Lady Killer #1

by Joëlle Jones, Jamie S. Rich & Laura Allred

During the 50’s and the 60’s, women getting pigeonholed into the housewife was a common occurrence. Women were basically stripped of the dreams and ideas, and expected to thanklessly care for the house and raise the kids. Practically reduced to a slave, most men didn’t think twice about what their wives did. Some of those wives had plenty of secret lives. What if one of them was an assassin?

Lady Killer is a tongue-and-cheek take on the secret life of housewife Josie Schuller. No matter if she is at home or working a hit, she still seems to be surrounded by idiots. This is a comedy, so most of the characters are pretty amplified. Unfortunately, that made Josie the only real likable character in the story. Hopefully, that’s a good thing that will play into the rest of the series. Overall Joëlle Jones and Jamie S. Rich did an excellent job of writing a debut issue that didn’t feel like a boring set-up or a cliché  introduction.

This book may be a comedy, but the art in this book is no joke (insert rimshot here). Honestly, Lady Killer looks amazing. Joëlle Jones is such a talented artist that doesn’t get enough attention for her great work. Lady Killer truly feels like she is on top of her game. Jones is able to capture the feel of the 60’s without making the series look outdated or flat. Speaking of artists who don’t get enough attention, I almost jumped for joy when I saw Laura Allred was coloring Lady Killer. Allred usually doesn’t do a lot of coloring work outside of her collaborations with husband Mike Allred. So anytime you get to see Laura working with other artists it’s going to be a colorful treat. No spoilers, but the last page was an absolutely stunning piece of art delivered by both Jones and Allred. That page really sealed the deal on Lady Killer‘s first issue.

This was a good start for Lady Killer. This first issue felt simple and that made it read smoothly. The dark comedy tone was slightly muddled this first issue, but after another issue things will start take shape. Being only a five issue mini-series, Lady Killer is worth grabbing if only just for the amazing art. Lady Killer‘s debut felt like just a playful taste of what has yet to unfold that’s certainly bringing me back for more.