House Read: Lady Killer

What I’m Reading: Lady Killer by Joelle Jones & Jamie S. Rich
Publisher: Dark Horse, 2015
Cover Art: Joelle Jones
Read This: when planning how to get rid of any little “annoyances” in your life.

The female serial killer is not something seen much in popular media. Josie Schuller isn’t a serial killer though, she’s something a little more familiar, she’s an assassin.
She’s also a wife with two young children. It is, as we all learned in “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” very difficult to balance a family life with a busy schedule as an assassin. But she’s doing ok. At least, until her boss starts to question her loyalties.

This is the sort of story I love, and I know how weird that makes me sound, but I really do. Women in unusual roles. Women who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty. Also, I’m a fan of anything with 1950’s dresses. This is sort of the hit man version of Aberford, the 1950’s zombie fighting game I was really excited about a few months ago. Sadly, that didn’t make its funding goal, but I’ve got this awesome series I can appreciate.
Lady Killer manages to dodge some of the “Dexter Problems” that made me uncomfortable with that show. Josie’s husband isn’t willfully blind, she’s just that good.
She isn’t, as far as this story tells us, the victim of some childhood trauma that altered her morality. She just seems to be very good at killing and not too fussed about it. She’s more Martin Blank from “Grosse Point Blank” than she is Dexter. She’s good at what she does and if she gets sent after you, there’s probably a reason.
The art is beautiful! Josie is sexy and well put together without being over-sexed. She doesn’t feel exploited. She is attractive with a great body, but her proportions aren’t unbelievable. I also love that she’d drawn with a very strong musculature. For the sorts of things she’s doing, she would have to be physically strong.
I don’t recommend this book if you’ve got a problem with violence. The deaths are pretty much on screen. The colors are muted, but there’s still blood and violence. The cover is Josie standing in a kitchen awash with blood, so that pretty much should warn off anyone who might be upset by the content.