Book excerpt: William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (1853-1921) was a notable western figure who was, over the years, gambler, lawman, Army scout, buffalo hunter, and newspaper columnist. A fictionalized account of his life was serialized in the 1958-1961 television series starring Gene Barry. In this black-and-white series, Barry portrayed Masterson as an elegant lady's man seeking adventure in the Wild West, but unlike most gunslingers, Barry's character preferred to use his cane to a gun. Dell Comics issued nine issues of the Bat Masterson comic book from 1959 to 1962 (the first being a test of the title in the Dell Four Color series before the strip was given its own series). This collection includes the first four issues.