Spurrier brings the series to a decent, if underwhelming conclusion. Lots of things don’t get resolved and Spurrier has introduced so much over the previous five issues, it’s hard to remember them all when he brings them back in. He was able to entertain when he was being confounding, but this time he’s trying too hard to be literal.

He splits the issue between Blue and the gorilla. Only the gorilla doesn’t get a good plot thread, just an action scene. And Blue has a master plan the reader doesn’t know about, which gives Spurrier some time to kill explaining it all… time he could have spent a whole lot better.

It’s a big, monumental, earth-shattering finish and the series never felt particularly big. Stokely’s art for it isn’t composed big–and Spurrier’s plotting isn’t big either. It’s big for the sequel? Who knows….

It’s okay, but not great.

CREDITS

Fill Your Hand; writer, Simon Spurrier; artist, Jeff Stokely; colorist, Andre May; letterer, Steve Wands; editor, Eric Harburn; publisher, Boom! Studios.

And here Spurrier gets to the big reveal, or at least starts to hint at it. For a while, it looks like Gorilla could just be one incredibly long dream sequence–and it still could be–with a bunch of characters out of books the protagonist, Blue, has read running through his mind.

But it’s not a dream, not exactly.

Spurrier handles the reveal quite well, encouraging the reader to imagine all sorts of possible explanations before getting to the finish.

However, instead of the issue being entirely incomprehensible, Spurrier just has one incomprehensible plot development and it sadly matters. He skips over an important detail and it’s noticeable.

The issue races along, but remains a rewarding reading experience.

It’ll be interesting to see how Spurrier wraps it all up. He might have done some of the heaviest lifting this issue, leaving the more action oriented stuff for the finish.

CREDITS

And Those Who Dig; writer, Simon Spurrier; artist, Jeff Stokely; colorist, Andre May; letterer, Steve Wands; editor, Eric Harburn; publisher, Boom! Studios.

I’m totally confused but I still love this comic. I assume the confusion is intentional on Spurrier’s part. He has Blue talking to the gorilla and the gorilla not answering him, talking instead about unrelated things. It’s very strange, very dense.

The density is a little surprising as Spurrier opens with some expository dialogue explaining everything–almost–to the reader. There’s an explanation of the other world, there’s an explanation of how the humans got there–about the only time the gorilla does make sense is when he’s talking about the natives of the other dimension.

Sometimes it feels like Spurrier’s trying to comment on Blue’s place in the story as protagonist. He keeps arguing he’s on the hero’s journey, the gorilla keeps telling him he isn’t. It’s weird.

Spurrier makes nods to his subplots, especially for the cliffhanger, but he’s mostly just gloriously confusing the reader.

Still love it.

CREDITS

Deserve’s Got Nothin’ To Do With It; writer, Simon Spurrier; artist, Jeff Stokely; colorist, Andre May; letterer, Steve Wands; editor, Eric Harburn; publisher, Boom! Studios.

The series just keeps getting better. Spurrier brings in more of the sci-fi aspect–people born in the different dimension have the chance of mutation–while introducing a lot of backstory.

The rebels all talk to Blue, but because they want their stories sent back to Earth. Spurrier is able to cover a lot of ground with them, especially since Blue is sort of a dunce.

There’s a lot with the evil corporation talking to Blue’s ex-girlfriend, trying to figure out where the gorilla came from, checking in on their bounty hunter. It’s a packed read, with Blue romancing the girl from last issue too. Well, she more romances him.

Spurrier even has enough time to introduce another bad guy, this one a rebel general. She’s only in a scene, but she terrifies them all so much she’s a frequent topic of conversation.

Gorilla is a great book.

CREDITS

Dyin Ain’t Much Of A Livin; writer, Simon Spurrier; artist, Jeff Stokely; colorist, Andre May; letterer, Steve Wands; editor, Eric Harburn; publisher, Boom! Studios.

Spurrier brings in the ladies for the second issue, with Blue’s ex-girlfriend discovering he’s gone to the colony–which Spurrier reveals is extra-dimensional this issue, not interplanetary–and he also meets a fetching working girl.

There’s a lot more with the conflict between the rebels and the Earth people; Spurrier’s just updating the Civil War, which is fine. He could have done the same thing set during the Civil War, if only he didn’t have to deal with the talking gorilla.

The talking gorilla doesn’t talk a lot, but when he does, it counts. He’s also really funny.

Spurrier and Stokely continue to deliver exactly what one expects from a comic called Six-Gun Gorilla, ending the issue with a gigantic hard cliffhanger (gigantic in size, not story importance); it’s just a lot of fun.

The only soft spot? Spurrier rushes through his sci-fi details too much.

CREDITS

Just Another Filthy Memory; writer, Simon Spurrier; artist, Jeff Stokely; colorist, Andre May; letterer, Steve Wands; editor, Eric Harburn; publisher, Boom! Studios.

Talk about high concept. Six-Gun Gorilla takes place in a somewhat distant future, where there is fighting over Earth’s colonies. On these planet colonies are gigantic battle tortoises, amongst other things I’m sure, and it all appears very Monument Valley. Simon Spurrier mixes old and new; the combatants are an analogue of the American Civil War, but he’s following a protagonist who’s got a brain implant to broadcast his experiences back to Earth.

You know, for TV.

That plot alone is pretty awesome, but then there’s a mysterious gorilla who has real pistols–apparently they only use steam punk technology on the colony world, but regular future stuff on Earth–and the pistols are a big deal.

Additionally, the writing on the protagonist is outstanding and Spurrier gives him a lot of interesting conversation partners throughout.

Very nice art from Jeff Stokely too. Gorilla’s off to a great start.

CREDITS

Shoot Don’t Talk; writer, Simon Spurrier; artist, Jeff Stokely; colorist, Andre May; letterer, Steve Wands; editor, Eric Harburn; publisher, Boom! Studios.