Gun Honey by Charles Ardai and Ang Hor Kheng (graphic novel review).
Titan Comics are doing a run of crime graphic novels derived from mini-series. As you should be able to tell ‘Gun Honey’ by Charles Ardai and Ang Hor Kheng, has a cover by Bill Siekiewicz that warranted a look inside. Joanna Tan is the Gun Honey of the title. You want a gun and put in the right place to use it, she’s your girl.
As to who you kill, she’s not that bothered. However, Tan is caught by one of the American security services agents, Brook Barrow. They know they wouldn’t be able to imprison her for long, want to employ her. She’s not very keen on that idea but when a gun delivery to a scarred man in prison who escapes killing 27 men, they coerce her send in order to chase him down. The connections to Joanna Tan’s childhood then becomes spoiler.
Joanna Tan has a variety of skills that are exploited in this opening graphic novel and for a new artist, Ang Hor Kheng does a commendable job and definitely an artist to watch him develop further. I’m surprised someone
This series comes with a breath-taking number of alternative covers and the one used for the cover here is by Bill Sienkiewicz. Although I’m not sure if anyone buying the original mini-series will want to seek out all of them, at least here you do get an opportunity to see them as a collective in the extras. These also includes interviews and art displays.
Titan Comics is doing a lot of these ‘Hard Case Crime’ film noir graphic novels, although looking through them, ‘Gun Honey’ looks the most modern in settings. If you want the occasional change from SF, then there might be something here to appeal to you, especially when you see the likes of Stephen King, Max Allan Collins and Micky Spillane amongst the writers.
GF Willmetts
June 2022
(pub: Titan/Hard Case Crime. 112 page graphic novel. Price: £14.99 (UK), $17.99 (US), $23.99 (CAN). ISBN: 978-1-78276-346-8)
check out website: www.titan.com
