Gun Honey #1

Gun Honey

by Charles Ardai, Ang Hor Kheng (Artist)

The weapon you need, where you need it, when you need it – she’ll get it! When a gun smuggled into a high-security prison leads to the escape of a brutal criminal, weapons smuggler Joanna Tan is enlisted by the U.S. government to find the man she set loose and bring him down! Written by Edgar and Shamus Award-winning writer Charles Ardai – the founder of Hard Case Crime.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Mystery, Crime

31 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 29, 2021

About the author

Charles Ardai is a founder of Hard Case Crime, a pulp crime novel publisher, as well as an editor and author. In 1991 he received the Pearlman Prize for his fiction. He also writes under the pen name Richard Aleas.

Reviews

[Guylou (Two Dogs and a Book)]

📚 Hello Book Friends! I have been looking for another graphic novel like Lady Killer by Joëlle Jones. When I saw the cover of GUN HONEY: BLOOD FOR BLOOD – Book 1 by Charles Ardai and illustrated by Ang Hor Kheng in Hoopla, I thought it was it. I enjoyed the illustrations, but I felt a bit lost while reading the story. I am not sure if there is another series I should have read before starting this one to get more of a background story. I will most likely not continue reading this series. It is ok but I did not get hooked on it.

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[Elfo-oscuro]

muy grata sorpresa trasteando entre comics

[Etienne]

It was good. I did go into it fully blind and the beginning of it caught me by surprise. Not sure how well the story can develop and maintain a good level, but I’m in and curious to find out!

[Steven]

Very Cool!!!

This was a great opener to this series! I will have to keep reading these to see where things are going to go.

[Doctor Action]

Solid pulp action delivered.

[Yoshiro]

POPKulturowy Kociołek:
Główną bohaterką komiksu jest Joanna Tan zwana jako Gun Honey. Prawdziwa legenda w pewnych nie zawsze praworządnych kręgach. To właśnie do niej trzeba się zwrócić, jeśli tylko istnieje potrzeba przetransportowania gdzieś broni bez zwracania uwagi. Jest ona prawdziwym mistrzem w swoim fachu. Nawet najlepszym czasem przytrafi się jednak jakiś błąd. W jej przypadku zakończył się on wymuszoną współpracą z pewną agencją federalną, co z czasem przeradza się w sprawę mocno osobistą.

Sam zarys fabuły jasno pokazuje, że mamy tu do czynienia z prostą widowiskową historią pełną sprawdzonych schematów. Autorowi udaje się jednak ulepić z tego coś, co naprawdę potrafi przyciągnąć uwagę fanów pulp fiction. Gun Honey to bowiem angażujący kryminał przygodowy, który dodatkowo doprawiony jest dreszczykiem emocji z thrillerów.

Mocna, bezpardonowa i często dość brutalna akcja jest tylko jedną z kilku zalet tytułu. Bezsprzecznie największym plusem serii i zarazem jej gwiazdą wyróżniającą cykl na tle konkurencji jest główna bohatera. Joanna Tan to femme fatale w pełnej krasie. Oszałamiająco piękna, pewna siebie i zdolna do wykaraskania się z każdych tarapatów. Pierwszy tom ukazuje jej spryt, wiedzę, seksualność, niezwykłe umiejętności oraz zapalczywość i bezwzględność, jeśli tylko ktoś nadepnie jej na odcisk. Błyszczy ona dosłownie na każdej stronie komiksu i zdecydowanie nie chodzi tu tylko o jej wdzięki (które często prezentuje w pełnej krasie). Nie jest to nic dziwnego, tym bardziej że trudno nie odnieść wrażenia, że Adai pierwsze stworzył bohaterkę a dopiero później kreślił wokół niej cały świat i opowieść, co ma swój niezaprzeczalny urok, ale nie należy również oczekiwać od scenariusza niczego epickiego....

https://popkulturowykociolek.pl/gun-h...

[John Shaw]

A decent attempt at noir fiction.
It is not the best nor the worst.
Our heroine is insanely attractive woman who cannot seem to keep her clothes on for no valid reason.
Coupled with a fair amount ultra violence it is a fair read, but only that.

[Alexandra]

DNFed when my library loan expired. Maybe if I get really bored sometime I’ll try to finish it.

I had picked it up because it seems to have been written by Naomi Novik’s husband, and honestly I’m just really surprised. I’d be curious to hear Novik talk about her husband’s work.

[Sarah Fairbairn]

My only complaint, IT’S TOO SHORT, I want the next part of the story ASAP lol

[Dan]

Read issues 1-4.

[Bonnie]

Entertaining read..an arms dealer who can get anywhere, unexpectedly reunites with someone she thought dead

[Carl]

Great protagonist? Can't wait for the TV series...

[Clay Bartel]

When it comes to comics books I'm pretty predictable in my taste. DC above all else and Marvel whenever I wanna switch it up...

But beside that I've tried branching out with Lady Death, Lady Freedom, Bomb Queen, Crossover, Nocterra, Sheena Queen of the Jungle, etc, etc.

And admittedly they've all been pretty enjoyable, but none made me quite as eager to see another issue show up on shelves as the cleverly named, "Gun Honey."

Gorgeous Lord of War type gun smuggler meets Jane Bond with a classic comic art style and pulp sensibility.

The only downside is it's over very quick, hopefully the story gets a little denser with issue #2 and this turns into a great monthly.

Check it out.

Full series review
---------------------
A review for issues #1-4.

I originally read Gun Honey #1 in monthly form but read it when the run was already done so rather then dig up the other 3 issues I waited for the release of the trade paperback.

This series danced between a 4 and 5 star review for me.

The art is detailed yet simple, everyone looks great and Joanna "Gun Honey" Tan is consistently drawn beautiful both in various outfits and frequently with nothing at all.

I could see this being adapted as a Netflix or HBO type spy series, it's that good.

The plot is mostly straight forward with a clever ending.

Gun Honey plants guns in impossible to smuggle places which then allows an assassin or murder access to a gun in said impossible place.

Eventually the story gets more complicated involving a relative but this was when it nearly went off rails for me.

Ultimately Gun Honey plants the landing by the final pages and readers get what amounts to a twisted Jane Bond type story.

Recommend!