Howard M. Shum returns with his Gun Fu, property, and this time he's not only brought it to Image Comics, but he's joined by a surprising co-writer. This one-shot was penned by Shum and Cerebus's daddy, Dave Sim himself. Though Randy Lander has ventured into the world of Gun Fu before, this is my first foray. It's definitely got its appeal. The juxtaposition of a slick super-spy speaking modern street slang in the 1940s setting, satire and circumstances is a lot of fun, but it's not enough to hold my attention all of the way through a single comic book. I was looking for more, for something else to entertain me, and it wasn't to be found.
It's 1941, and Allied agent extraordinaire Cheng Bo Sen is flying high. He's plucked the British Crown from the hands of a Nazi villain, and he gets to relax in a Parisien nightclub, complete with a very friendly waitstaff. It also just happens to play host to a quartet of showgirls who are much more than they seem. These French fillies are actually working toward a nefarious end, to aid in a German attack on American soil. But there is someone on the Axis side of the equation who doesn't want the United States to enter the war.
Penciller Darryl Young's light, energetic cartoony artwork looks like a cross between the styles of Mike Avon (Powers) Oeming and Tim (The Copybook Tales) Levins. In other words, it looks a bit like what one might find in an issue of Batman: Gotham Adventures. It certainly is in keeping with the much lighter tone of the script. the character designs are simple but striking. I have to admit my favorite visual is of a young Queen Elizabeth firing off a rather impressive handgun. The juxtaposition of delicate and destructive elements really makes an impact.
I'll tell you one thing: this script isn't going to help Sim with the misogynist reputation that followed him through the latter days of his run on his epic Cerebus series. Shum and Sim present a script that sees women more as sexual props rather than real players in this goofy, action-oriented world. The women's only power stems from their sexuality, and they seem to be there solely for Cheng to hit on and hump. One could argue that the Queen's small role here is meant to balance that aspect, but it doesn't succeed. What was needed here was for Cheng to get his sexual comeuppance, to be mocked for the player he is.
I don't know exactly if Cheng is meant to be a man out of time, someone from today trapped but living a life of adventure in the past. Honestly, if the modern dialogue he's been granted is just a stylistic choice without explanation, I like it even more. But I think the truly humorous moments in this book stem from Shum and Sim's portrayal of historical figures such as the Queen and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. I honestly wanted to see the writers play more with these revered icons rather than the sexual shenanigans of the main character. 5/10
