GUN HONEY #2 – Review

In Gun Honey #2, available from Titan Comics on October 20th, 2021, Joanna Tan uses her skills and charms for her next assignment – sneaking a gun into prison for a would-be assassin.

The Details

• Written By: Charles Ardai
• Art By: Ang Hor Kheng
• Colors By: Asifur Rahman
• Letters By: David Leach
• Cover Art By: Kendrick Lim (cover A)
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: October 20, 2021

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Was It Good?

[Author’s Note: The contents of the story and the preview images are NSFW. You’ve been warned.]

In the first issue of Titan’s latest Hard Case crime series, we were impressed with the stylistic writing and rock-solid setup for an anti-hero who epitomizes the classic femme fatale archetype. Here, we get more of the same in a positive way, and we get to see Joanna in action as she executes a full plan from offer to finish. The net result comes with a story high point (consequences) and a smallish down point (strained credibility).

The high point comes in the form of realistic consequences for a person in Joanna Tan’s line of work. When you supply weapons to unscrupulous people for illegal acts and turn a blind eye to the weapons usage, there are bound to be innocent casualties. In this issue, the consequences of Tan’s work hit in a big way, and it sets up a sizable conflict that Tan will have to pay for. Real consequences present real obstacles that can either elevate a character and drive her into a dark place, and that makes for interesting storytelling.

The smallish down point is in the execution of Tan’s latest job. Tan impersonates an official to get into a secure location, and while we take no issue with how Tan gets close to her target (hint: it’s very NSFW), the likelihood that Tan would be able to find an official that looks close enough to her in just the right location at just the time she’s needed and is open to being seduced, seems like an implausible stretch. It’s not so much too easy as it’s too convenient, and it strains credibility.

That said, the high points and positives of the sophomore issue in this series far outweigh the down point, and it’s an enjoyable issue overall.

The art by Ang Hor Kheng is dynamic, gritty, and slick. Every panel is brimming with raw, tense energy, whether it’s dramatic, dangerous, or sexual. Regardless of what you think of the story, it’s definitely a gorgeous comic in every sense of the word.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

Before you read on, get to know Joanna Tan by reading our Gun Honey #1 review.

We begin with Joanna Tan held at gunpoint after breaking into a secret compound and leaving a weapon where instructed. It turns out the man holding the gun is the one who hired her for this job as a test to see how well she would do. Passing with flying colors, her client offers her the real job – sneaking a gun into a prison to have an old rival finished off.

Tan accepts and begins to set her plan in motion. She’s again approached by Agent Barrow to try and convince her to come work for the government. Tan declines after Barrow reminds her the clients she selects are getting innocent people killed. Tan is quick to point out that Agent Barrow’s employers are also guilty of getting innocents killed.

Later, Tan finds a security guard from the prison who resembles herself, and she seduces her one night at a nightclub. Later, Tan drugs the guard, steals her uniform, and changes her hair to pass for the guard even on close inspection from her co-workers. Tan gets the gun to its requested hiding place, and all is right in her world. Until…

Her client’s target is killed as intended, but the hired killer takes things too far. We conclude the issue with a disturbing news report, Tan’s indifference coming back to haunt her, and a visit to her client that makes things much worse.

Final Thoughts

GUN HONEY #2 continues a hard-edged, slick, femme fatale crime story with plenty of action, danger, double-crosses, and heat. The story does a bang-up job showing Tan’s skills in action while injecting real consequences for her choices. The story does rely a little too much on plot contrivances for her big assignment, but the story execution and eye-popping art more than make up for the story’s minor flaws.

Score: 8.5/10

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