GUN HONEY: BLOOD FOR BLOOD #1, from Titan Comics on August 24th, 2022, returns to the world of Joanna Tan, aka Gun Honey, when a high-level informant is murdered and all signs point to her.
The Details
- Written by: Charles Ardai
- Art by: Ang Hor Kheng
- Colors by: Asifur Rahman
- Letters by: David Leach
- Cover art by: Adam Hughes
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: August 24, 2022
Is It Good?
GUN HONEY: BLOOD FOR BLOOD #1 is a brilliant continuation of the first arc with a well-constructed murder mystery, spy games, revenge, and beautiful women. We were keen on the first arc, and Ardai hasn’t missed a beat picking up in the second.
The highlight of this first issue is the cleverly complex yet easy-to-follow murder plot. Joanna Tan is semi-retired and looking forward to living a life free from the ghosts of the past. Now, somebody with an ax to grind sets a plan in motion to kill multiple birds with one stone. If you know nothing about the Gun Honey character, this is as easy a jump-on point as it gets. The flashbacks to the previous arc are brutally efficient, the investigation into the latest murder is smart, and all the characters raise their game for a new cat-and-mouse adventure.
The second highlight is Kheng’s dramatic, cinematic art. This issue feels like an adaptation of a crime thriller film, from the panel composition to the panel angles to the gritty realism of the characters.
Honestly, there’s not much to criticize with this issue. Ardai and Kheng took everything that worked well from the first arc, repeated it, and built on it for a banger of a first issue.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with a late-night scene in a secluded mansion in Montana. A masked figure breaks into the mansion, kills the owner, and leaves a particular gun behind. The method of entry and execution all bear a resemblance to the famed gun handler Joanna Tan aka Gun Honey.
Agent Brook heads to Malaysia, where Joanna is staying after returning her brother’s remains for a proper burial. Brook lets her know she’s a person of interest in the Montana killing because the owner was a high-level informant working for the government. Brook brought the abandoned gun, hoping Joanna could identify where it came from.
Thankfully, Joanna recognizes the special design of the gun and leaves to visit the maker, a prop designer named Sayid who works for a Malaysian film company. As Brook, Joanna, and Sayid talk about the gun who ordered it, and where Sayid shipped it, Sayid is attacked by an assassin.
Joanna chases the killer while Brook tries to save Sayid. We conclude the issue with the greatest fight scene a movie director could ever want, a flight plan, and a grudge revealed.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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GUN HONEY: BLOOD FOR BLOOD #1 is a killer (heh) of a first issue with cinematic visuals, taut storytelling, and plenty of snappy charm. This is one of the best books of the week.
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