LADY KILLER 2 #2 REVIEW
Summary: Lady Killer 2 #2 is filled with "bloody" delights!
5
An enjoyable and engaging read!
After becoming self-employed, Josie Schuller life has progressively grown more and more complicated. The difficulties of managing her family life and her career as a hitwoman is all starting to become problematic, as the lines between the two begin to blur. In the past she has always strived to keep those two lives very separate and worked hard to maintain that. However, with the unexpected arrival of an old acquaintance, things begin to change as her two lives begin to overlap and bleed into one another.
Lady Killer #2 begins right where the previous issue left off…in a rather messy situation. Our leading lady, Josie, is like a deer caught in headlights, with the arrival of a mysterious car as she is trying to dispose of the body of her latest hit. This car heralds the arrival of an old acquaintance of Josie’s from the previous story arc, and who she hasn’t seen since the epic events that occurred at the World’s Fair. A proposition to form a partnership is offered, and it’s a deal that is just too good to resist. Josie no longer needs to worry about body disposal, as she now has her own clean-up man on hand…just what every murderous hit gal needs in her life!
There is also the curious arrival of the mysterious letters that keep appearing unexpectedly, from an admirer of her work. Yet again, another proposition is thrown her way to be granted membership into an exclusive club. However, something seems slightly odd and off-putting about it all. Yet, the long list of compliments that kept getting thrown her way does a lot to stroke Josie’s ego and you can see that she enjoys it. The really disturbing part about the arrival of the letters is that they turn up when she least expects it, during a hit or family downtime at the beach. It’s all starting to feel like Josie’s personal life and work life are starting to come too close together, a huge concern and worry for her. I can’t help but feel that she is standing on a knives edge and that something unforeseen and dangerous is about to unfold…and all a little too close to home!
Josie might be a ruthless killer but I can’t help but like her and want her to succeed at her murderous job. I believe that this has a lot to do with Joëlle Jones’ clever writing and characterisation. Having Josie as a 1960’s stay-at-home housewife who moonlights as an assassin is very clever…I mean let’s face it, Josie doesn’t really fit in with her fellow housewife. It’s great to see those moments when Josie plays the innocent housewife when she is being pressed about her alternate life. Smart, calculating and incredibly dangerous, her witty dialogue commands attention and you know that this woman is to be taken very seriously. It’s painful to watch the degrading way that some of the men talk to her but in typical Josie fashion, she always gets her sweet revenge.
Joëlle Jones not only writes but draws the art as well. I really love her art style, as it works perfectly with that 1960’s aesthetic that she is going for. Josie always looks immaculate, even when she is elbows deep in guts and gore. I find the contrast of the pristine loveliness of Josie, with the grotesque nature of her murders really enjoyable and effective. She appears like she enjoys her job a little too much and this makes her look incredibly dangerous…coiffed hair and all! It’s strangely fun to look at and even though some of these murder scenes are really confronting, there is humour there with Josie often in a lovely dress, pink heels and her pearl necklace on. The colouring by Michelle Madsen is excellent and really heightens that 60’s colour palette. During Josie’s family scenes the colour is vibrant and pops, almost like a 1960’s advertisement that’s selling a well-known and trusted family brand. She has also cleverly muted the colour palette during some of those intense murder scenes, like the one we see on the plane where all of the colours are shades of blue and grey or the scene where Josie is disposing of the body at the swamp, where everything is murky and dark. She has also created a sense of depth by shading the foreground and highlighting the background. It helps to create a sense of perspective and allows your eye to galvanise where people and objects are situated within each panel.
Overall I’m really enjoying having Josie Schuller back. I loved the first Lady Killer story arc so much and now it feels like it’s back to business, as things are once again starting to amp up in volume. In the past Josie has always relished in her job but as things are once again start to get serious, we see a new Josie emerge, as her personal life and work life begin to overlap. I can’t wait for the next issue to come out where we can learn more about this mysterious organisation and see whether her new partnership is as sweet as it appears on the surface.
I’m giving this issue 5 out of 5 stars!
Comic Details
Title: Lady Killer 2 #2
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Creative Team: Joëlle Jones, Michelle Madsen
Reviewer: Dana Folkard
About the Author
Dana Folkard An absolute nerd with a passion for all things sci-fi! Lover of comics, coffee and Geralt of Rivia. Mother of Dragons!
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