This a bombshell of a month for The Sixth Gun, with bombshells galore, several twists that were tricky to see coming (even for me, although I will deny that if pushed) and some brand new characters that are sure to cause trouble for our unlikely heroes Drake and Becky down the road!
If you aren’t picking up this book, now is the time! (I’ve heard a trade or three are available for those that need to play catch-up.)
And of course, just in case you missed them, you can catch up on all of the Haunted Trails shenanigans by peeping our looks-back on issues #17, #18, #19, #20 & #21
Rest in peace, cool underground headquarters! Given how important and grandiose this base seemed to be, how hurt are The Knights of Solomon by Drake and Becky knocking it all down?
Cullen Bunn: They’re definitely hurt. Definitely pissed. But I think it might be too soon to assume that this is their only secret underground lair.
I suppose it is not a coincidence that one of the guns surfaced on page three before Drake or Becky did. Was this an intentional choice and, if so, what were you trying to imply by it?
CB: It was intentional, going back to the idea that the guns take care of themselves first and foremost.
It sure looks like Drake thought Becky didn’t make it through their ordeal with the guardian of the seal, and yet his first move is to go right for her gun. Is this indicative of Drake’s true feelings for Becky or is it more of a “make sure the big threat is contained first and mourn later” situation?
CB: I wanted to show that Drake is conflicted, especially in light of the secrets we reveal later in the issue. Going forward, Becky will not be certain she can trust Drake. Readers will be even less sure where Drake stands. And Drake will not know if he can trust himself.
Is there any significance to the rim of Drake’s hat having a noticeable chunk ripped out of it now? As a reader, I could figure that to be metaphoric for his current situation or simple battle damage. Is it either one of these?
CB: The hat gut sliced up during the train battle in which Drake vanished. Metaphorically, it shows that this adventure is weighing heavily on them, changing them.
On Page 8 we find out that Drake spent time under the wing of the very real Colonel John S. Mosby AKA The Gray Ghost. Why did you want to bring this slice of real world history into the story and will there be any more appearances or mentions of historical figures?
CB: I’m pretty sure we established that Drake was one of Mosby’s raiders early on in the series. It was a little bit of information that helped to make the world seem a little more real. It also reveals some of Drake’s background and talents in a nice succinct way. Very few “real world” characters will appear in the series, but occasionally I like to reference some honest-to-goodness history.
Will we ever see any of Drake’s training with Colonel Mosby?
CB: I think that’s a definite possibility. We’re almost at the halfway point in the series, though, so everything we see has to count. It would certainly be fun to write. If it works in the story, sure.
Page 9 brings us the first real demonstration of the power of Drake’s four guns in a little while. What made you want to be so explicit with the use of the guns (using the captions to describe exactly what they did while being used) this time around? Did you want to provide a reminder in vivid detail of what the guns can do or did you have something else in mind?
Continued belowCB: I started plugging in little descriptions of what the guns do at some point in the second arc. It’s something I’ll continue to do throughout the series. I think it’s a nice shorthand for readers who may not be familiar with the series from the very beginning. As for Drake really putting the guns to “good” use, I thought that since Drake hasn’t been in play for a while, it was about damned time I showed him in all his terrible glory.
Over the course of the series you’ve expanded on the powers of the Sixth Gun and revealed several different uses for the Gun’s powers. However Drake’s four guns have more or less appeared to have one primary ability. Why is this the case and can we expect to see any variation in the abilities of the first through fourth gun?
CB: The Sixth Gun is really the only one of the The Six that has a wide variety of powers (and you haven’t seen all of them yet). It is, by far, the most powerful of the weapons, the cornerstone of the set. It’s the master gun. The other five pistols, while powerful in their own right, are really only dedicated to their core power.
How is it that Asher Cobb appears to know so much about Drake? And have we seen the last of him?
CB: Asher Cobb was born with these powers that allow him to foresee the future. He’s seen Drake doing… something… terrible. I think it’s a very safe bet that you haven’t seen the last of ol’ Asher. But when you see him again, you might be a little surprised.
We’ve seen Drake on the attack plenty of times in this book, but the way he deals with Jessup is downright vicious. Is it safe to say that his imprisonment and the revelations he’s had before and after have put him a bit on the crabby side?
CB: At this point, Drake has had it with the Knights and Jesup and being imprisoned. When Jesup shoots Becky, that’s really the last straw for Drake. Going into this issue, I knew that Drake was going to be really, really cruel in his final confrontation with Jesup. Even the fact that he left him alive (especially when you see what happened to Jesup) was an act of cruelty.
What is going on in Becky’s head when she realizes that Drake is not avenging her as he rages against Jessup?
CB: I think Becky is growing more and more nervous and uncomfortable around Drake. This sudden, brutal turn makes her even more cautious. It’s a feeling that will cause some strife between the two.
Man, talk about a bombshell on Page 19! That is a whole lot for Drake to process and put together based on a few cryptic lines from a mummy. Is this the revelation of revelations for the book, or are there any more bombshells coming up?
CB: There are more bombshells to come, but this is a big one. It took more than Asher’s cryptic message to bring Drake around to this way of thinking. The mummy’s warning, his time with the Knights of Solomon, the strange mosaic he saw in the cavern, and perhaps something… else… helped Drake reach this conclusion. The question is… is he right?
Final page! Snake people! And I thought the residents of Penance were weird! Who are these slithery ruffians and is their mistress someone we’ve met before?
CB: I’m not telling you who they are just yet. Their mistress has been glimpses in the series (you’ll spot her if you look at some of the previous issues. The snake men will resurface soon enough.
Pulling back the curtain for a bit: now that you’ve brought the fourth arc of the book to a close you’ve managed to cover an enormous amount of ground in just 22 issues. About how much story is left before you and Brian reach the conclusion you want to reach?
CB: The series will run roughly 50 issues. It’s plotted out to the end. There’s a little wiggle room built in there, but at most the end run will vary by only a few issues.
As always, thanks a ton to Cullen and Cory Casoni over at Oni for making this whole circus happen month to month. See you in 30, kiddies!
