Secret Wars has given Marvel Comics fans a slew of different interpretations of their favorite heroes over the last two months, and next week sees the debut of Wild West versions of Captain America, Iron Man, and The Hulk in the pages of 1872 #1. Written by Gerry Duggan, who has done some outstanding things with the Secret Wars conceit as co-writer of The Infinity Gauntlet, with art by Nik Virella and colorist Lee Loughridge, this miniseries takes place in the Battleworld domain known as the Valley of Doom, where familiar Marvel faces have set up the town of Timely with Steve Rogers as sheriff.
Nik Virella takes over art duties from the originally announced Evan “Doc” Shaner, but Virella’s textured line work is a great fit for the desert setting, and he brings a lot of life to Shaner’s character designs. Lee Loughridge’s vivid coloring intensifies the atmosphere of Virella’s art, with bright yellows and orange creating an arid desert for Native American hero Red Wolf while sumptuous pinks and purples bring a softer feel to the saloon where Tony Stark is drinking himself stupid.
The map at the beginning of this preview is a delicious tease of all the characters who may be getting a makeover over the course of this series, including some surprising names like Black Bolt, the king of the Inhumans who apparently owns a ranch in the Valley of Doom. 1872 has an intriguing concept that is a big departure from the majority of Secret Wars tie-ins, and it should be a lot of fun to see how the rest of the Marvel Universe gets reimagined through this creative team’s perspective.