Dakota Kid #1

 

cover art by Joe Maneely

Last week, I said I would cover the only issue of Marvel's Western Team-Up, from 1973. But that book features the only appearance of The Dakota Kid. But he isn't the first Dakota Kid. Another gunfighter with that name appeared in Quick-Trigger Western #15 (December 1956), in a story written by Stan Lee and drawn by Joe Maneely.

I wonder if Larry Lieber, who would write and draw the second version of Dakota Kid, knew the name had been used before. Or was it just a coincidence? My guess is that it is indeed a coincidence, but who knows?

(If anyone does know, please comment and educate me.)

Anyway, Dakota Kid #1 was the nickname of Frank Yarrow, who is kind of a jerk. He's not an outlaw and doesn't kill or hurt anyone, but he does tend to tear up the town quite a bit whenever he does come to town.

This time, though, he only gets a little property damage in before the sheriff gets the drop on him. The Kid goes to trial, where he's sentenced to five years. The judge tells him, though, that he might get an early parole if he can straighten himself out.

He takes this to heart and becomes a model prisoner. When he's released on probation after just three years, he agrees not to carry a gun during his two years of probation.

He keeps this promise. Returning to his home town, he refuses an offer to join a gang. That gang, though, commits does some robbin' and rustlin' anyways, leaving the Kid as a suspect.  When the sheriff offers him a deputy's badge and a chance to clear himself, the Kid reluctantly declines because if he were a deputy, he'd have to carry a gun. Why he didn't explain this to the sheriff is a plot hole--he hadn't been sworn to secrecy. But there you have it.

When the gang hears that the Kid turned down a badge, they assume he's ready to turn outlaw. They try to recruit him to murder the sheriff. This leaves the Dakota Kid with no choice--he's got to use a gun to stop a murder.

He rounds up the outlaws, then finally explains his legal restrictions to the sheriff. The sheriff, in turn, gives the Kid (who has now dropped that name and goes simply by Frank Yarrow) a deputy's badge, giving him retroactive permission to carry a gun. Yarrow agrees to stay on as deputy.

The story does have that plot hole in it in that Yarrow was keeping the "no gun" restriction a secret for no good reason. But otherwise, its a good (if predictable) story with solid art work. 

Next week, we'll take a look at the second Dakota Kid.