Review: Rawhide Kid: Slap Leather

Much maligned when it was published by Marvel last year, Rawhide Kid: Slap Leather has been a good surprise for me. Written by TV-writer Ron Zimmerman and drawn by veteran artist John Severin (who worked on the original incarnation of the character in the 50′s), this comedy takes place in a believable Western setting, visually speaking. Severin may be in his eighties, but he’s still a great draughtsman, and the faces of the characters, the backgrounds, the clothes… all that lends a weight to the fairly light story.

Of course, what made the news when the 5-issue mini-series (available from Amazon as a trade paperback) was published was the way the Rawhide Kid was to be portrayed: as a rather precious gay guy always impeccable dressed. The story uses lots of the clichés of the genre : as any other Western hero, Rawhide Kid rides into a small town at the beginning, and quickly finds himself embroiled in a fight between a (rather helpless) sheriff and a gang of bloodthirsty outlaws. He becomes friends with the sheriff whom he finds very attractive, flirts heavily with him (but alas, to no avail), and gets an instant admirer in the person of the sheriff’s son who thinks his father is a coward. The Kid will play psychologist for that family, and of course, will help defeat the outlaws.

So, the interesting part in this series is not really the story, which is predictable. In my opinion, it’s how the portrayal of the Rawhide Kid manages to combine lots of very funny innuendo (see image at left) and a questioning of traditional masculinity with a tough guy attitude which, ironically, makes the Kid the personal hero of all the town boys. The adults might not know what to make of a straight-shooting (pun intended) dandy, but the sheriff’s son does: he wants him as a father.
While its tongue is firmly stuck in its cheek, this mini-series does in fact tackle serious themes, and casually subverts a few given of Westerns – even if in this case, it is done in a anachronistic way. I’m not sure the Rawhide Kid will be back any time soon in this incarnation, but I wish readers had more of a sense of humor. Positive portrayal of non-butch gay characters is rare in general audience works, and if only for that, Rawhide Kid: Slap Leather must be commended.