Reading: The Sixth Gun

So, around Free Comic Book Day, I had a great opportunity when Austin Books hooked me up with an interview with Cullen Bunn (writer) and Brian Hurtt (artist), the creators of The Sixth Gun.

Well, I figure I should probably talk about the actual comic now that I done read it.

You can check my policy regarding how I review stuff, but I basically am going to promise to go ahead and give you my honest opinion, even if the writers and artists were very kind to me.

So... It's very nice to say: this comic is really, really fun.

And well written and drawn, too.

The basic plot is a mix of fantasy/horror and post Civil War old west, complete with Pinkertons, Mexican-style missions, haunted trees of the damned, and a cursed six shooter (our titular Sixth Gun). We meet at least four primary characters, get a hint of the set up and characters, and a look at Hurtt's visual style for the series.

I don't know why the mix works, but the issue had the rare quality of making me curious to see "oh, geez... what happens next?" not so much because of any particular plot point, but because the world Bunn and Hurtt have developed feels rich enough, and the characters at once new and iconic enough, that I want to see how things unfold.


No idea why, but I liked this guy immediately.

I should note, as strong as I found Bunn's story, I really liked Hurtt's style. (a) All of the characters are visually unique, and detailed in a way. (b) He's got a great eye for design on the supernatural elements in a sort of mid-20th Century horror comics style.

Anyhow, I'm glad to be able to recommend issue #1. You can read a free preview (FREE!) online right here.

Your local comic shop may well have copies remaining from Free Comic Book Day. If you can't find a copy, issue #1 and issue #2 are being released simultaneously! Look for them both on 7/14. (thanks to artist Briann Hurt for the info on the release dates!)