{"id":36508,"date":"2026-09-16T17:19:51","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T17:19:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=36508"},"modified":"2026-09-16T17:19:51","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T17:19:51","slug":"the-pony-express-a-lucky-luke-adventure-volume-46","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2026\/09\/16\/the-pony-express-a-lucky-luke-adventure-volume-46\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pony Express – A Lucky Luke Adventure (volume 46)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\" \"\"
\nBy Morris<\/strong>, scripted by Xavier Fauche & Jean L\u00e9turgie<\/strong> & coloured by Studio Leonardo<\/strong>, translated by Jerome Saincantin<\/strong> (Cinebook)
\nISBN: 978-1-84918-194-5 (Album PB), 978-1-84918-880-7 (Digital edition)<\/p>\n

This book includes Discriminatory Content<\/strong> produced in less enlightened times. This book also contains Discriminatory Content<\/strong> added for comedic effect.<\/em><\/p>\n

Time for another Anniversary announcement, non?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Lucky Luke<\/strong> is a rangy, good-natured, \u201clonesome cowboy\u201d able to \u201cdraw faster than his own shadow\u201d. Doughty, dashing, dependable Lucky is an implacably placid do-gooder roaming the mythical Old West, having light-hearted adventures with his wonder horse Jolly Jumper<\/em> whilst interacting with a host of historical and\/or fictionally famous figures of the genre.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s Jolly & Lucky\u2019s 80th<\/sup> birthday this year and their continued exploits have made him one of the bestselling comic characters in Europe, encompassing 83 albums, numerous spin-off books and series comprising more than 300 million albums in at least 31 languages thus far. That has all generated a mega-mesa of merchandise: posters, toys, games, apparel, animated cartoons, TV shows and live-action movies.<\/p>\n

Lucky was dreamed up by western-loving Maurice de B\u00e9v\u00e8re AKA \u201cMorris\u201d: a Belgian-born animator, illustrator and cartoonist. His sagebrush star debuted in the summer of 1946, initially in Le Journal de Spirou<\/em><\/strong> in mid-summer sans title or banner logo, and only in the French-language edition of the multinational kids comic. The Lone Rider\u2019s official launch came in autumn of that year in Christmas Annual L\u2019Almanach Spirou 1947<\/em><\/strong>, before opening his first official serial in the pan-regional, multilingual weekly edition cover-dated December 7th <\/sup>1946.<\/p>\n

After a relatively slow start for such a fast gun, Lucky\u2019s global dominance came via Morris\u2019 decades-long collaboration with superstar scripter Ren\u00e9 Goscinny. The official partnership spanned Rails on the Prairie<\/strong> (from August 25th<\/sup> 1955) to The Ballad Of The Daltons And Other Stories<\/strong> in 1986, during which time the sixgun straight-shooter switched teams, transferring to Goscinny\u2019s own magazine Pilote<\/em> <\/strong>with The Stagecoach <\/strong>in 1967, with guest appearances all over the European publishing scene after that.<\/p>\n

Goscinny co-crafted 45 albums before his death in 1977, after which Morris continued both singly and with new literary pardners, ultimately recruiting a posse of legacy creators including Lo Hartog van Banda, Achd\u00e9 & Laurent Gerra, Xavier Fauche, Jean L\u00e9turgie, Benacquista & Pennac, Jacques Pessis and more, all taking their own shots at the venerable vigilante. Morris continued until his own death in 2001, having drawn fully 70 adventures, plus numerous sidebar and spin-off whimsical western tales.<\/p>\n

His grande id\u00e9e<\/em> draws on western history less than movie mythology, but – as here – our hero regularly met historical figures as well as famous fictional folk in tales drawn from classic cowboy lore, lensed through uniquely European notions and interpretations… as also seen here. Moreover, our sharpshooting star is never averse to being a figure of political change and Weapon of Mass Satire, as well as spoofing his own antecedents whilst wallowing in movie schtick to trigger delicious drives down memory lane in the eternal game of cowberks and imbeciles\u2026<\/p>\n

Le Pony Express <\/em><\/strong>was the 59h<\/sup> European album, first seen serially in monthly magazine Pif Gadget<\/em><\/strong> #997 – 999 in 1988 before being collected into book form that same year. As the self-explanatory adventure The Pony Express<\/strong>, it was Cinebook\u2019s 46th<\/sup> English-language outing of hijacked history, scathing satire and horselaugh hijinks.<\/p>\n

Morris always drew from a deep, shared well of cinematic motifs, gilded with authenticity and tempered with veracity as required. Here, with prolific scripters Xavier Fauche (Lucky Luke<\/strong>, Rantanplan<\/strong>, Percevan<\/em><\/strong>, Marsupilami<\/strong>) & Jean L\u00e9turgie (Lucky Luke<\/strong>. Rantanplan<\/strong>, Kid Lucky<\/strong>, Percevan<\/em><\/strong>, Gastoon<\/em><\/strong>, Space Cake<\/strong>) he put his unique brand on the epic but short-lived myth of a crucial communications experiment: one that actually lasted 18 months (April 3rd<\/sup> 1860 to October 26th<\/sup> 1861) but which has gripped imaginations forever-after…<\/p>\n

