apache are coming to a conclusion. These are some dumb monsters. Get him to run around until he dies of exhaustion. These are really enjoyable. You get exposed to some fascinating cultural stories in Apache folklore. Truman says he plans to make this series into a children book and that sounds like a great idea. See you next week.

SCOUT: WAR SHAMAN #7

“Wooly Bully Part 3 The Hunter”
Writer & Artist: Timothy Truman

The mysterious Redwire has joined forces with Rosa Winters. Scout meanwhile gets a visit from an associate of Rosa. The Wizard has disabled the motion sensors on one side. This allows Scout and the Hopi that he leads to attack the village. They manage to cause some serious damage. Scout has a confrontation with Redwire and manages to come out on top. But at the end he is shot in the back and left for dead by Rosa. His son Tahzey goes to find him leaving the younger Victorio alone. The bully Hopi kids plan to beat Victorio with a baseball bat. He uses his psychic powers to kill the bully. The head Doodyite takes the young Victorio away promising him someplace safe.

“The Slaying of the Eagle”
Writer & Artist: Timothy Truman

The next monster that Child of Water plans to kill is the Eagle Monster. He goes to the body of the Buffalo Monster and takes its intestines. He fills them with blood and wraps them around his body. The Eagle Monster finds him and drops him on the rocks. The intestines cushion his fall and the blood fools the Eagle Monster into thinking him dead. So he takes Child of Water to her nest to feed her young. Child of Water then clubs the Eagle to death. Finding that the youngest of the nest is the best flyer he chucks the other babies out. He has the young eagle fly him to the ground. Child of Water plucks out its feathers and they form the birds that exist.

Redwire is a mysterious figure from Scouts past. Its obvious that there is some bad history between the two. So in this issue it looks bad for Scout. To top this off his youngest son is kidnapped by the Doodyites. His youngest son also continues to show his powerful psychic abilities. Should be interesting to see what the next issue brings.

The Tales of the Apache continues along. Once again the monster is real stupid which is good for Child of Water. This feature is really charming and quite an interesting read. Not to mention quite gruesome. Folk tales must be universal the world over.