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The Sixth Gun #4
The Sixth Gun, Vol. 4: A Town Called Penance
The Six. A set of cursed pistols with the power to reshape the world. The Knights of Solomon will stop at nothing to possess this power. Captured, isolated, and tortured, Drake Sinclair is offered a choice: join the Knights’ quest… or die. Meanwhile, Becky Montcrief’s search for Drake brings her to the town of Penance—a mysterious place populated by a host of twisted townsfolk. All the while, the Sixth Gun schemes, and the secrets it holds will shake the very foundations of reality.
168 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 28, 2012
16 people are currently reading
251 people want to read
About the author
Cullen Bunn
2,101 books1,058 followersCullen grew up in rural North Carolina, but now lives in the St. Louis area with his wife Cindy and his son Jackson. His noir/horror comic (and first collaboration with Brian Hurtt), The Damned, was published in 2007 by Oni Press. The follow-up, The Damned: Prodigal Sons, was released in 2008. In addition to The Sixth Gun, his current projects include Crooked Hills, a middle reader horror prose series from Evileye Books; The Tooth, an original graphic novel from Oni Press; and various work for Marvel and DC. Somewhere along the way, Cullen founded Undaunted Press and edited the critically acclaimed small press horror magazine, Whispers from the Shattered Forum.
All writers must pay their dues, and Cullen has worked various odd jobs, including Alien Autopsy Specialist, Rodeo Clown, Professional Wrestler Manager, and Sasquatch Wrangler.
And, yes, he has fought for his life against mountain lions and he did perform on stage as the World's Youngest Hypnotist. Buy him a drink sometime, and he'll tell you all about it.
Visit his website at www.cullenbunn.com.
All writers must pay their dues, and Cullen has worked various odd jobs, including Alien Autopsy Specialist, Rodeo Clown, Professional Wrestler Manager, and Sasquatch Wrangler.
And, yes, he has fought for his life against mountain lions and he did perform on stage as the World's Youngest Hypnotist. Buy him a drink sometime, and he'll tell you all about it.
Visit his website at www.cullenbunn.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
April 8, 2019
These books are so much fun! After the train incident, Becky and Drake are separated. Looking for Drake, Becky heads to a strange backwater town hiding a deadly secret. Meanwhile, Drake is being held by the Knights of Solomon and things aren't looking good. There's action throughout, making this another great volume in one of my favorite series!
July 18, 2024
Drake has been captured by the Knights of Solomon and Becky is looking to rescue him. She travels to Penance (a fantastic name for a town in the Old West, right?) where she encounters a settlement full of misshapen townfolk. Feels like we're mixing in some Lovecraftian horror in this volume. After dealing with the townfolk, Becky discovers the Knights underground lair. Bunn and Hurtt go completely wordless for the issue where Becky infiltrates the lair on the hunt for Drake and it is amazing. It's by far the best wordless comic I've read. Hurtt does a magical job of conveying everything on the page we need to know as Becky and Drake make their escape. Finally Kirby Hale returns in a tale drawn by Tyler Crook. It looks like he's not done with our heroes yet.
Four volumes in and there hasn't been a poor issue yet. There's not too many books that could make that claim.
Four volumes in and there hasn't been a poor issue yet. There's not too many books that could make that claim.
September 21, 2013
The Sixth Gun is one of those rare titles that, so far, four volumes in, hasn’t had a single bad book - hell, I’m not sure I’ve read a single bad issue! Volume 4: A Town Called Penance picks up Drake’s story as we find out what happened during the train heist of the last book. Drake is captured by some former accomplices from the bad old days and taken to their underground city/hideout to be tortured into giving up information on the guns’ location. Meanwhile the Sixth Gun has shown Becky where Drake’s being kept and is on her way to free him - but the town she shows up in is full of strange, physically warped people and a mean sheriff with a secret, and it looks like Becky’s going to have to fight her way in and out to save Drake!
The setup in this book is just so good: a mystery town - called Penance no less! How Old West is that? - in the middle of nowhere with freaky, disfigured people and an air of supernatural, Lovecraftian menace. Who doesn’t want to read a story with that setting? Bunn keeps the tension up as Becky discovers a rival group to those in Penance and begins unravelling a more sinister purpose to the town’s existence.
And let’s talk about Becky - if the last book didn’t convince you that she is the badass of the series, this book will. There’s an entire issue that’s silent - no words - where Becky storms the underground bandit stronghold singlehandedly and not only saves Drake but completely kicks the bad guys’ asses! And that’s after she shoots several bundles of dynamite in the air as they come zooming towards her! She’s so damn cool, I love how Cullen Bunn has portrayed her, especially in this book where she’s wearing Drake’s bowler while she’s doing all of this.
