Strip-Searched In Siberia: ‘Gun Honey: Double Down’ #2 Review
by Olly MacNamee
Summary
Joanna Tan, super spy and assassin, finds herself a prisoner of the Russians, strip-searched and banged up on the remote prison island of Por-Bazhyn. But she’s nothing if not resourceful, and so she makes her escape, but for how long? More action and more great artwork from writer Charles Ardai and artist Ang Hor Kheng.
Overall
10/10In Gun Honey: Double Down #2, the globe-trotting spy/assassin Joanna Tan finds herself a prisoner of the Russians on a remote Siberian island. But not the Siberia you or I am imagining. No, this landscape in August is free of snow and ice, and, while not an oasis, was once habitable enough for the Uyghur Khaganate to build an island fort there in the 8th century and to farm the land. And now, the real-life Por-Bazhyn is a prison in which Joanna finds herself trapped after a rather rigorous and explicit strip search.
But, as with any good espionage yarn, she’s not a prisoner for long, and soon she’s back in action, with a fellow prisoner she’s rescued, and making her escape. Once again, writer and creator Charles Ardai, keeps up the pace while artist Ang Hor Kheng continues to dazzle with his richly detailed and realistic portrayal of both the characters and the real-life setting. The earthy colour palette utilised by colourist Asifur Rahman greatly helps in depicting this desolate part of Russia, close to the Mongolian border. A border Tan is aiming to get to with a little help from some friends, long-term readers of Gun Honey will recognise. For new readers, like myself, Ardai includes a handy reference guide to these saviours, again steeped in historical research. And it’s this attention to historical detail that
Really fascinated me, adding to the enjoyment of the story. But then, I do like a comic that challenges the reader, even if it is just a quick Google search away. It all adds to the rich texture of this story. It’s not just an espionage thriller taking in the good and the bad this world has to offer, but a story, maybe because of its mature content, that does not take its readers for granted.
Gun Honey: Double Down #2 once more delivers on action, sass, and amazing art with even more femme fatale action to come, judging by the closing page’s reveal. And out now from Titan Comics/Hard Case Crime.
