Dark Horse Comics is jumping back in time to the Wild West with a brand new graphic novel, fittingly titled Gunslingers, and we’ve got your exclusive first-look preview right here. Gunslingers is written by Dark Horse Comics founder Mike Richardson (47 Ronin) with artwork from Jordi Armengol (Cloaked), and lettering by Jim Campbell (Monsters Are My Business), and as you can see in the preview, the Old West could be an incredibly dangerous and ruthless place to live, something a young girl names Josephine learns first hand. You can check out the full preview below.
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Gunslingers tells the story of Josephine on her 12th birthday, which shifts from a celebration to a tragedy after her parents are killed. Things get even worse after the people responsible lie and manipulate the town into blaming the parents for their own deaths, and that sends Josephine into a rage that results in her taking vengeance into her own hands.
As the town turns their rage to Josephine, she is saved by an outlaw named Ethan Foster, who was not only thought dead but also turns out to be her grandfather, and they will now attempt to survive and take down the McGeary family that caused all this in the first place.
“Jordi and I have a great relationship and we are both excited to bring our first Western to life. I love the genre and hope this will appeal to those readers who love classic Westerns as much as we do,” said Richardson.
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“I always wanted to draw a western,” said Armengol. “Since I was a child. I think it is the dream of every comic-book artist. When Mike sent me the script for Gunslingers I knew it would be an instant classic. It has the spirit of the greatest westerns: from Zane Grey to Cormac McCarthy. From John Ford to Sergio Leone. You can hear Ennio Morricone’s melodies when you get lost in his lines.” You can find the official description below.
“Josephine’s 12th birthday turns to tragedy when, on a trip with her family into town for a special treat, her parents are shot and killed by a group of drunken cowboys. That group just happens to include Andrew McGeary, the son of an influential rancher celebrating his upcoming wedding. The following day, things go from bad to worse when, while at the sheriff’s office, Andrew shifts the blame onto Josephine’s parents. Enraged by the lie, and traumatized by the sight of her parents’ murder, Josephine unthinkingly grabs the sheriff’s gun and shoots Andrew dead. As a result, Andrew’s father wants Josephine tried and hanged for her crime.
She is unexpectedly freed from custody by the outlaw grandfather she never met. Ethan Foster, a gunfighter long thought dead, comes out of hiding to save the only remaining member of his family. He and the girl face the relentless pursuit of the McGearys’ hired gunmen in order for him to accomplish the one last thing that might atone for his past.”
Gunslingers will hit bookstores on March 18th, and will land in comic stores on March 19th.
What do you think of Gunslingers so far? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things comics with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!
