Written by Guest Contributor: Jordan North Ever onward into the strangeness with this one. Just when I get it (kinda) Six-Gun Gorilla throws things into whole new territory. Well I read the book, and I still don’t exactly get it, but maybe that’s kind of the point. What I will say is this, Six-Gun Gorilla has earned its place as a must read for me.
Blue has been having a tough couple of weeks, dumped by his girlfriend, thrown onto a hostile battlefield to die for the public’s entertainment, then all this stuff with the Gorilla and potentially being a beacon of hope to the free world, it’s all heavy business. He must have been just as confused and frustrated then when a bunch of Tumble-squids induce in him a living nightmare/ Freudian carnival/ acid trip you’d see in a government PSA. It’s this experience that makes up the main body of this book. At first it’s jarring, but as you go with it and allow it to sell its motifs and blood soaked lessons to you what you get is a well-constructed and much-needed peek into the psyche of our hero.
Outside of the Blister the feeds have gone cold as the Blue-Tech PV company responsible for broadcasting feed from the battlefield realizes maybe they’ve bit off more than they can chew and cuts the feed from Blue, fearing the government stepping in. But the ball is set in motion and the public is hungry for something much more substantial than carnage now: secrets. And a pirated signal continues to broadcast the feed. A public in the know is a dangerous and the goons of big brother are on their way to lay down the law on those responsible for making public the things that were before only whispers. With one issue left it’ll be one helluva ride to be sure.
The icing on the cake are the interactions between Blue and the Gorilla himself, which is showing more and more that he isn’t what he seems, neither is Blue for that matter, and that’s what’s so interesting-- these guys are hard to compartmentalize. Both part dark prophet/savior and anti-hero they both defy conventions making them a joy to read, so kudos to Simon Spurrier on that. On the other hand, Andre May deserves some kind of award for picking colors that are so damn appropriate for a story this trippy. Jeff Stokely does good work here too especially on some wacky creature designs.
With one issue left Six-Gun Gorilla is sure to go out with a metaphorical (and probably literal) bang. I, for one, will be awaiting it eagerly.
Score: 5/5
Writer: Simon Spurrier Artist: Jeff Stokely Publisher: Boom Studios Price: $3.99 Release Date: 10/9/13