Welcome back to Haunted Trails, Multiversity Comics’ column exploring the mythology of Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt’s The Sixth Gun. This month the spin-off Days of the Dead came to a close, so Cullen Bunn and myself will be discussing that miniseries for the most part. And today The Sixth Gun #46 came out, so don’t forget to pick that up.
Cullen Bunn: I’m not really sure how long this story has been kicking around. Yes, we set up some key elements way back when, and we knew we’d be addressing those story points somewhere down the line. Unlike the main story of The Sixth Gun, though, this particular adventure wasn’t fully formed in our heads until relatively recently. Brian and I have always felt that there are dozens (and dozens of dozens) of side stories in this world. These tales might inform the main story, but they are set apart.
Well, it certainly changes things going forward. Drake was kept in the background for most of this miniseries, along with his potential motivations, but that last scene really changed how I saw the Abigail/Drake/Jesup dynamic. That Drake killing Abigail was an act of friendship and mercy was something I hadn’t even considered.
It was certainly more Jesup’s scene than Drake’s, though Jesup’s side of things played as expected. This was really a great way to give resonance to whatever shall unfold in the final arc between Drake and Jesup. All that Drake did was in the service of a friend, and look at all the trouble it’s caused him. And for Jesup, he had been through so much to save Abigail, only to have her murdered by someone she trusted. That’s a confrontation I’m excited to see.
CB: Yes, the moral of this story is: never help a friend.
You’re absolutely right about this building up to an epic―epic!―showdown between Jesup and Drake! It’s gonna be bloody!
This miniseries was also a good way to reacquaint readers to certain story elements that have been on the shelf for a while, such as Kalfu, the crossroads spirit, and Brother Roberto, who we haven’t seen since he disappeared into the spirit world in Winter Wolves. In particular with Brother Roberto, we got to see another side of him, a much more dangerous side. When pushed to extremes by Yum Kamil, he pushed back, even if it meant going outside the purview of the Sword of Abraham. I wonder how far he’ll go then when he finds the world ending…
CB: There is a method to our madness! We’re reintroducing some elements here―Brother Roberto and Kalfu, as you mentioned―to serve as reminders for events that will be unfolding in the main series. Yum Kimil, too, has a role to play in the future.
I wouldn’t have expected Yum Kimil to return, especially since he hasn’t even really made his debut in the main Sixth Gun story yet. I might need to give Days of the Dead a reread, I think.
CB: There’s something on the horizon that might heavily feature Yum Kimil’s influence. Brian and I can’t help but create bigger histories and plans for these characters.
Getting back to Roberto, you really got to open this guy up here. In The Sixth Gun he’s been a very by-the-book kind of guy. In Days of the Dead he’s breaking all kinds of rules, and we even discovered there’s something of the supernatural about him… which would be fine if he was in the Knights of Solomon. They seem OK with that sort of thing for the most part. But the Sword of Abraham are much more conservative in their approach to things of a mystical nature. How was it exploring a completely different side of this character in this miniseries?
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CB: It was so much fun to explore a different side of Roberto. We wanted to show that he wasn’t always so tightly-wound. And we’re not done with that side of his personality. When we next see Roberto, he’s going to put some of that rebellious nature to good use.
Well, y’know, if he’s going to come back, why rein him in?
Anyway, I think you guys did a great job with Days of the Dead. It stands alone as its own story, while also teasing out elements set to re-emerge in the main series, and deepening some of the supporting cast. But if you ever have story idea kicking around for more Abigail Redmayne, I’d love to see it. The handful of scenes featuring her in Winter Wolves made her a compelling character, and she had clearly done something to gain Drake’s admiration and loyalty, neither one easy to gain. In Days of the Dead we didn’t get to see much of that side of her. She was hollowed out, a pawn used in others’ games. Which, of course, was precisely the point. She had to be for the story to work, because really this was about Jesup and Roberto, not Drake and Abigail. But it was painful to see her reduced throughout the story.
And I did like that final touch, that even though Drake pulled the trigger, Abigail ultimately chose her fate.
Yeah, I’ve heard there’s something like that coming out in March… I’m very excited to see what Tyler Crook does with Billjohn O’Henry.
CB: Tyler brings both humor and tragedy to Billjohn’s story. I was proud of the book when I wrote it, but even more proud when I saw the pages he was turning in.
Of course we’re talking about The Sixth Gun: Dust to Dust, the first issue of which comes out on the 4th of March. And later that month, don’t miss the final part of the Hell and Highwater arc in The Sixth Gun #47, coming out on the 11th.
And in Haunted Trails next month, Brian Hurtt will be joining Cullen Bunn and myself to talk about the fallout of this arc. See you then.
