The Sixth Gun Explained

Schedule:Monthly
Genre:Fantasy Western
Publisher:Oni Press
Date:May 2010 – June 2016
Issues:50
Writers:Cullen Bunn
Artists:Brian Hurtt
Tyler Crook (#14, #23, #41)
Colorists:Brian Hurtt (#1–5)
Bill Crabtree(#6–#50)
Editors:Charlie Chu
Creators:Cullen Bunn
Brian Hurtt
Tpb:1. Cold Dead Fingers
Isbn:9781934964606
Tpb2:2. Crossroads
Isbn2:9781934964675
Tpb3:3. Bound
Isbn3:9781934964781
Tpb4:4. A Town Called Penance
Isbn4:9781934964958
Tpb5:5. Winter Wolves
Isbn5:9781620100776
Tpb6:6. Ghost Dance
Isbn6:9781620100165
Tpb7:7. Not the Bullet, But the Fall
Isbn7:9781620101414
Tpb8:8. Hell and High Water
Isbn8:9781620102466
Tpb9:9. Boot Hill
Isbn9:9781620102992
Tpb10:Sons of the Gun
Isbn10:9781620100998
Tpb11:Days of the Dead
Isbn11:9781620102381
Tpb12:Dust to Death
Isbn12:9781620102688

The Sixth Gun is a comic book series created by Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt and published by Oni Press consisting of a monthly ongoing series and several spinoffs.

Summary

The Sixth Gun ongoing series

The series takes place in the Old West during the late 1880s.[1] The story centers around a set of six pistols, each imbued with dark powers. The wielder of each pistol gains an ability unique to the weapon and is tied to the pistol until their death. The main protagonists, Becky Montcrief and Drake Sinclair, attempt to collect the Six and learn their secrets. Antagonists in the series include General Hume and his four horsemen, the Knights of Solomon, the Sword of Abraham, and the Grey Witch.

Cold Dead Fingers

Drake Sinclair searches for the Sixth Gun, which he believes will grant him access to General Hume's vault, which is rumored to be filled with treasures Hume had amassed during the Civil War. His search leads him to a young woman, Becky Montcrief, who is bound to the Sixth Gun after its former owner is killed. They are pursued by General Hume, his four horsemen, and his wife, Missy Hume, each of whom carries one of the Six Guns.

As Becky and Drake head to the Maw, where Hume's vault awaits, Drake manages to pick off Hume's four horsemen one by one and claim their guns for himself. At the Maw, they meet Gord Cantrell, who is also trying to gain access to Hume's vault. However, Becky realizes the vault does not contain treasure but rather unlocks some dark power. It requires all six guns to unlock.

In a battle at the Maw, General Hume is defeated, but Missy Hume escapes.

Crossroads

Drake, Becky, and Gord try to uncover the secrets of the Six while various agents try to claim the Six for themselves. In the process, they make allies with the Sword of Abraham. Gord discovers the Six may unlock the power to remake the world.

Bound

While trying to transport Hume's corpse to a secure location so that he won't be resurrected, the Sword of Abraham is attacked by undead horsemen sent by Missy Hume. Drake is thrown from a train and separated from the others.

After the attack, Becky is taken to the secure location for Hume's corpse, only to learn she will be imprisoned there too so that no one can get the Sixth Gun from her. By tapping into the powers of her gun, Becky is able to escape.

Gord returns to the now deserted estate where he had once been a slave and learns how the Six were summoned into the world.

A Town Called Penance

Becky's search for Drake leads her to a town called Penance. She gradually learns that the people in the town are unable to leave and are kept so that they can be human sacrifices for the Knights of Solomon.

In a hideout of the Knights of Solomon, hidden beneath Penance, Drake is interrogated and tortured. Becky manages to rescue him, but during their escape, they discover a mosaic mural depicting Drake as a medieval knight.

Winter Wolves

A wendigo captures Becky and Drake in the spirit world. Drake suspects he has lived other lives and that the world has not only been remade before but many times. The two manage to escape from the spirit world, but Becky also unlocks some of the deeper powers of the Sixth Gun, and she feels it is beginning to transform her.

Ghost Dance

Becky is half stuck in the spirit world after using the sixth gun. Drake takes her to a shaman, who tries to guide Becky back. In the spirit world, Becky walks the Winding Way, a path that cuts through all of creation. She sees the different realities the Six have created, and others that may exist. She sees Drake in different lives as he seeks to destroy the Six, the most ancient of which is a caveman, back when the Six were clubs.

From inside the Winding Way, Becky is attacked by shamans sent by Missy Hume, but she manages to escape. General Hume's mother, the Grey Witch, tires of Missy Hume's failures and murders her.

Not the Bullet, but the Fall

The Grey Witch attacks with all her strength and manages to kill all of Becky and Drake's allies and claim the Six.

