Gunfighters #52

Jed Murdock lands in jail in the small town of Riverbend on suspicion of robbery, only to find himself swept up in a bank heist when outlaw Vargos and his gang strike—and the sheriff, needing help, drafts the stranger into an uneasy alliance. Caught between a ruthless criminal who's taken a hostage and a lawman willing to risk everything, Murdock discovers that survival sometimes means making impossible choices that blur the line between hero and outlaw.

Ace Evans leaves town after a deadly confrontation with the sheriff, but as he rides out, his mind drifts back to the fateful day he shot the notorious gunslinger Brett Farley—a moment of luck that transformed him from a peaceable man into someone hungry for respect and notoriety. Since then, Ace has built a fearsome reputation through gunfights against men like Hinkle, Crosby, Tarta, and most recently the young Matt Hoople, but deep down he knows the truth: he's faster at drawing than at living with who he's become. Now, riding away and haunted by his own cowardice, Ace must confront what his violent reputation has actually cost him.

When hired gun Bart Raxton rides into town, Sheriff Matt Clayton knows exactly who he is—and why he's come. In "The Hired Gun," Raxton finds himself caught between another ruthless job and the ghosts of his past, as Clayton prepares for a final confrontation that neither man wants but both seem destined to face.