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Released by: Dark Horse Comics
Released on: September 14th, 2016.
Written And Illustrated by: Joelle Jones
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Josie Schuller was dumping a body when we last left her. Out there in the swamp, she's shocked to be approached by an old man she recognizes and addresses as Irving. He's more taken aback by the mess she's making than anything else, and although they haven't seen each other since the World's Fair, when he tells her to get the shovel out of his trunk, she obliges. He heard she was going solo and, since they had so much fun last time, he figured he'd track her down and help her out. He might be retired, but he proposes that they work together. She doesn't agree… at first, but he's convincing in his own way. She'll handle the hit, he'll handle the cleanup. Josie trusts him.
The next day, she and her family are at the beach for a company Christmas party. They run into George, who is as friendly to Josie as ever (much to her dismay). As Gene heads off with George to get a drink and their girls go off to play, Irving shows up to tell her that everything was taken care of the night before. He says it's to put her mind at ease, but there's something off about it. Gene comes back and is introduced to his wife's 'Uncle Irving' - the relative he never knew she had. And then Josie finds a note requesting her presence at the Surfside Playhouse that night at 8pm.
She obliges and plays dumb when a man she doesn't know or recognize complements her on her skill set. He knows all the bloody details, even what went down at the World's Fair. As they talk, he offers her a spot in a union of like minded professionals. There are dues, of course, but they can offer her a 'better caliber of client.' And from there, it's time to get to work…
The second issue of this second Lady Killer series is a solid follow up to the first issue. It's clear that Jones is building off of the events that took place in the first mini-series, what with so much tying into what happened in the last issue of that run (entitled 'It Happened At The World's Fair!). At the same time, new readers should be able to jump into this second run without any problems. The storytelling is clean, clear and nicely defined. We get a feel for who Josie is and what she's all about right from the start and that carries over into this chapter. The ties to her past make sense and make the story more interesting to be sure, but they're not insurmountable if you're new to the character. This issue has all the hallmarks of what we've come to expect from Jones' work on this series: dark humor, strong female characters, strong violence and loads of attention to period detail.
This is present not just in her script, but in her artwork as well. The line art in Lady Killer has always been great. Josie is given just enough sex appeal that we completely buy it when she uses it against her foes or targets, but at the same time it isn't overdone to the point of ridiculousness and she still looks like a very human character. The attention to detail throughout the issue is also quite welcome. You wouldn't think a conversation that takes place while seniors play bingo would be particularly exciting but the facial expressions and especially the eye movements that are put on the page keep us interested in what's happening. You've got to love the attention paid to the wardrobe in the book too! Michelle Madsen's coloring over Jones' artwork is fantastic as well.