Once again, Brian Hurtt’s artwork is flawless. His interiors of the bandits’ stronghold are breathtaking and the action is seamless - he carries that silent issue completely and pulls it off masterfully. You understand everything that’s happening in the issue and follow Becky’s plan perfectly.
Kirby Hale makes a brief reappearance in the Tyler Crook-drawn final issue and continues his doomed storyline with Becky. Also making a welcome reappearance is the oracle hanging tree from the first book. While I don’t feel as strongly about Crook’s art as I do about Hurtt’s, it’s still first class artwork - whether it’s Hurtt or Crook, Bunn is always paired with an incredible artist in this series.
The fourth book is maybe the series’ most action packed yet and is another compelling addition to this excellent comic. The Sixth Gun is tremendous fun, and if other subgenres like sexy vampires are exhausted, the series shows how fresh and exciting the supernatural western subgenre is. Let’s see more great books in this vein!
The setup in this book is just so good: a mystery town - called Penance no less! How Old West is that? - in the middle of nowhere with freaky, disfigured people and an air of supernatural, Lovecraftian menace. Who doesn’t want to read a story with that setting? Bunn keeps the tension up as Becky discovers a rival group to those in Penance and begins unravelling a more sinister purpose to the town’s existence.
And let’s talk about Becky - if the last book didn’t convince you that she is the badass of the series, this book will. There’s an entire issue that’s silent - no words - where Becky storms the underground bandit stronghold singlehandedly and not only saves Drake but completely kicks the bad guys’ asses! And that’s after she shoots several bundles of dynamite in the air as they come zooming towards her! She’s so damn cool, I love how Cullen Bunn has portrayed her, especially in this book where she’s wearing Drake’s bowler while she’s doing all of this.
Once again, Brian Hurtt’s artwork is flawless. His interiors of the bandits’ stronghold are breathtaking and the action is seamless - he carries that silent issue completely and pulls it off masterfully. You understand everything that’s happening in the issue and follow Becky’s plan perfectly.
Kirby Hale makes a brief reappearance in the Tyler Crook-drawn final issue and continues his doomed storyline with Becky. Also making a welcome reappearance is the oracle hanging tree from the first book. While I don’t feel as strongly about Crook’s art as I do about Hurtt’s, it’s still first class artwork - whether it’s Hurtt or Crook, Bunn is always paired with an incredible artist in this series.
The fourth book is maybe the series’ most action packed yet and is another compelling addition to this excellent comic. The Sixth Gun is tremendous fun, and if other subgenres like sexy vampires are exhausted, the series shows how fresh and exciting the supernatural western subgenre is. Let’s see more great books in this vein!
October 19, 2022
Man, this story just doesn’t quit. The more I read, the more fun I have. It’s just so adventurous and action packed. Plus Brian Hurtt is still killing it on art duty. Here, Becky sets out to find and rescue Drake Sinclair and what a journey it was. There was a silent issue without words as Becky has temporarily lost her hearing due to an explosion. That issue was so good!! The October reading continues. Bring on volume 5!!
April 9, 2023
I was debating with myself whether this volume earned a four or a five star rating. Considering that Bunn hasn’t once left his foot off the gas and continues to add new and exciting elements to his supernatural western world ought to earn extra points, even though I wasn’t quite as engaged as with other volumes. But, the amazing art of Hurtt is worth the extra recognition. Penance - - what a great name for a town in the Old West! Western authors ought to be jealous, although I can’t imagine this never being used before in some more-ambitious novel or film.
This is the volume where Becky Montcrief shows how tough she is, and not to be dismissed as a stereotypical damsel in distress dropped into a bad situation. She single-handedly rescues Drake Sinclair from his imprisonment in an underground lair of the Knights of Solomon (who were also hoping to forcibly recruit Sinclair). Within the lair is an ancient lake where the sinister seal linked to the six guns sits at the bottom and contaminates the water. It’s the same water consumed by the residents of Penance which transforms them into Lovecrafian-style mutants.
The single issue that details Becky’s rescue of Drake is entirely wordless and gives Hurtt a showcase for some inventive illustrations that need no captions to indicate what is happening. Add a huge OK-Corral style gunfight, some snake men and the return of deceptive gunslinger Kirby Hale and all that makes for another great volume. FIVE STARS.
This is the volume where Becky Montcrief shows how tough she is, and not to be dismissed as a stereotypical damsel in distress dropped into a bad situation. She single-handedly rescues Drake Sinclair from his imprisonment in an underground lair of the Knights of Solomon (who were also hoping to forcibly recruit Sinclair). Within the lair is an ancient lake where the sinister seal linked to the six guns sits at the bottom and contaminates the water. It’s the same water consumed by the residents of Penance which transforms them into Lovecrafian-style mutants.
