NOTES ON LADY GUNFIGHTER: DESOLATION #1
Ten years after the night that stole everything from her, the husband she loved, the child she cherished, Eliza Ryan returns to the world as Lady Gunfighter once more. She rides with a singular purpose: vengeance.
The trail carries her across a brutal, twisted version of the Old West, where law has withered, superstition thrives, and violence rules. Every saloon, desert pass, and ghost town holds shadows that seem to breathe, and every outlaw carries more than just human evil in their eyes.
Strapped at her side is her revolver, a weapon unlike any other, a cursed firearm, steeped in dark, ancient power. It speaks to her in whispers only she can hear, its malevolent voice a constant companion, offering strength at the price of her soul.
But Eliza’s fury drives her onward, no matter the cost. Her hunt leads to the name that haunts her dreams: Jebediah Kane, the infamous killer whose hands are drenched in her family’s blood. As the cursed gun hungers and the frontier itself seems to rise against her, Eliza must decide whether she controls the darkness or whether it already controls her.
THE CREATORS
Lady Gunfighter is a gritty, supernatural Western comic series from Coffin Comics, created by Brian Pulido (also known for Lady Death and La Muerta) and written by Brian Pulido with Mike McLean, illustrated by Joel Gomez. Lady Gunfighter: Desolation is the first chapter in the Lady Gunfighter series.
THE BOOK
Lady Gunfighter: Desolation – Homage Edition is a premium release, featuring 48 pages of full-color artwork that brings every gritty detail and supernatural shadow to life. Produced in a square-bound graphic novel format, it combines durability with a collector’s feel, making it stand out on any shelf.
Printed on high-quality paper stock, the edition enhances both the vibrancy of the colors and the richness of the illustrations, ensuring readers experience the story in its most striking form. The only thing that is missing is a printed spine.
THE STORY
Set in 1876, a scarred and restless America still reeling from the Civil War, a legend is reborn. As a teenager, Eliza Ryan lived under the spotlight as Lady Gunfighter, the star attraction of Winchester Willie’s Traveling Wild West Show. With her unmatched sharpshooting skills and daring persona, she thrilled crowds across the frontier. But Eliza laid down her guns to embrace a quieter life—as a devoted wife and mother.
That peace was shattered on a night of fire and blood, when violence tore her family away and left only ashes in its wake.
A decade later, grief-hardened and burning with vengeance, Eliza once more takes up the mantle of Lady Gunfighter. The frontier she rides into is no ordinary West; it is an ultraviolent hellscape, a land where superstition bleeds into reality and monsters hide behind human faces. Strapped to her side is a revolver unlike any other: a demonic weapon of dark power, whispering to her in a language older than man, tempting her with every pull of the trigger.
Her path leads to a single name, Jebediah Kane, the infamous killer responsible for the slaughter that destroyed her life. But as cursed bullets fly and the bodies of the damned fall, one question remains: will Eliza’s skill and fury be enough to stop Kane, or will the darkness she wields consume her soul first?
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The Western genre has always thrived on stark landscapes, moral ambiguity, and characters hardened by survival. But when you infuse that grit with the uncanny, when the dust and gunpowder mingle with shadows that don’t quite belong, you get something far more haunting: the supernatural Western. Lady Gunfighter: Desolation steps into this tradition with bold confidence, offering a tale that balances eerie atmosphere, emotional resonance, and striking visuals.
What follows is a closer look at what makes this story stand out: its dark setting, its emotional depth, and the pedigree of the creators behind it. And because stories don’t exist in a vacuum, I’ll also touch on how Lady Gunfighter compares with other western-inspired stories I read, such as La Muerta and The Ghost of the Badlands.
DARK, ATMOSPHERIC SETTING
A haunting blend of dust, gunpowder, and shadows. This tale unfolds on a supernatural frontier where Western grit collides with creeping horror. The landscapes feel alive with menace, every saloon, canyon, and ghost town carrying whispers of things not entirely human.
EMOTIONAL DEPTH
At its core lies Eliza’s journey, born from heartbreak and loss. Her pursuit isn’t just about survival; it’s about redemption, vengeance, and the fragile hope of finding peace in a world that takes more than it gives. The personal tragedy driving her cuts through the violence and strangeness, anchoring the story with raw humanity.
CREATIVE PEDIGREE
Crafted with care and precision, the work is both vividly written and richly illustrated by creators seasoned in the horror and dark fantasy traditions. Their experience sharpens every detail, from the brooding dialogue to the chilling artwork, making this a story that lingers long after the last page.
LADY GUNFIGHTER VS LA MUERTA VS THE GHOST OF THE BADLANDS
Even though the circumstances, time periods, and settings are completely different, I can’t help but draw a comparison to La Muerta, which, I’ll admit, isn’t entirely fair. La Muerta has been around much longer, with a more established universe, so if you’re new to her stories, you immediately get to experience a larger, more developed narrative arc.
Lady Gunfighter, on the other hand, is still new. I haven’t yet felt that same sense of wanting more that comes with following a long-running character, but what I did find was that my interest was piqued right away. There’s something about her story that makes me want to keep turning pages, to see how her story will develop.
At the same time, I also found myself making comparisons to The Ghost of the Badlands. A man or ghost with a strange mechanical pistol delivering justice with Old Testament fury. Each series carves out its own place in the supernatural Western genre, but they share that blend of grit, atmosphere, and haunting mythos that makes these kinds of stories so captivating.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Lady Gunfighter delivers a riveting fusion of classic Western grit and supernatural horror, plunging readers into a world where the lawless frontier collides with forces beyond human understanding.
From dusty shootouts under a bleeding sun to nightmarish encounters that twist the very fabric of the West, its oppressive atmosphere drips with tension. At the heart of the chaos is a storyline charged with raw emotion, driven by loss, vengeance, and the unrelenting will to fight against both man and monster.
With its unflinching tone and unapologetically dark edge, Lady Gunfighter stands out as a bold entry in the genre. It’s a natural fit for readers who thrive on Coffin Comics’ brand of gritty, supernatural storytelling, evoking the same visceral energy that powers Lady Death and La Muerta, while carving its own bloody, unforgettable trail.
Chapter 2 in the Lady Gunfighter Storyline will be Lady Gunfighter: Condemnation #1. The crowdfunding campaign (which I backed) is already closed, but feel free to check out the Coffin Comics store for Chapter 1: Lady Gunfighter: Desolation #1. Estimated Shipping in the U.S for Chapter 2 was planned for December 2025, but I already received mine, so be on the lookout for Eyes on Lady Gunfighter: Condemnation #1.
My notes are all set. Let me know what you think.
See you on the next page!
