by Victoria Irwin
Contributing Writer
Executive Assistant: Executive Extinction Iris, follows a series of young female assassins given flower-themed monikers, all more lovely and deadly than the last. From childhood they are raised in an academy that appears to be a combination of a Geisha training house and military school. If they successfully complete their training, they are unleashed to their Masters to be the best combination of bodyguard, secretary and assassin that money can buy.
Our story begins with Iris, an Executive Assistant of the highest grade. On her current assignment to a very young software mogul, Iris finds herself playing more babysitter than bodyguard. She handles paparazzi, keeps an eye on her boss’s date, and generally protects him from riffraff. It is only after they are viciously attacked by a crew of Russian thugs that we as readers see Iris in full form. She is quick, beautiful and deadly accurate with a Samurai sword. As the cops arrive, we get our first taste that perhaps she is not only working for a software mogul, but something far more serious. David Wohl’s story at first appears cliché and basic, but slowly he teases out the beginning of a true tale of intrigue.
Alex Li creates an idealistic feminine form with not so subtle curves that indicate a dangerous woman ahead. His thugs are brutal, his software moguls young and soft. Li has a clear style that compliments the story, while still working within the confines of a comic book imagination. Li is able to capture the blank expression of the software mogul’s date and carry it all the way through to the blank dead eyes of young women caught in the cross fire. Iris is designed to appear colder and more distant than those around her, yet physically more prepared to protect her Master. While three of the Assistants are shown in the issue, it feels as if Li is predisposed to his extra care with the characters Iris and Rose. Both are well drawn and feel more detailed than the formerly heroin addicted Assassin, Lily.
Those who have not read the previous issues of Executive Assistant Assassins may find themselves confused and bewildered with certain details of this issue. Without at least a quick read of previous issues, readers will lose key details of the story and understand to why certain characters behave as they do. The story attempts to correct this by including several panels from a previous issue as well as reference certain attitudes and behaviors of Executive Assistants that have appeared before. This issue is a great continuation of the story at hand, but I would not recommend picking this series up in the middle.
