In the aftermath of the Civil War, the great westward expansion of America was fraught with dangers both overt and hidden. Along the Osage Trail outside the tiny village of Cherryvale, Kansas, the Bender Inn seemed a haven for weary travelers, and one could not help but be enchanted by Kate Bender, the mysterious and beautiful proprietor. However, visitors had a way of disappearing, and time has dubbed it “The Devil’s Inn.” In part one of a three-part serial, witness the construction of the inn and the formation of a partnership that would lead to unspeakable horrors in this true story of murder on the plains.

Bender: Volume One

Comics & Graphic Novels

Frizell, Michael L.

Graphic Novels

Skye Press

The blizzard of 1871 blankets Southeast Kansas with a supernatural calm. 
Despite the weather, the Bender Inn has established itself as an essential resting place for travelers heading west along the Osage Trail. The inn’s beautiful hostess, Kate, has become an essential part of the thriving community, and young men flock to the Bender homestead to help the “low Dutch” family tend the cattle, erect a proper barn, and more in hopes of catching a glimpse of the comely proprietor.
But Kate’s dark desires, the romance-minded Brockman’s insistence that they marry, and the suspicious Pastor King sows doubt about Kate’s virtue among his faithful flock, pushing Kate to the edge of her thin patience, threatening Pa Bender’s criminal activities.
Too many people have gone missing, and the only thing they have in common is a planned overnight stay at the “Devil’s Inn.”
In chapter three, “Clairvoyance,” a harrowing tale by a virtuous woman whose brush with evil and harried escape from the clutches of the murderous Bender family spread amongst the elders of the nearby settlement. Pastor King confronts Kate, causing her to rush her next kill, a man travelling alone to seek his fortune in California.
In chapter four, “Escalation,” a federal marshal discoveries two frozen bodies on the prairie, victims of John Bender, Jr.’s deadly hammer. Meanwhile, George Lochner, a well-respected gentleman, and his daughter journey down the Osage Trail, intent on starting a new life after the death of his wife. The Bender Inn, the only light for miles, lures the weary, broken family to a fateful confrontation.
This deluxe magazine collects two chapters originally presented in Saddlebag Dispatches in one handsome volume!

Bender: Volume Two

The Fate of the Bloody Bender FamilyThis deluxe magazine collects the final three chapters of the Bender saga originally presented in Saddlebag Dispatches in one handsome volume!In chapter five, "Spirit Guide," George Lochner and his daughter have gone missing and the trail leads U.S. Marshal William York to the Bender Inn. York senses something troubling with the Inn's beautiful proprietor, Kate. Her attempts to seduce him are clumsy and obvious, and do nothing to distract him from his investigation. When he vows to return with more men, the Benders disappear. York returns to an abandoned Inn, livestock foundering in the field, and a trail cold as winter.In chapter six, "Lamentation," Marshal York unearths a house of horrors. Bodies--some intact, others mutilated or dismembered--are discovered in the garden behind the Bender Inn. Satanic runes are carved in the makeshift basement. George Lochner and his daughter are found in a shallow grave, and evidence determines that the young girl was buried alive with her dead father. Desperate for information, York tortures Kate Bender's paramour, the hapless Brockman, only to discover he is just a fool in love with a murderess. Charles Ingalls is recruited by locals concerned about discovering the truth behind the Inn while fortune hunters and the U.S. Marshals dismantle the cabin. In chapter seven, "The Penitent Man," Charles Ingalls narrates the many theories behind the disappearance of the Bender family. Did they split up? Was that man drunk in a bar really John Bender, Jr.? Are that black widow and her mother really Kate and Ma Bender? Did the Baldknobbers of Missouri stop the family, or did Marshal York, hellbent for vengeance, eventually catch up with their wagon? Are their descendants still out there? Explore the possible fates the America's first family of serial killers in this final chapter of the saga of the bloody Benders!

Bender: Volume Three

Michael L. Frizell

Bender: The Complete Saga

Murder Runs in the Family.
In the wake of the Civil War, a family of serial killers preys on unwary travelers along the edge of the new frontier. 
Fortune hunters trek the Osage Trail, heading west as the Gold Rush beckons. Others seek cheap land with fertile ground on which to put down roots. Outside the sleepy hamlet of Cherryvale, Kansas, the Bender Inn greets weary travelers. Kate Bender, an enchanting, effervescent beauty, is the Inn's mysterious proprietor. Single men, pockets stuffed with cash, line up to sit with this Venus of the plains and discuss their prospects for finding riches or starting a family. So beguiling is she, they never suspect her to be anything but genuine. 
When reports of disappearances along the Osage Trail mount, an investigation leads the U.S. Marshals to Cherryvale and the Bender Inn, only to find the property abandoned and livestock rotting in the field. The Benders have disappeared without a trace, leaving behind a dozen bodies in shallow graves--and parts of many others. Even more disturbing are the satanic runes carved into the slab under what the locals have dubbed "The Devil's Inn."
Built upon historical record as well as legend, Bender: The Complete Saga's terrifying narrative is as haunting as it is alluring--and may well become the definitive work on the exploits and ultimate fate of the West's First Family of Murder.

Murder Runs in the Family.
In the wake of the Civil War, a family of serial killers preys on unwary travelers along the edge of the new frontier. 
Fortune hunters trek the Osage Trail, heading west as the Gold Rush beckons. Others seek cheap land with fertile ground on which to put down roots. Outside the sleepy hamlet of Cherryvale, Kansas, the Bender Inn greets weary travelers. Kate Bender, an enchanting, effervescent beauty, is the Inn's mysterious proprietor. Single men, pockets stuffed with cash, line up to sit with this Venus of the plains and discuss their prospects for finding riches or starting a family. So beguiling is she, they never suspect her to be anything but genuine. 
When reports of disappearances along the Osage Trail mount, an investigation leads the U.S. Marshals to Cherryvale and the Bender Inn, only to find the property abandoned and livestock rotting in the field. The Benders have disappeared without a trace, leaving behind a dozen bodies in shallow graves--and parts of many others. Even more disturbing are the satanic runes carved into the slab under what the locals have dubbed "The Devil's Inn."
Built upon historical record as well as legend, Bender: The Complete Saga's terrifying narrative is as haunting as it is alluring--and may well become the definitive work on the exploits and ultimate fate of the West's First Family of Murder.

D.A. Frizzell

Michael Frizzell

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Books by Skye Press

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the Skye Press publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Bender: Volume One

Bender: Volume Two

Bender: Volume Three

Bender: The Complete Saga

Bender: The Complete Saga