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Published by: Image Comics/Top Cow Productions
Released on: Apr. 9, 2104
Writer: William Harms
Artist: Edward Pun
Cover artist: Edward Pun
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Part 2 puts Mike Stone (aka Mike Baxter) in the heat of a mission with his former fiancée Chloe Cleveland (that sounds like a Richie Rich character name) and his former partner in violent crime. This of course happened before he left her at the altar, which set in motion a serious vendetta on the part of Chloe. Five years ago in Turkey the two were captured by those they were to assassinate and they were tortured for information and for fun. Mike, being unconscious from the pain and stress of being tortured, doesn't hear the conversation between Chloe and their captor which results in a deal: if she works for him in secret, they can both live. She accepts.
Five years later, the present, Mike lies his way out of trouble with his new fiancée Denise. She has no idea he's a professional hit man and in her eyes all is perfect. Everything is in place for the wedding, which is tomorrow, and things look good in her eyes. But you know it's not going to be a very nice wedding. Chloe knows about it, as her spy-guy Roy has been doing his thing and she most probably will not accept Mike's getting married to anyone but her. Smells like a big upset is coming the way of the two lovebirds in the form of Chloe vengeance. She saved his life, she gave him years of her life, and he just spit in her face for it. He's going to get it….but good.
The second week and second issue cooks right along and embraces the limitation of time and space a four issue story is restricted to. At the halfway point, it seems quite obvious this is in no way a love triangle story in the traditional sense, IF that's even what's going on here. There's just no time to tell it that way (thankfully). The creative team of Harms & Pun (that sounds like a shitty TV show from the 80s) is a great match up. Well-written dialogue, cool panel construction, and some finely detailed artwork help make this book a fun read. Plus the black-and-white insides are really nice to the eyes. It's a nice touch as well that all the flashback segments are bordered in solid black, while the present day segments have no outer border. Helps the reader keep track of which time era they're in at the moment.
At the half way mark, Shotgun Wedding has painted a good little crime story and there's no telling where it will go. So long as it keeps going the direction it has, there's little doubt it will end in a way that will satisfy. And we only have to wait two more weeks for that! Good thinking Top Cow/Image.
