This is an anthology of graphic Western short stories, one poem and a novella. As each story is by a different author and has a different illustrator, there is a lot of variance in quality.

The only overall statements that can be made about the book are that the book is physically put together well, and that it has a strong chemical odor to it. My guess is that the odor is created by the large amount of colored ink used in making the book. For the rest of this review, I will go story-by-story.

The one poem in the anthology is first. Arthur Chapman's Where the West Begins is a short poem that tries to capture the spirit of the Old West. This is not really done in graphic mode, except it has a nice background picture by Al Feldstein that is realistic and has rich color.

Next comes the longest story of the book, and possibly the best known. Zane Grey's Riders of the Purple Sage is an old-fashioned cowboys and bandits and range war story with a few twists. I do not see it as a good fit for a graphic novel, though, as it is heavy on dialogue. The result is a graphic story that features so many dialogue bubbles that it becomes hard to follow the conversation. This story is illustrated by Cynthia Martin with a nice blend of realism and rich color.

Robert E. Howard's Knife River Prodigal, illustrated by George Sellas, was my least favorite story in the book. It tells of a young man with a big heart, a quick temper and large fists. He tends to get into many fights, and his father eventually sends him off to San Francisco to see the world and to grow up. This could have been a good story, but I think the author tried to make it humorous. I did not think it funny at all. There is lots of fighting and plenty of shooting. The illustrations did not impress me either, as they were more caricatures, and the bullet impacts all looked the same. It is too violent to be a comic book, and not serious enough to be a graphic novel for adults.

Just when I was ready to give up on this book being anything but mediocre at best, here comes Bret Harte's The Right Eye of the Commander, illustrated by Reno Maniquis. This is a Western with a definite Spanish flavor to it, and it is a Western that Edgar Allan Poe would have enjoyed (yes, it has a touch of the macabre to it). After an unimpressive start, this is an excellent story that I think is well worth reading, and the illustrations matched the quality of the words.

Clarence E. Mulford is next with The Holdup, illustrated by Dan Spiegle. With this one, we are back to an old-fashioned Western, with good guys, bad guys and a train robbery. This is not the most memorable tale, but it is laid out well and illustrated nicely.

La Perdida by Gertrude Atherton is illustrated by Arnold Arre. The story is short and simple, kind of a Western version of Romeo & Juliet, except Shakespeare's play had no ... oops, that might be a spoiler. The illustrations are lush and very well done.

Like a good rollercoaster, this book has its highs and its lows. Here is a low, in John G. Neihardt's The Last Thundersong, illustrated by Ryan Huna Smith. This one features a mismatch between the mood of the story, which is tragic and melancholic, and the illustrations, that would fit well in a comic book. A graphic novel, as I understand the concept, is supposed to be more sophisticated and mature than a comic book. This story, dealing with religious conflicts, bigotry and the possible downfall of a Native American shaman, is that. The illustrations are more like those seen in Knife River Prodigal, which was meant as humor.

All rollercoasters have sturdy grab-bars, and you'll need them here, as you skyrocket into the clouds, with an excellent final story. El Dorado by Willa Cather is nostalgic, a tad wistful and quietly powerful, as it tells us of dreams forged and shattered, amid the calm persistence of the main character. Heading westward often involved a wish for a new and prosperous life. That was not always the outcome. We see here the different dreams of two very different people, and how they intertwine and conflict. The illustrations by John Findley are as realistic as the motives of the characters, without the almost garish silliness of the preceding tale. (By the way, this story is unrelated to the classic Western movie of the same name.)

I had expected some variance in quality, as that is common with anthologies, but there was much more variation than I had anticipated. I am guessing this because the stories had different authors and different illustrators. All told, the book averages out as a solid mediocre; I feel that is an underestimate though, as The Right Eye of the Commander and El Dorado are worth getting this book, all by themselves. Just skip a few of the others.