The single issue that details Becky’s rescue of Drake is entirely wordless and gives Hurtt a showcase for some inventive illustrations that need no captions to indicate what is happening. Add a huge OK-Corral style gunfight, some snake men and the return of deceptive gunslinger Kirby Hale and all that makes for another great volume. FIVE STARS.
February 11, 2014
Following on from the events of the last book, its not much of a surprise to learn that Drake survived the ambush on the train and a fall off a trestle bridge into a river. He is immediately captured by his enemies and taken to a secret underground lair and it is left to Billjohn to retrieve the guns from the river.
Meanwhile, Becky has arrived in the town of Penance, which has a nasty secret (hint: don't drink the water). Caught up in a fight between two rival groups in the town, she finally reunites with Drake in a thrilling wordless issue of the comic (not a single word is said for 28 pages, and its great stuff). Inside the underground lair, there is a deep lake and it is there that Becky and Drake get a glimpse of the seal that the six guns open (and which is contaminating the water supply in Penance up above).
Free for the moment, but with the Knights of Solomon on their trail, Drake and Becky now have to decide what to do next.
One final chapter catches up with Kirby Hale, who loved and betrayed Becky back in book 2. He's still after both her and the guns, and the scene is set for a confrontation between all these groups.
Did I mention the snakemen? I'm not sure what's going on with them but it could be an interesting twist.
This one got 4 stars for that amazing wordless escape from the lair of doom, though apart from that this story was not quite as good as the previous one. Still well worth reading though.
Meanwhile, Becky has arrived in the town of Penance, which has a nasty secret (hint: don't drink the water). Caught up in a fight between two rival groups in the town, she finally reunites with Drake in a thrilling wordless issue of the comic (not a single word is said for 28 pages, and its great stuff). Inside the underground lair, there is a deep lake and it is there that Becky and Drake get a glimpse of the seal that the six guns open (and which is contaminating the water supply in Penance up above).
Free for the moment, but with the Knights of Solomon on their trail, Drake and Becky now have to decide what to do next.
One final chapter catches up with Kirby Hale, who loved and betrayed Becky back in book 2. He's still after both her and the guns, and the scene is set for a confrontation between all these groups.
Did I mention the snakemen? I'm not sure what's going on with them but it could be an interesting twist.
This one got 4 stars for that amazing wordless escape from the lair of doom, though apart from that this story was not quite as good as the previous one. Still well worth reading though.
June 2, 2015
I found this a little less interesting than the previous volume. It deals with a cursed town connected to the mystery of the six guns. The characters in the town are not that interesting and are disposable. It picks up once the story moves beyond the town though.
June 11, 2013
3.5 Stars
I found my first hitch in this here giddy-up! Haha….A small one—I swear. I’ve just always wanted to say that line. :)
A Town Called Penance, book four in the Sixth Gun series, is packed with action, secrets, and creeps. But this visit felt like someone hit the creepy-freaky button too many times. Some of the action and details felt forced or unnecessary to me. The story sidetracked from the main road—I want details on The Six, people! Give me something more to go on! Haha…How the hell are Becky and Drake going to survive and live with the power and hold the guns have over them?
The action was non-stop and breathtaking at times though. I loved when the illustrations took center stage during one particular shoot ‘em up, blow it all to smithereens sequence. Wordless pages filled with glances, running, bullets, and plunges! Truly stunning!
And once again Drake Sinclair made my wicked heart skip a beat. A couple more questions and doubts popped up with Drake’s history and whether his black, black heart still beats at all. Just when you think you have the man figured—he double crosses you with another tidbit from his past. Love it! Only time will tell if our shady hero is fighting for good or evil. Hell…I’m not sure there are good guys in this world.
Gotta love the Wild West! :)
So….I’m all caught up. Now I have to wait for book 5. *taps foot*
April 19, 2018
Billjohn brought Drake's four guns to Becky. Drake dropped them when he jumped from the train in the last volume and was captured by the Knights of Solomon. They offer him his old job by their side in exchange for the Six. Becky has one lead to go on: the town of Penance. Maze, the sheriff of New Penance, needs her to kill the Knights whose influence on the town has caused deforming diseases on the populace.
February 16, 2015
Drake has been taken and it's up to Becky to save him. And her search for him lands her in the city Penance...a city not like other cities...
This volume is just as good as the first three and one thing very special about this volume that I really liked is that it had an issue without dialogue. It was just plain pictures. I loved it, it was written so good that you don’t need to read what there were saying.
