“Go Drake, GO! Get her to safety! Save her…I’ll kill this fool!”
– Nahuel while saving Drake, Becky and Nidawi.

The Sixth Gun #39 continues its current arc with issue #39 and part four of “Not the Bullet, But the Fall”. This arc is riddled with action sequences and plenty of great story lines by Cullen Bunn for us to sink our teeth into. The last issue was, by far, one of the craziest and best of the series to date with Drake and Becky being as formidable a duo as ever. There were also many dismal and mournful moments as well with the deaths of -*Spoilers* – Gord and Asher: they will be sorely missed, RIP.

Issue #39 brings back one of my favorite comic book villains in General Oliander Bedford Hume. No, he is not back from his chained up state, but rather in a flashback. Bunn doesn’t make it clear who is having the flashback or if it is just a plot device but I would assume it is Drake remembering his old General and his war-time cries. We get a glimpse into what the Knights Of Solomon are up to and it appears that Cullen Bunn is preparing us for the end. We only see them for a few pages but I suspect that the next arc will feature them more prominently.

Drake, Beck and Nidawi are still caught in their hazardous position with Jesup and his minions surrounding them. Nidawi comes to Becky’s aid before getting wounded and it appeared their lives were all but lost along with the ancient guns and their journey coming to an abrupt and bloody end. However, the self-sacrificing Nahuel saves the day by offering his own life to save his three friends. He battles Jesup himself and gives Drake and Becky enough time to transfer Nidawi to safety. Nahuel, being the great warrior that he is, is no match for Jesup, who has control of the Fifth Gun, granting the owner the ability to heal from even a fatal wound. The issue ends with a peek into the world of Grisleda, the mysterious Grey Witch, and her schemes and plots to wrest the Six from Becky and Drakes hands; She will most likely feature in the next arc as well. It’s only a matter of time before her and Drake’s paths cross and I, for one, cannot wait for that encounter.

Issue #39 kept the action going in what is definitely the bloodiest arc to date. The action sequences in the middle are outstanding. Brian Hurtt is one of my favorite artists in comics right now and he does not disappoint. The panels of the end of Nahuel showcase what I’m talking about along with colors by Bill Crabtree. The sequences really pop when needed and dwindle and fade where necessary. It is really a wonderful book and Cullen Bunn’s writing makes The Sixth Gun one of the best comics on the shelves today and should no doubt be on everyone’s Pull-List.

Thoughts and Questions

– What is happening to Drake’s shoulder? It looks like the Guns are transforming his body and the way his shoulder looked made me think of the tiled mural a few arcs back. Remember the one that looked like Drake? We still don’t know all the answers about that.

– What happened to Kirby? I am not convinced he is gone just yet. He may be a jerk but I liked having him around.

– Where does Drake and Becky go from here? With Gord, Asher and now Nahuel gone they will need more help if they are going to win this fight that I’m certain is going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

Story: Cullen Bunn Art: Brian Hurtt Colors: Bill Crabtree
Story: 9 Art: 9.5 Overall: 9.5 Recommendation: Buy

Oni Press provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review