A Review of Gun Honey Blood for Blood #1
Gun Honey Blood for Blood #1
Charles Ardai words
Ang Hor Kheng art
Asifur Rahman colors
David Leach letters
From Hard Case Crime & Titan Comics
Do you like your noir fiction with extra pulp? Do you like your women deadly and highly intelligent? Well, sit back, relax, and peep the solicit:
With weapons expert Joanna Tan, the legendary "Gun Honey," off the grid, recuperating from her last job, a vengeful rival takes her place - and frames Joanna for murder. On the run from Malaysia to Milan, from Montana to Monaco, can Joanna catch up to her ruthless enemy...or will she catch a bullet first?
Joanna Tan is back, and so is the entire creative from the highly regarded volume one! Great news: no one misses a beat.
It’s been a short break since our introduction to one of the coolest women in comics, and these intensely talented creatives drop us right back into the madness in the most wonderful of ways: a well-crafted frame job. The new villain is several steps ahead, and, seemingly, equally as devious and deadly as our voluptuous protagonist.
Charles Ardai writes another killer first issue that gets its grasp around our throats leaving us gasping for air. Ardai just gets comic scripting. The high-paced, hyper violent, mixed with a lovely celebration of sexuality, script walks the fine line between art and gratuity. Ardai makes sure your belly is never full, and that, with every turn of the page, you want more. I’m already counting the days until the next issue (September 28th).
Ang Hor Kheng and Asifur Rahman return to the scene of the crime to make sure every page is delicious as absolutely possible. Remember to keep your mouth closed so you don’t drool onto these pages (it really depreciates the value).
There are some truly stellar widescreen panel layouts showcasing the whiplash inducing action. Kheng’s linework is gnarly good, and the characters shine in every panel. Kheng produces a gritty realness that makes the noir vibes sing, and their appreciation of the female form isn’t afraid to cause an audience to blush.
Rahman’s colors compliment the grittiness to perfection further rounding out this comic’s highly cinematic approach. Lighting and fully-realized backgrounds bring a geographic realness to the narrative. Both of these artists aren’t afraid to put in work, and the end result is pure comic book magic.
David Leach makes sure the snappy dialog is always in the right position and that the reader’s view is never blocked. The sound effects always ring true, and you’ll know when and where the bullets are flying.
If you’ve read the previous arc, you know that this book had a lot to live up to, and it does just that. The tension is high, and the new villain is fierce. Lucky for fans of Joanna, she’s infinitely more than just a pretty face. If there’s anyone cunning enough to come out of this mess alive, it’s her.
Get this on your pull lists now.
And now for some housekeeping:
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