The Grey Witch

In a flashback, we learn that the Grey Witch serves the Great Wyrms, ancient creatures from the dawn of time. They caused humans untold suffering, and it was this suffering that first brought the Six into existence. The first time the humans remade the world, they tried to remake it without the Great Wyrms, but they managed to burrow themselves deep into the roots of creation. Each time the world is remade, they fade from it a little more, but since humanity no longer remembers them, the recreation of the world is too inarticulate to precisely weed them out entirely. The Grey Witch seeks to remake a world in which the Great Wyrms have returned to their former strength.

Hell and High Water

The Grey Witch begins to recreate the world. Becky and Drake pursue her into the Devil's Workshop.

Boot Hill

Drake realizes it was he who remade the world the first time, and ever since he has been bound to the Six, recalled to life every time the Six are summoned back into existence. Every time the world is remade, it's corrupted by the selfish desires of the person remaking it. The last time the world was remade, Drake attempted to make something that could undo the power of the Six—he created Becky. In the final battle, Becky takes hold of creation and remakes the world one last time. To prevent the world from being corrupted by her own desires, she unmakes herself in the process.

Publication History

The Sixth Gun issues
Story ArcIssueRelease Date[2] WriterArtistColorist
Cold Dead Fingers1May 1, 2010 (FCBD)
July 13, 2010 (retail)
Cullen BunnBrian HurttBrian Hurtt
2July 13, 2010
3August 18, 2010
4September 8, 2010
5October 20, 2010
6November 17, 2010Bill Crabtree[3]
Crossroads7December 22, 2010Cullen BunnBrian HurttBill Crabtree
8January 26, 2011
9February 23, 2011
10March 23, 2011
11April 20, 2011
Bound12June 29, 2011Cullen BunnBrian HurttBill Crabtree
13July 27, 2011
14August 31, 2011Tyler Crook
15September 28, 2011Brian Hurtt
16October 26, 2011
17November 23, 2011
A Town Called Penance18January 25, 2012Cullen BunnBrian HurttBill Crabtree
19February 22, 2012
20March 21, 2012
21April 18, 2012
22May 16, 2012
23June 13, 2012Tyler Crook
Winter Wolves24August 29, 2012Cullen BunnBrian HurttBill Crabtree
25September 26, 2012
26October 17, 2012
27December 19, 2012
28January 30, 2013
29February 20, 2013
Ghost Dance30April 17, 2013Cullen BunnBrian HurttBill Crabtree
31May 22, 2013
32June 19, 2013
33August 21, 2013
34September 18, 2013
35October 9, 2013
Not the Bullet, But the Fall36December 11, 2013Cullen BunnBrian HurttBill Crabtree
37January 15, 2014
38February 5, 2014
39March 12, 2014
40May 7, 2014
The Grey Witch41June 11, 2014Cullen BunnTyler CrookBill Crabtree
Hell and High Water42August 27, 2014Cullen BunnBrian HurttBill Crabtree
43September 24, 2014
44November 5, 2014
45December 3, 2014
46February 11, 2015
47March 25, 2015
Boot Hill48April 20, 2016Cullen BunnBrian HurttBill Crabtree
49May 18, 2016
50June 15, 2016

Spinoffs

The Sixth Gun: Sons of the Gun

A five-issue spinoff featuring General Hume's horsemen: Bill Sumter, Ben Kinney, Will Arcene, and Silas Hedgepeth.

The Sixth Gun: Sons of the Gun issues
IssueRelease DateWriterArtistColorist
1February 20, 2013Cullen Bunn
Brian Hurtt
Brian ChurillaBill Crabtree
2March 27, 2013
3April 17, 2013
4June 19, 2013
5July 31, 2013

The Sixth Gun: Days of the Dead

A five-issue spinoff featuring Brother Roberto Vargas and Jesup Sutter.

The Sixth Gun: Days of the Dead issues
IssueRelease DateWriterArtistColorist
1August 6, 2014Cullen Bunn
Brian Hurtt
Mike NortonBill Crabtree
2September 17, 2014
3October 15, 2014
4January 7, 2015
5February 4, 2015

The Sixth Gun: Dust to Dust

A three-issue spinoff miniseries featuring Billjohn O'Henry.[4]

The Sixth Gun: Dust to Dust issues
IssueRelease DateWriterArtistColorist
1March 11, 2015Cullen BunnTyler CrookBill Crabtree
2April 15, 2015
3May 13, 2015

The Sixth Gun: Valley of Death

A three-issue spinoff miniseries.[5]

The Sixth Gun: Valley of Death issues
IssueRelease DateWriterArtistColorist
1June 3, 2015Brian HurttA.C. ZamudioRyan Hill
2July 15, 2015
3August 26, 2015

