This third volume in the collection brings us to the very edge of absolute greatness, with two later, far more mature solo outings – Doc Doxey’s Elixir (including Manhunt) and Phil Wire (including Lucky Luke and Pill) were first published in 1955 and 1956, and already Luke was much closer to the cowboy that we now have in mind – followed by Rails on the Prairie, the first collaboration between Morris and Goscinny, that would usher in 30 years of a legendary collaboration. These stories are prefaced by a staggering 46 pages of extra material – biographies, essays, interviews, illustrations – that will delight every fan.

A cowboy who shoots faster than his own shadow, his sarcastic horse - this is the Old West at its funniest. The fourth volume of the collected adventures of the Lonesome Cowboy in glorious hardback format!

After the heavily cartoon- and slapstick cinema-inspired first adventures, Morris turned towards the tradition of Westerns to flesh out his hero’s world. In Under a Western Sky, Lucky Luke versus Pat Poker and Outlaws there is a lot of Hollywood and John Ford, and while Luke hasn’t quite settled into his current look, he’s certainly closer to the phlegmatic cowboy we know and love. Outlaws also marks the first appearance of the Daltons – the historical Dalton brothers here, who will later return as their decidedly stupider cousins. Throw in 48 pages of extra material on Morris’s experience in the United States, and this is a book you won’t want to miss.

The 144 pages of this fourth volume of the ‘Complete Collection’ contains three full titles. While The Bluefeet are Coming! was penned by Morris himself, Lucky Luke vs Joss Jamon and The Dalton Cousins are the results of the legendary partnership between Morris and Goscinny, and the genius writer’s talent shines through even in the team’s early efforts – which here include the first appearance of those who would soon become the most infamous (and stupidest) bandits in the Old West! Goscinny and the Daltons in superb hardback format – an unmistakable volume.

Luke gets embroiled in a good old-fashioned Indian siege. Passing through the quiet little town of Rattlesnake, Luke exposes a Mexican gambler as a cheat and runs him out of town. Unfortunately, the hustler ends up in the hands of the Bluefeet Indians and manages to convince them to attack Rattlesnake. A siege begins, during which Luke will have to use all his guile and courage to keep the Bluefeet at bay until the Cavalry arrives.

When a $100,000 bounty is placed on the head of a Native American horse thief, Lucky Luke must contend with Elliott Belt, a ruthless bounty hunter who will stop at nothing to collect the reward.

At last Lucky Luke is getting a hardback collected edition, with the first adventures of the Lonesome Cowboy. After 70 years of life and almost 70 translated volumes, it was high time English-speaking readers were offered a hardback collected edition. This first volume contains the first seven adventures of Lucky Luke, previously published as volumes Arizona, Rodeo and Dick Digger’s Gold Mine, and offers an unrivalled insight into the evolution of the character in terms of design as well as personality. The extras available make up a whooping 48 pages of illustrations, photographs, biographies, essays and anecdotes on Morris and the origins of Luke. A must read for any true fan of this legend of the West!