Dalton City by René Goscinny

Why read the book?

The four Dalton brothers escape and take over the abandoned town of Fenton Town, which Joe renames Dalton City and turns into a haven for every outlaw in the West. He plans a grand saloon, hires Ma Dalton, and even brings in a singer to make the place pay.

Lucky Luke goes undercover to bring the scheme down from within, while Rantanplan blunders about. The book is one long set piece of Joe's ambition curdling into farce, with Averell forever hungry and William and Jack following meekly along.

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What I Loved

This is prime Daltons, with Joe's grand vision and its inevitable ruin driving the fun. Ma Dalton's arrival and the saloon scenes give Goscinny plenty of room for parody of frontier showbusiness.

Morris draws the ramshackle town with affection, and the steady undermining of Joe's empire is hugely satisfying.

Key Takeaway

Joe Dalton builds his dream town only to watch it crumble into comedy.

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