This volume is just as good as the first three and one thing very special about this volume that I really liked is that it had an issue without dialogue. It was just plain pictures. I loved it, it was written so good that you don’t need to read what there were saying.
January 25, 2019
Pořád to neztrácí na dechu, Drake Sinclair se vrací v plné síle a s ním i příběh, který po pomalejším tretim volumku nabízí epickou akci a skvělé zvraty. Navíc se vrací i oblíbený Kirby Hale. Nevím co více říct, možná to že tu sekunduje Hurttovi, Crook kterého můžete znát ze Smutných Kund, bohužel bez jeho coloringu jeho kresba nemá moc co nabídnout, i když některé hororovější výlevy mu tu šli skvěle.
November 29, 2018
I am the first to admit I am not always the biggest Cullen Bunn fan, but between this and Harrow County it is very clear that Bunn's self-created work is much more fun to read than say his runs on Deadpool. It's clear he is passionate about this and HC and that a lot of forethought went into the worlds behind each book. In this volume, we find out a lot more about the Knights of Solomon and they are definitely more Grey Knight than White Knight. The silent issue was a standout as it focused on action but still fund ways to introduce new plot elements including the big revelation surrounding the magic of the guns.
March 18, 2013
This series continues to impress. This is the best weird western I've ever read and would be fertile ground for a television series or film version. I loved all the stuff in the underground city of the Knights of Solomon. That would make for a heck of a film set someday if someone wanted to attempt a movie of this series. I, for one, would be there at the head of the line.
August 15, 2021
(4,3 of 5 for great wester-mystery-action comics)
At this point, there is very little to comment. Cullen holds the bar, moves the story forward, gives us a lot of action, new pieces, side stories and it is great reading.
At this point, there is very little to comment. Cullen holds the bar, moves the story forward, gives us a lot of action, new pieces, side stories and it is great reading.
July 26, 2023
Such a great series and this book was fantastic. Story is engaging, but I really love the artwork.
July 13, 2023
Still a ways to go but, so far, this is shaping up to be one of my favourite weird westerns of all time, only behind Joe Lansdale's "Dead in the West". Bunn continues building the world and expanding it with characters you really care about, and Brian Hurtt crushes on the visuals. This is top tier comic book storytelling and a perfect example of why I love the medium so much.
August 30, 2014
This isn't one of the stronger volumes of the series. Drake and Becky get separated and both end up in the hands of unpleasant people in a town where everyone seems ill. The reasons behind that lead to conflict between the two parties, as Drake's captors (the Knights of Solomon) are trying to decide if he's a prisoner or a boon. The fallout is fairly predictable, although there is a very well done full issue without any dialogue that is one long, impressive action sequence. But beyond that, it doesn't seem like much happens. A new mystery about Drake's history is discovered, and another opponent arises. And lots of people die, of course, but that's par for the course for this series. The artwork is as well done as always, both vibrant and brutal.
March 25, 2015
It's been a minute since I've read Sixth Gun, but rest assured, it still kicks ass. Volume four holds a great "silent issue" that really lets Brian Wood stretch his storytelling muscles, as well as a huge reveal, that sets the stage for some incredible narrative potential. The psuedo-Christian factions of the weird west are great flavor, with all the weird magic severed hands and evil-infused mutants scattered about in Bunn and Wood's world. The dynamic between Becky and Drake gets explored a little deeper, as we learn more about Drake's twisted past, and we get some amazing action along the way. The Sixth Gun is everything you need in a comic book, and has yet to disappoint me in any way.
February 23, 2018
Still sublime, dark, well plotted and with wonderful art that has a style all of its own.
You would do well to read this as it shows what a comic can be without superheroes and with a good idea.
The art is so good the emotions of the characters are often portrayed without the need for Basil Exposition make an entrance.
I'm not going to discuss the story as I would not want to spoil it. Needless to say it is full of pathos, horror, surprise and excitement.
If you read the reviews of the earlier collected editions they all apply here. Very consistent high quality series.
You would do well to read this as it shows what a comic can be without superheroes and with a good idea.
The art is so good the emotions of the characters are often portrayed without the need for Basil Exposition make an entrance.
I'm not going to discuss the story as I would not want to spoil it. Needless to say it is full of pathos, horror, surprise and excitement.
If you read the reviews of the earlier collected editions they all apply here. Very consistent high quality series.
July 24, 2019
Another homerun! The star for me this time around was chapter 4 - a completely silent issue! It was so well plotted out and the action was tense and drawn with clarity and purpose. It was quite stunning, actually.
