I've always been a western guy. Grab some snacks, toss in a DVD of Big Jake, The Outlaw Josey Wales, or Lonesome Dove and, in my opinion, you've got a great Saturday afternoon.My love of westerns was passed to me from the same person that gave me my first love of comics, and that was my dad. My dad grew up during a time when westerns were the cool thing to be into. A large portion of the comics that he passed down to me from his youth were about Roy Rogers, Annie Oakley and other western characters from that era. Unfortunately, except for the rare gem that would pop up from time to time (I'm thinking of Marvel's Blaze of Glory: Last Ride of the Western Heroes.), good western comics were a thing of the past...until recently.In 2005, Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti rode down out of the sunset to lay down the law on DC's most classic western character, Jonah Hex. Each month, Hex is one of the books that I'm most excited to see in my hold box. Mainly sticking with stories that are finished in one issue, Jonah Hex is like a classic Saturday afternoon western that combines suspense, action and the coolest cowboy since Clint Eastwood.Over the course of the last three years, Gray and Palmiotti have woven tales from throughout the life of Jonah Hex into one of the strongest, most enduring runs on comic shelves today. I'm consistently amazed at how Gray and Palmiotti can craft a story in one issue that can get me so invested in the characters in such a short time. It's comic and western writing at its best.Another western title that is always a fun read is Dynamite's Lone Ranger. As a kid, in that unforgettable era now referred to as "The 80's", I used to rush home from church on Sunday mornings with my parents and get to the television just in time to catch reruns of the classic Lone Ranger show starring Clayton Moore.When I first heard that Dynamite was going to produce a new Lone Ranger comic, I wasn't entirely enthusiastic. The last Lone Ranger comic that I had read was a 4-issue mini-series from Topps Comics during the mid-1990's that didn't exactly stand out as a favorite for me. I wanted someone to do justice to a character that had held a special place in so many hearts.The creative team of Brett Matthews and Sergio Cariello did not disappoint.Updating the legend of the Lone Ranger for a modern generation, yet still sticking to the characteristics that made the character great to begin with, Matthews and Cariello introduced the Lone Ranger and Tonto to many new fans and have shown everyone just who that masked man is. From his first meeting with Tonto to his first ride on his trusty steed, Silver, this new Lone Ranger series has been an exciting ride that I don't want to end anytime soon.If Jonah Hex or the Lone Ranger isn’t your thing, don't give up yet! With Bat Lash spinning out of Jonah Hex into his own mini-series from DC, Vertigo’s Loveless for mature readers and Dynamite recently launching new series featuring Zorro and the Man with No Name (Yep, that's the Clint Eastwood character from The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.), this could be a new golden age for western comics.For more information on these western titles and more, please visit the following sites: www.comiccollectorlive.com www.dccomics.com www.dynamiteentertainment.com*(Drew Van Huss is a longtime comic fan and collector, and a contributor for Comic Collector Live. Drew likes to read Jonah Hex by the camp fire while he's hunting outlaws.)