The sly, wry, action-packed yarn opens in Washington DC as Senators welcome California into the United States of America whilst complaining of the administrative problems of its immense distance. Faced with a 30-day stagecoach journey from new State Capital Sacramento to notional outpost of civilisation of St. Joseph Missouri, the government gasbags demand a faster way. However, when their chosen pathfinding frontiersman agent Edson Cody <\/em>fails to find better more expedient route, the lawmakers offer a reward of $50,000 to anyone able to cut that onerous time lag.<\/p>\n

Thus, when inspired entrepreneur William H. Russell<\/em> has his great idea for a non-stop, horse-powered relay system staffed by a trained team of specialist riders sworn to carry mailbags from coast to heartland in just ten days, hopes are high even though expectations are guarded. There is, of course, opposition from the slowly progressing Pacific Railway Company<\/em> who want that fifty grand for themselves and immediately begin sabotaging every aspect of the enterprise via the extremely long reach of Sacramento stationmaster Ted Ballast<\/em> and his mean minions…
\n\"\"
\nRussell\u2019s plan submitted to and accepted by the Senate envisions relay stations of fresh horses and riders every 75 miles of the prospective 1,840 mile route. As it is intended to be non-stop day & night, riders would have to be the best of the best. Thankfully, Russell and ferociously supportive wife Imelda<\/em> have just made the acquaintance of a quietly capable cowboy…<\/p>\n

This Lucky Luk<\/em>e will be vetting candidates, training successful applicants (such as Charley Cliff<\/em>, Johnny Fry<\/em>, Nick Wilson<\/em>, Billy Richardson<\/em> and 15-year-old living legend in waiting William<\/em> \u201cBuffalo Bill\u201d Cody<\/em>) and putting them through the most torturous toughening-up regime imaginable, even as Imelda concerns herself with their emotional, spiritual and physical wellbeing. The lads would rather be brutalised again and again than swear off drink, gambling and wimmin, but a job\u2019s a job…<\/p>\n

Also heavily involved in the testing and training stage, Jolly Jumper personally ends many applicant riders\u2019 hopes of the fabulously well-paid positions, but also ensures that every steed under them will be at least as fit and twice as smart as its rider…
\n\"\"
\n… And then it\u2019s April 3rd<\/sup> and time for the initial run that will secure the enterprise or crush all their dreams. This is when Ballast\u2019s boys – already a permanent thorn in the Express\u2019 side – go into spoiler overdrive, spreading lies and disinformation, rousing local Indian tribes, faking a Dalton Brothers<\/em> jailbreak, planting diabolical honeytrap Lola and Her Girls<\/em> in the couriers\u2019 path, wrecking relay stations along the way, and even tampering with the heartbreaking, arduous wilderness-spanning route.<\/p>\n

Lucky & Jolly Jumper handled the first 75 miles with little trouble, but soon after handing over to Charley Cliff, our heroes discover that the Pony Express man has been nobbled and is actually working for Ballast. Not knowing who to trust, Luke decides it\u2019s probably best if he and his trusty horse do the entire 10-day nonstop run themselves…<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a sound decision, but one fraught with peril and wonder before they make it to St. Joseph, and even after triumphantly arriving, the weaselly rail ramrods have one last wheeze to employ… which only Luke\u2019s cool calculations can counter…
\n\"\"
\nThese youthful forays of an indomitable hero offer grand joys in the tradition of Destry Rides Again<\/strong> and Little Big Man<\/strong>, superbly executed by master storytellers: a brilliant introduction to a unique genre for modern kids who might have missed the romantic allure of the Wild West that never was…
\n\u00a9 Dargaud Editeur Paris 1988 by Morris and Xavier Fauche & Jean L\u00e9turgie. \u00a9 Lucky Comics. English translation \u00a9 2014 Cinebook Ltd.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Morris, scripted by Xavier Fauche & Jean L\u00e9turgie & coloured by Studio Leonardo, translated by Jerome Saincantin (Cinebook) ISBN: 978-1-84918-194-5 (Album PB), 978-1-84918-880-7 (Digital edition) This book includes Discriminatory Content produced in less enlightened times. This book also contains Discriminatory Content added for comedic effect. Time for another Anniversary announcement, non? Lucky Luke is … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “The Pony Express – A Lucky Luke Adventure (volume 46)”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[191,280,113,63,122,125,97,192,111],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36508","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adventure","category-animal-antics","category-comedy","category-european-classics","category-historical","category-humour","category-kids-all-ages","category-lucky-luke","category-satirepolitics"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-9uQ","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36508","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36508"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36508\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36514,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36508\/revisions\/36514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36508"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36508"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36508"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}