Shadow Roads

Shadow Roads issues
Story ArcIssueRelease DateWriterArtistColorist
The Crossroads1May 5, 2018 (FCBD)[6]
June 27, 2018 (retail)
Cullen Bunn
Brian Hurtt
A.C. ZamudioCarlos N. Zamudio
2August 8, 2018
3September 5, 2018
4October 10, 2018
5November 14, 2018
The New World6February 6, 2019Cullen Bunn (story)
Brian Hurtt (story & script)
Brian HurttCarlos N. Zamudio
7May 8, 2019
Birthright8June 5, 2019Cullen Bunn (story)
Brian Hurtt (story & script)
A.C. ZamudioCarlos N. Zamudio
9July 29, 2020
10September 2, 2020

The Sixth Gun Reborn

The Sixth Gun Reborn is a placeholder title for a new Sixth Gun series coming in 2025. Bunn and Hurtt have said they have a title in mind for the series, but they're waiting for the right time to reveal it.[7] The series was announced as part of the Kickstarter campaign for the Deluxe Omnibus Library. During the campaign, stretch goals for three prelude one-shot stories and a prose short story were unlocked. Bunn has described the upcoming series as, "One part Shadow Roads, one part The Sixth Gun, with a whole bunch of action, adventure, and epic fantasy thrown into the mix."[8]

Collections

Trade Paperbacks

The Sixth Gun and Shadow Roads have been collected into the following trade paperbacks:

Trade Paperback Collections
SeriesVolumeTitleMaterial collectedRelease DateISBN
The
Sixth
Gun
1Cold Dead Fingers
  • The Sixth Gun #1–6
January 12, 2011
2Crossroads
  • The Sixth Gun #7–11
June 15, 2011
3Bound
  • The Sixth Gun #12–17
April 25, 2012
4A Town Called Penance
  • The Sixth Gun #18–23
November 28, 2012
5Winter Wolves
  • The Sixth Gun #24–29
August 23, 2013
Sons of the Gun
  • The Sixth Gun:
    Sons of the Gun
    #1–5
December 11, 2013
6Ghost Dance
  • The Sixth Gun #30–35
February 5, 2014
7Not the Bullet, But the Fall
  • The Sixth Gun #36–41
September 24, 2014
Days of the Dead
  • The Sixth Gun:
    Days of the Dead
    #1–5
May 20, 2015
8Hell and High Water
  • The Sixth Gun #42–47
July 22, 2015
Dust to Death
  • The Sixth Gun:
    Dust to Dust
    #1–3
  • The Sixth Gun:
    Valley of Death
    #1–3
December 2, 2015
9Boot Hill
  • The Sixth Gun #48–50
October 26, 2016
Shadow
Roads
Volume One
  • Shadow Roads #1–5
June 5, 2019
Volume Two
  • Shadow Roads #6–10
August 26, 2020

Oversized Hardcovers

There are six hardcover collections, available in both a "Deluxe Edition" (the standard version) and a "Gunslinger Edition" (a limited print version). These collect all fifty issues of the regular series, plus all the spinoffs.[9] The first Gunslinger volume was limited to 1000 copies, whereas subsequent volumes were limited to 500.

Oversized Hardcover Collections
TitleMaterial collectedBonus MaterialRelease DateISBN
The Sixth Gun
Volume One
  • The Sixth Gun #1–11
  • "Them's What Ails Ya!"
  • Introduction by John Layman
  • Cover Gallery
  • Pitch Artwork
  • Production Artwork
November 27,
2013
The Sixth Gun
Volume Two
  • The Sixth Gun #12–23
  • Introduction by Jason Aaron
  • Interview with Tyler Crook
    from The Sixth Gun #14
  • Interview with Joe R. Lansdale
  • The Sixth Gun #17 script
  • Cover Gallery
  • Sketch Gallery
April 22,
2015
The Sixth Gun
Volume Three
  • The Sixth Gun #24–35
  • The Christmas Story
  • Illustrated Introduction by Chris Schweizer
  • Interview with Bill Crabtree
  • Cover Gallery
  • Sketch Gallery
November 4,
2015
The Sixth Gun
Volume Four
  • The Sixth Gun #36–41
  • The Sixth Gun:
    Sons of the Gun
    #1–5
  • Illustrated Introduction by Stan Sakai
  • The Sixth Gun #41 script
  • Cover Gallery
  • Sketch Gallery
August 23,
2017
The Sixth Gun
Volume Five
  • The Sixth Gun #42–47
  • The Sixth Gun:
    Days of the Dead
    #1–5
  • Introduction by Patrick Brower
  • The Sixth Gun RPG comic
  • Mimihqueh: Temple of the Dead
    RPG scenario by Scott A. Woodard
  • Cover Gallery
  • Sketch Gallery
August 28,
2018
The Sixth Gun
Volume Six
  • The Sixth Gun #48–50
  • The Sixth Gun:
    Dust to Dust
    #1–3
  • The Sixth Gun:
    Valley of Death
    #1–3
  • Introduction by Michael Moorcock
  • Interview with Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt by Chris Schweizer
October 16,
2019

