Six-Gun Gorilla #1, by Marc Alan Fishman – Snarky Synopsis | @MDWorld

June 23, 2013 Marc Fishman 0 Comments

Written by Simon Spurrier, Art by Jeff Stokely

After last week, I wasn’t in the mood for the ‘Big Two’. DC and Marvel’s penitence for predictability put me in a perturbed position. Leave it to the small(er) boys to deliver me from evil. Boom Studios’ Six-Gun Gorilla is a pulse-pounding pile of pulp that has turned my normal grimace into a great grin. And with that much alliteration used? You better know I’m in a good mood. Sit back, kiddos, it’s nuthin’ but smooth sailin’ from here.

Simon Spurrier spins a tale that pays proper pastiche to a plethora of tropes. When properly piled in this manner though–versus what I’ve largely pissed and moaned about in the recent past–we end up in a completely original creation. See if you can follow this: Soldiers, being trucked in on giant turtles, fight a seemingly never-ending war in an environment devoid of electricity or combustion. ‘Blue’ soldiers are implanted with tumors that broadcast their POV of the battlefield to willing viewers back on Earth (I assume?). Why are they fighting? No clue. And then there’s the titular gorilla to deal with too. By the end of the issue, one has only the vaguest notion of what all is going on… but somehow the desire to continue exploring the world we’ve so briefly witnessed is pretentiously potent. Properly put? I wanted the next chapter to be in my hands immediately. And frankly that doesn’t happen often.

The prowess Spurrier presents throughout the book comes through precisely dropped bits of knowledge in between passages of well-characterized dialogue. The book slowly reveals its world, its odd bits of future-tech, and its characters to us very cinematically. Simon’s usage of heavily-stylized accented speech only helps. The first time one sees phrasing like “…on account it’s the last you gawn get.” At first pass, I thought I was reading a typo. A second later, my quizzical look was replaced with a knowing smirk. Like Tarrantino’s Aldo Raine, Spurrier’s soldiers spit perfectly southern twang; such that I couldn’t help but revel in the obvious fun. And with each page flip another bit of the world is uncovered to us. Another detail. Another potential mystery. As a #1 issue? This is by-the-book beats done brilliantly.

But enough love for the writing. How about the art? Jeff Stokely’s pen is mighty. Andre May’s colors are sound. As a spaghetti-western-post-apocalyptic-sci-fi yarn, the visuals help cement the scripting the way good collaborations should. With a style that harkens to The Surrogates, and somehow makes me think of Top Ten, everything is easy on the eyes. Stokely’s figures are highly stylzed, leading to a very kinetic book. And when it’s time for the gore? Well someone’s not afraid to dust off the splatter brush. While not every panel is necessarily a masterpiece, Six-Gun Gorilla is a great sum of its parts. The breadth of composition Stokley chooses helps build the odd world Spurrier sets up. And when it comes time for Gorilla at hand? Well, you couldn’t ask for a better introduction visually. OK, maybe you could, but frankly it’s a gorilla with six-shooters. To quote Patton Oswalt? “Stop drilling son. You’ve hit oil!”

Simply put Six-Gun Gorilla #1 sets up what looks to be an immensely fun romp in a world like no other. With a protagonist whose death wish combined with a potentially admirable moral compass, matched with a man-slaughtering monkey…? There’s little not to love here. Pepper in a mysterious necklace, and a big-brother government/media hybrid? What’s not to like?! And just to add some bacon and sprinkles to it all? Add in some resoundingly angsty love-addled backstory, and a band of buzz-saw shooting vigilantes? Why not! I think the point is pretty clear. When you’re ready to steer clear of epic-crossovers, Nehru collars, and time-traveling ret-cons that reset themselves but add in 2 new on-goings? Stop by Boom, and enjoy the gun-toting gorillas. You’ll be glad you did.