Distribution: Previews (August '98), FM International, Cold Cut

First shipped: October 14, 1998

First Appearances: J.D. bandanna gun fighter look, Uncle George, Sundance, Annie O and various drug thugs.

Issue quirks: Second story to go 33 pages. First guest art team issue. Very short editorial in beginning. Very 3-D looking cover.

Issue Events: Announcement of Fright Land signing for October '98 and brief review of premises.

Issue Synopsis: An extremely violent, urban gangster, gunslinger story. Opens in the future with a statue dedication to a local hero named "Sundance". An old man named Akil is outraged at the dedication, because he knows the real story. In flashback, he tells his grandkids about "the stranger" (J.D.) who came to town one day. As a boy, Akil was selling drugs and was in trouble with his supplier. J.D. happens to be in Alonso's pizza pallor when the meeting is taking place. It's obvious the ruthless gang members are going to shoot the kid right in the restaurant, so J.D. intervenes. There is an action packed shoot out and only one of the gang members escapes. Akil is grateful, but he thinks J.D. is nuts. J.D. all but forces Akil to hide him at his home. Meanwhile, at Akil's house, his mom is dealing with Patti Adams, a nice, but niave social worker. J.D. introduces himself, gets Patti out of the apartment, then excuses himself to the bathroom, so he can check his weapons. Akil's uncle, George, a local policeman, sneaks in and tries to catch J.D. off guard. J.D. and George get into a stand off. George has an offer for him and J.D. reluctantly agrees to hear it over dinner. George witnessed J.D. saving Akil and asks him to join his citizens' group to combat the drug dealers. At first, J.D. refuses, but then sees the look of determination in George's eyes. He goes to meeting. Meanwhile, Sundance and his gang here about J.D. Sundance is an murderous scumbag and nothing like a hero. He shoots one of his own men and laughs about it, while making a drug deal. Meanwhile, J.D. meets the citizens' watch group. They are a ragtag bunch of neighborhood people with either one foot in the grave or one foot from leaving the heights. J.D. tells them they have to want the heights worse than the drug dealers. The next day, the attack one of the drug houses. They give the dealers once chance to leave, then J.D. George and an ex-gang member named Robbie, drive into the house and shoot all the dealers. J.D.'s plan is to bulldoze the house and bury the bodies so there are no witnesses. This strategy starts a war between Sundance and the watch. The issue climaxes when the dealers bring out their secret weapon: a helicopter and a rocket launcher. J.D. manages to crash the copter and the watch has their final confrontation with Sundance. J.D. and Akil corner Sundance trying to escape. Sundance wants to surrender, because under J.D.'s rules, anyone who walks away can live. Unfortunately, that isn't part of the plan and J.D. is forced to shoot him. He leaves the heights, dejected that he had to break his last rule. Uncle George then uses Sundance's money and his rep to make the heights safe and to rebuild its businesses. The issue ends back in the future with Akil defacing Sundances statue.