The Dalton Cousins by René Goscinny

Why read the book?

This album marks the moment the Daltons became the family we know. The original Daltons are dead, so their four cousins, led by the small and furious Joe with the towering and dim Averell at the back, set out to make Lucky Luke pay. They copy their dead relatives down to the ladder of heights and the matching outfits.

Luke must deal with all four at once as they bungle and bicker their way across the territory. Goscinny had just joined Morris, and you can feel the comic timing tighten, with Joe seething and Averell asking when they will eat.

Favourite quote

What I Loved

The joy here is watching the Dalton dynamic click into place for the first time. Joe's rage and Averell's appetite already carry the gags.

It is also a clean, fast revenge plot, with Luke staying calm while the brothers undo themselves. The album earns its place as the start of one of comics' great running feuds.

Key Takeaway

This is where the Daltons stopped being villains of the week and became Lucky Luke's lifelong nuisance.

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