The Lone Ranger rides into his next comic book adventure (#10) with a very rare black and white variant cover that portrays the masked man in what some fans say is a “dark and dismal” manner and should be avoided like the plague.

Prepared exclusively for Comic Collector Live, the John Cassaday (Eisner Award Winning artist) rendition from Dynamite Entertainment is getting powerful “love-hate” reactions from Lone Ranger fans.

“When we posted the cover art on our website we thought everyone would be excited about the special variant,” said Joe Butler, CEO of Comic Collector Live. “But while most of the feedback has been positive, there are those who think this particular portrayal is actually a ‘betrayal’ of their favorite comic book hero.”

The main complaints have centered on the dark and foreboding manner of the Lone Ranger. Steve Boyd, CCL’s Research Director and event coordinator took a few phone calls from fans of the masked man who thought the hero appeared to be more like the Punisher. “You’ll either love this cover or hate it,” says Boyd. “ Some say they love the strength of the Ranger in this pose and the emotion is really intense.”

Butler, in announcing the special variant, was quick to pay homage to Cassaday and Dynamite. “Any time you can work with a great artist like John it’s an honor!” said Butler. “We are especially excited about the Lone Ranger series because it’s an American original. And we are thankful for the folks at Dynamite for allowing us to be part of this Eisner Nominated Best New Series!”

Comic Collector Live will be offering the special limited variant issue exclusively on its website www.comiccollectorlive.com and expects to offer a select number of issues at comic book conventions such as Wizard World Texas in Arlington, November 16-18th.

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