Critical reception

Awards

Through 2012, The Sixth Gun has been nominated for two Eisner Awards[10] and three Harvey Awards.[11]

YearAwardCategoryNomineeResult
2011Harvey AwardsBest New SeriesThe Sixth Gun
Cullen Bunn & Brian Hurtt
Best WriterCullen Bunn
Best ArtistBrian Hurtt
2012Eisner AwardsBest WriterCullen Bunn
Best ColoringBill Crabtree

Adaptations

Television

On July 22, 2011, it was announced that The Sixth Gun would be adapted into a six-part mini-series to air on the SyFy channel,[12] however this did not come to fruition.

In 2013, NBC ordered a pilot based on The Sixth Gun, and Laura Ramsey,[13] W. Earl Brown, Graham McTavish and Aldis Hodge were cast.[14] Additional cast included Michiel Huisman as Drake Sinclair,[15] Pedro Pascal as Agent Ortega and Elena Satine as Missy Hume. On May 8, 2013, The Hollywood Reporter reported that NBC had passed on the series.[16]

In 2022, screenwriter Selwyn Seyfu Hinds began developing the series for Universal Content Productions.[17] [18]

Roleplaying Game

In 2015, Pinnacle Entertainment Group published the official role-playing game based on The Sixth Gun utilizing the Savage Worlds rules system. The core rulebook is written by Scott Alan Woodard.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Woodard . Scott A. . The Sixth Gun Roleplaying Game . 2015 . Oni Press . 9781937013875 . 33 . 1st.
  2. Web site: The Sixth Gun. Oni Press. April 12, 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130309024456/http://www.onipress.com/series/45. March 9, 2013.
  3. Web site: Long. Aaron. Colorist Bill Crabtree Discusses "The Sixth Gun". Interview. July 3, 2012. Comicosity.com. April 12, 2013.
  4. Web site: Ching. Albert. NYCC Exclusive: Bunn's Favorite Character Takes Center Stage in "The Sixth Gun: Dust to Dust". comicbookresources.com. October 9, 2014. Comic Book Resources. October 10, 2014.
  5. Web site: Tweedale. Mark. Haunted Trails: "Hell and High Water" and Beyond. multiversitycomics.com/. Multiversity Comics. March 30, 2015.
  6. Web site: Oni Announces 'Shadow Roads' Free Comic Book Day Title. Free Comic Book Day. January 15, 2018.
  7. Web site: Haas . Jeffrey . Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt Interview! . YouTube . July 3, 2023.
  8. Web site: Coplan . Chris . Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt detail omnibus, return of 'The Sixth Gun' . AIPT Comics . June 27, 2023 . July 3, 2023.
  9. Web site: Hensley. Shane. The Sixth Gun RPG Kickstarter – Comments section. June 1, 2015.
  10. Web site: 2012 Eisner Award Nominees Announced. September 12, 2023 .
  11. Web site: 2011 Harvey Awards . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150906230655/http://www.harveyawards.org/previous-awards-nominees/2011-harvey-awards/ . September 6, 2015 .
  12. Web site: Hudson . Laura . "Sixth Gun" Supernatural Western Comic to Become Syfy TV Show . Comics Alliance . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120518024603/http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/07/22/sixth-gun-syfy/ . May 18, 2012 .
  13. Web site: Laura Ramsey Lands the Lead in NBC Pilot 'The Sixth Gun'. February 26, 2013.
  14. Web site: Andreeva . Nellie . Daren Kagasoff Gets Male Lead In Fox's 'Delirium', NBC's 'Sixth Gun' Casts Trio . Deadline . February 25, 2013 . July 3, 2023.
  15. Web site: Michiel Huisman to Star in NBC Pilot 'The Sixth Gun'. March 13, 2013.
  16. https://hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/tv-pilots-2013-complete-guide-413377 TV Pilots 2013: The Complete Guide to What Lives, Dies and Still Has a Pulse
  17. Web site: Maas . Jennifer . Selwyn Seyfu Hinds Signs Overall Deal With UCP, Will Adapt Graphic Novel 'The Sixth Gun' (EXCLUSIVE) . Variety . March 2, 2022 . July 3, 2023.
  18. Web site: Kromoff . Anton . 'The Sixth Gun' Rides Again! — A Campfire Conversation With Cullen Bunn And Brian Hurtt . Comicon.com . June 28, 2023 . July 3, 2023.