Prior to the movie version of 2 Guns, I would mostly get blank stares when I brought this series up. Now everyone kind of pretends that they at least knew it was a comic book, but getting anyone to describe what the story is about is still a challenge. I collected the entire series because I really liked the first two issues, but the last two issues… not so much. Obviously with a live action movie of the first series currently in theaters there was a decent reason for the publisher to release a second series, but was there really a need? The thing about 3 Guns was that it was very much 2 Guns with a new setting and slightly different approach to the story… until you get to the end of the issue. 2 Guns basically implied that the story was following two characters and so you can assume that 3 Guns is about three characters… and you’re absolutely right. I guess the cover kind of gave that away huh?
Here’s the general idea of the story. One of our main characters is kidnapped at gun point and told that he’s going to help with a robbery. He’s now working for a religious militant group that’s buying guns from a Russian mob. He continues to go along with it because they know his dead alter ego’s name, but he’s too dense to understand that it’s the only name they know him by meaning his true identity is intact. While casing the job he sees his “partner” from the previous series and decides to talk to him. They do another pissing contest and after Beans leaves, his ex-partner pulls out a hidden cell phone and calls in the situation. Clearly he’s a double agent again, but he’s been hired by the Russians to steal their guns back after they sell them to the religious nut jobs while Beans has been hired to steal the money back after they purchase them the Russians. It’s really wacka wacka. Then add a women that’s playing both sides of the “business” transaction along with both men and you have the first series with a fresh coat of paint. It’s kind of like putting lipstick on a pig really.
The thing about this book is that it was average. Like annoying average. Beans frees himself from the situation, but because his “buddy” is there he stays on the job. Now if he leaves someone gets killed because of it. His character is given zero motivation and he’s unfortunately the character we’re forced to follow. The female character that has two names so I’m not sure what to call her is complete and total bullshit. There’s no way that she’d be safe enough to pull off this job nor would she have the time to play both sides and get as deep as she has in both organizations. Also I have no idea what her motivation is by playing sides, guns and money? What? Why? I’m tired of this already.
The art is good, but it doesn’t have anything to work with. There’s no gun play and the only action is at the beginning of the issue and it’s was meh. Cars crash into each other, again meh.
The weakness of the first series was that it revealed the only interesting part of the story too quickly. At first it seemed cool, but then when you had to deal with everyone mentioning the double-crossing double agents; it’s got old really quickly. The problem here is that we know the same thing is happening, but they’ve chosen to wait to reveal what the double cross is. Beans seems like an innocent character, but for him to stick around and be found so easily tells me that he’s playing for someone as well. Really it’s just a series populated by characters that are super shady and not interesting. If either of the main characters sleep with the new chick (or both which is my guess) then this series exists for that reason alone. I love a good double cross story, but it’s just isn’t working with these characters.
If you had a good time with the first series then feel free to check this series out and if anything I said sounds interesting and you didn’t read the first series then also feel free to check it out. If like me you remember how much of a letdown the last series story turned out to be, then go ahead and pass on this book. It’s not bad per say, but it’s so average it hurts.
Score: 3/5
Writer/Creator: Steven Grant
Artist: Emilio Laiso
Publisher: Boom Studios
Price: $3.99
Release Date: 7/31/13