OFFICIAL AUTHOR INFO: Cullen grew up in rural North Carolina, but now lives in the St. Louis area with his wife Cindy and his son Jackson. All writers must pay their dues, and Cullen has worked various odd jobs, including Alien Autopsy Specialist, Rodeo Clown, Professional Wrestler Manager, and Sasquatch Wrangler. And, yes, he has fought for his life against mountain lions and he did perform on stage as the World's Youngest Hypnotist. Buy him a drink sometime, and he'll tell you all about it. Visit his website at www.cullenbunn.com.
The Sixth Gun is a supernatural Western about the end of the world as we know it. Sold yet? No? What's wrong with you?
Set in the Old West in the late 1880s, The Sixth Gun revolves around six pistols, each imbued with dark powers. Pistols give their wielders unique abilities. The first gun makes its wielder virtually immortal. The second gun spreads the Fire of Perdition. The third gun kills with a Flesh-rotting disease. The Fourth Gun calls up the spirits of the men and women it has slain. The fifth gun strikes with ungodly strength. The sixth gun is the most dangerous of all.
Becky Montcrief comes into possession of the Sixth Gun by accident, and her life spirals downward from there. She crosses paths with Drake Sinclair and his companion, Billjohn O'Henry who help her flee four horsemen determined to claim her gun for their leader, General Hume. Of course, Drake's no hero. He's a cold bastard who has his own history with bad guys, especially with the general.
Bad guys want to reshape the world by ending it, so the stakes grow with each issue. They're a nasty bunch, mean and cruel, with no redeeming qualities. General Hume, the big bad, is a ranting maniac, yes, but he’s also powerful. His ma', though, is on another level of bad. You just wait till you meet her.
His henchmen include Silas “Bitter Ridge” Hedgepeth, “Bloodthirsty” Bill Sumter, “Filthy” Ben Kinney, and Will Arcene. Each of them possesses one of the Six. Their six-shooters are terrifying weapons, but such power comes with a pretty heavy price. I need to mention Miss Hume, too, she's the driving force of the series, and probably the vilest creature portrayed in The Sixth Gun.
Both Becky and Drake are compelling protagonists. Villains are distinct and secondary characters fascinating. The world itself is unlike any other - a weird supernatural West inhabited by terrifying creatures.
Worldbuilding is one of the most fun parts of this book. The Sixth Gun takes place in the mythical Old West, a wondrous and terrible world. Creators manage to convey the scale and epicness without unnecessary exposition. In the opening pages, the team establishes that there's a vast world beyond the quest for the Sixth Gun, and I would love to explore it.
All characters change, some gradually, some suddenly. Take Sinclair - as the story progresses neither readers nor Becky know if they should trust him. As a professional bastard, he has lots of ambiguous motives and moral ambiguities. His steely calm and self-interest are cool, his badassery knows no bounds, but there's also well-hidden goodness to him. Becky, on the other hand, starts as an innocent, a pure chosen one who can save the world. But, as the story progresses she loses most of it and ventures into some dark places. Once a farm girl with a pure heart, she changes into a stone-cold killer. Somehow, though, she keeps her moral compass more or less straight. Probably less.
Brian Hurtt's art captures the Wild West with skill and style. He portrays trigger-happy psychos, terrifying creatures, and duels with a flair. Bill Crabtree's coloring helps to bring life to the pages.
The Sixth Gun is an excellent mashup of western and horror. It's fun, well-paced, and addictive in the best way possible. It's the weirdest and wildest Westen I've ever read and I've enjoyed every moment of it. If you like awesome, you'll love The Sixth Gun :P
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