Overall, this volume progressed the story nicely and just like the volumes before it I really can't find any flaws within. It's a fantastically well put together action/adventure story that makes me wanna keep turning the pages.
Overall, this volume progressed the story nicely and just like the volumes before it I really can't find any flaws within. It's a fantastically well put together action/adventure story that makes me wanna keep turning the pages.
August 20, 2017
Action-packed trade. This trade focuses on Becky's journey to find Sinclair and the madness along the way. Where Vol. 3 was a lot about character development, this trade is all about plot.
This is a really fun series to read continuously. I don't know how well the reading experience would work in single issue formats.
This is a really fun series to read continuously. I don't know how well the reading experience would work in single issue formats.
April 22, 2013
This book continues the title solidly, evolving both the history of the guns and the world and characters they effect. Here's to hoping the authors continue to evolve this series, and know if they need to stop; I would prefer a shorter solidly ended run over a milked dry pablum.
February 4, 2013
I love this series. I'm a sucker for genre mash-ups, and this is just about the perfect mix of western and horror.
November 18, 2013
The plot just keeps thickening. And I really like the way this seems to be heading.
August 21, 2015
The plot thickens, meanwhile this keeps being a fun read.
November 24, 2015
I would give this more than five stars if I could.
February 15, 2017
This series just keeps getting better. Watching the plot threads intertwine is magic. The good kind of magic, storytelling magic.
January 24, 2019
Re-read. Now that the series is complete with issue #50, I'm doing a page 1 re-read of the series to the finish. Love this book so much.
May 18, 2019
Bunn's horror/weird western mashup continues to engage. This is my favorite book Bunn has written by far. I'm intrigued by Harrow County, but that title has a more classic horror vibe than this, which reminds me of Stephen King's Dark Tower series in its Dark Fantasy/Western tone.
We learn more about this third group of people pursuing the six--the Knights of Solomon. Apparently Drake was as a member at one point and left "on bad terms." They turn out to be really dark and nasty, a darker version of the group (whose name I can't remember) that our protagonists met in volume 2 and escaped in volume 3. They are clearly more vicious, and one assumes that with that comes more selfish goals etc., if they don't seem quite as nasty as the general himself. That said, their ultimate aims beyond capturing the six and hurting Drake Sinclair remain unclear.
The creepy and weird in this one mostly center around the titular town of Penance, of which there are two versions, old and new. The Knights have trapped them in the places they're living for nefarious purposes, and they (the citizens of both Penances) prove ready to deal dirty if it'll get them what they want, which is par for the course in the world Bunn's built.
Oh, and Kirby Hale shows up again.
We learn more about this third group of people pursuing the six--the Knights of Solomon. Apparently Drake was as a member at one point and left "on bad terms." They turn out to be really dark and nasty, a darker version of the group (whose name I can't remember) that our protagonists met in volume 2 and escaped in volume 3. They are clearly more vicious, and one assumes that with that comes more selfish goals etc., if they don't seem quite as nasty as the general himself. That said, their ultimate aims beyond capturing the six and hurting Drake Sinclair remain unclear.
The creepy and weird in this one mostly center around the titular town of Penance, of which there are two versions, old and new. The Knights have trapped them in the places they're living for nefarious purposes, and they (the citizens of both Penances) prove ready to deal dirty if it'll get them what they want, which is par for the course in the world Bunn's built.
Oh, and Kirby Hale shows up again.
November 19, 2024
Becky takes the lead role in "A Town Called Penance", where she seeks to rescue Drake from the Knights of Solomon. The backwater town of Penance is where her journey leads, and she finds it infested with ghoulish people and other Lovecraftian horrors. Delving deep into the bowels of the town, Becky comes across the underground lair of the Knights, leading into issue #21 which is a fantastically illustrated wordless issue.
This volume of The Sixth Gun has an elegantly delivered story with its simple premise and strong execution. The mystery behind the town of Penance percolates in the background whilst Brian Hurtt delivers some stellar illustrations of various horrific entities. Becky serves as a compelling protagonist as well, with her cool as hell demeanor and ability to navigate the craziness that unfolds this volume. Tyler Crook also does the interiors for the final issue here, and though it's quite different from Hurtt's distinctive style, it supplements the world well.
This volume of The Sixth Gun has an elegantly delivered story with its simple premise and strong execution. The mystery behind the town of Penance percolates in the background whilst Brian Hurtt delivers some stellar illustrations of various horrific entities. Becky serves as a compelling protagonist as well, with her cool as hell demeanor and ability to navigate the craziness that unfolds this volume. Tyler Crook also does the interiors for the final issue here, and though it's quite different from Hurtt's distinctive style, it supplements the world well.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews