THE
SIXTH GUN VOL. 1 (Oni Press, 2013; Hardcover)
Collects
The Sixth Gun Nos. 1-11 (cover dates May, 2010- April, 2011)
Writer:
Cullen Bunn
Artist:
Brian Hurtt
Colorist:
Brian Hurtt and Bill Crabtree
My
OCD homeskillet, Ferjo Byroy insisted...nay, demanded that I
read this book which is his current obsession. After much dodging, I
agreed...if he would loan it to me. This book is pretty
straightforward. There are six guns that carry a curse, and when they
are all brought together they can open a portal that is a
treasure...or a curse, depending on one's viewpoint. All signs point
to it being a curse.
The
writing is crisp and moves at a decent clip without feeling like it
is lazy or a ripoff. There is plenty of action and macabre happenings
that should please fans of horror comics. This horror/old west hybrid
has been employed a number of times elsewhere. This isn't exactly
reinventing the wheel. It is presented with a freshness that makes it
entertaining and worth a read. I enjoyed it but not enough to buy it.
Truth be told, I have too many irons in the fire now and can't keep
up with this stupid hobby lifestyle any more.
The
artwork and coloring are decent and have a borderline cartoony style
to them that keeps things lighter than the subject matter otherwise
would be. If you had a more photo realistic penciler or a more heavy
handed colorist this would feel more like a straight up horror story.
As it stands it is more lighthearted and fun. There are certainly far
worse books on the stands these days. If horror tinged old west
gunfighters sounds like your cup of tea then this should do you
nicely. Maybe I'll even borrow the next hardcover from Ferjo. Maybe.
Junk
Food For Thought rating: 4 out of 5.
The
OCD zone- This book is huge, standing 13.2 inches (33.582
centimeters for the non-English system of measurement outside of the
United States) tall. It also has a built in ribbon bookmark. Some
fans really like this, I could not care less.
DVD-style
Extras included in this book: The previously
web comic exclusive story Them What Ails Ya (22 pages).
22
page cover gallery including the Free Comic Book Day, Volume 1 and 2
trade paperback covers, as well as cover roughs.
Artwork
from original pitch (12 pages).
Production
artwork (13 pages).
Art
print for Challenger's Comics Chicago, IL. (1 page).
Creator
biographies (3 pages).
Paper
rating: 5 out of 5. Thick uncoated stock with zero sheen under
any light source.
Binding
rating: 5 out of 5. Smyth sewn binding, 10 stitches per
signature. The book block appears to be glued square to the casing.
It does not flex or hollow at all. The book does lay mostly flat, so
it doesn't matter.
Hardback
casewrap coating rating: 5 out of 5. Spot varnishing
complimenting a thick waxlike coating, making this a highly durable
hardback.
THE SIXTH GUN is one of my true comic-book loves...right up there with HELLBOY.
ReplyDeleteI see your point about not wanting/needing to have yet another book to buy, though.
And it pisses me off that I've been buying this series since the beginning, and there's a frickin' webcomic exclusive that I don't have.....bastards.
The is an absolutely gorgeous book. It's one of the nicest books on my shelf. Personally, I love the clean, classic style of the artwork. This is really very much a classic pulp adventure story and I don't think a more "realistic" art style would suit it that well.
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