Written by: Brian Hurtt
Art by: A.C. Zamudio
Publisher: Oni Press
The Sixth Gun has consistently been one of the more interesting comics of recent years. The combination of an Old West setting and supernatural elements makes The Sixth Gun very difficult to stop reading, especially when all of the guns are in play. Now, Oni Press and The Sixth Gun’s author, Brian Hurtt, are releasing another series of comics set in the same universe. However, this series places the six guns in limbo and instead focuses on the overall universe. While it is sad to see the lack of supernatural guns in this issue, the gigantic history lesson on The Sixth Gun’s universe is an essential and mostly enjoyable way to revisit this comic universe.
The Sixth Gun: Valley of Death mostly follows four main characters, as opposed to the large group from the main series. White Wolf is a famous warrior from the Four Tribes with a greater destiny than he is aware of. At the moment, White Wolf is a headstrong and fairly rash warrior who is more concerned with hunting than saving the world, but little does he know that the world will soon be completely changed by a mysterious shaman named Buzzard Wife.
The other two characters are loosely connected to the Four Tribes and White Wolf, but these connections come via a shared goal. Screaming Crow is another warrior, but he doesn’t appear to be a member of the Four Tribes. All that is currently known is that a large group of men were all viciously slaughtered, and Screaming Crow needs to figure out what happened. Strangely, the only “person” who saw this slaughter is a spirit named Kalfu, the keeper of the Crossroads that run between the different realms. Unfortunately, a tragic event destroyed the door keeping Death and his playthings from our world while simultaneously trapping Kalfu in one place. The only way for Kalfu to regain his powers is to seal Death’s door again before all manner of monsters can escape into the world. In order to achieve this goal, Kalfu has to team up with Screaming Crow—and eventually White Wolf and Buzzard Wife—and defeat the monsters pouring through the door.
At first, The Sixth Gun: Valley of Death seems like a confusing issue for newer readers, but Brian Hurtt does a fantastic job filling in important information. This world is fairly complicated with all of the different characters, key items, and locations in play. Luckily, each issue of The Sixth Gun details the important items, and Valley of Death is no different. There is a long section in this issue that explains how Death came to be and how he was trapped in a totem. Actually, Buzzard Wife and Kalfu are both great characters in that they act as an encyclopedia for The Sixth Gun world and explain the necessary information.
Honestly, it was a little strange reading a comic from The Sixth Gun universe that didn’t have the six guns included, but the end result was actually fairly refreshing. Having an issue full of world building was enjoyable, and the difference in artist wasn’t very noticeable. Some minor details and use of shadows were different, but The Valley of Death still felt like an integral part of the series.
If you haven’t read The Sixth Gun, simply go read The Valley of Death and then go back to the other issues. You will enjoy the experience.