HEAT SEEKER: A GUN HONEY SERIES #1, from Titan Comics on 6/28/23, expands the Gun Honey universe with an introduction to a sly magician with a knack for helping clients disappear.
The Details
- Written by: Charles Ardai
- Art by: Ace Continuado, Jose Zapata
- Colors by: Asifur Rahman
- Letters by: David Leach
- Cover art by: Artgerm (cover A)
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: June 28, 2023
Is It Good?
Charles Ardai knows how to write sexy women who are not to be fooled with. You got a face full of that talent (*ahem*) in Ardai’s scorching Gun Honey series, and now you’re going to get your heart set aflame with an introduction to Guney Honey’s resident Heat Seeker, Dahlia Racers. You may want to put on your oven mitts before reading this one.
Okay, yes, fine. Enough with the heat analogies. In all seriousness, Ardai knows his stuff when it comes to creating tough, sexy, masterful women with a particular set of skills, so it should come as no surprise that HEAT SEEKER #1 takes everything that worked about Gun Honey and builds on it masterfully. The titular character (*Oy!*), Dahlia Racers, is sly, formidable, deadly, and a force to be reckoned with by criminals and law enforcement alike. In short, HEAT SEEKER #1 is a hit in the making.
[Editor’s Note: HEAT SEEKER #1 is very NSFW for violence and nudity. Adjust your prude meter accordingly]
Ardai’s script dovetails into Gun Honey‘s latest adventure when Joanna Tan and Agent Brook Barrow find themselves on the run from Brook’s former employers. Now, the fugitives seek the help of Joanna’s old colleague, Dahlia Racers, to fake their deaths and get off the grid. Unfortunately, Brook’s employers hire a killer who may be Dahlia’s match.
Ardai checks all the technical boxes when it comes to pacing, plot progression, and dialog, but it’s the character development that makes this issue exceed expectations. Dahlia’s introduction and inner monologue are sharp and to the point, Dahlia’s gift for deceiving illusions is impressive, and her professional prowess is matched by her personal charms. In the best possible way, you’ll want to know more about Dahlia Racers, and that’s a great accomplishment after only a single issue.
What’s not so great about this issue? Nothing that rises above a minor nitpick. The writing is solid from start to finish.
How’s the art? Continuado and Zapata pick up the expansion of the Gun Honey universe from Ang Hor Kheng without losing an ounce of pulpy grit, sexy lines, or sharp action. Continuado and Zapata’s style is different enough to notice, but only slightly, so if you’re a fan of Ang Hor Kheng’s work, this art team’s style is good enough to complement Kheng.
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 brief prologue scene depicting Dahlia Racers on her latest mission. She’s tasked with bringing a deadbeat in, dead or alive, before a competing group of gangsters can get to him first. When the group finds themselves in a standoff in an old theater, Dahlia shoots the target and blows up the stage to find the evidence. We soon see how Dahlia Racers’s gift for deception is impressively effective.
Later, Joanna Tan and Brook Barrow show up at Dahlia’s place in need of help. They need to escape the relentless forces behind Joanna’s last adventure, and the best way to shake the pursuit is to die. Dahlia has just the right skills to “kill” the fugitives with enough certainty to throw off any bounty hunters.
The plan goes off without a hitch until the person Dahlia employs to masquerade as Joanna Tan winds up dead in a very public space. We conclude the issue with bloody messages, psycho hunters, and a personal mission.
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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HEAT SEEKER: A GUN HONEY SERIES #1 is a taut sexy, clever thriller that matches everything you like about the Gun Honey series and more. Dahlia Racers is a force to be reckoned with through Charles Ardai’s perfect pulp noir writing style, and the art team’s delivery complements the Gun Honey series exquisitely.
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