Executive Assistant Iris Paperback – July 5, 2011

... and miniskirt. Nominally a highly decorative administrative aide, she's also bodyguard and enforcer for her boss's extra-legal business dealings. And, as required by comics conventions, quite billowy of bosom when the evening gown reveals wide swaths of cleavage.Amusing, adventurous, well drawn, and utterly forgettable.-- wiredweird

What a great little comic. I couldn't put it down and read it really fast. Look forward to volume 2.

So, we take a bunch of orphan girls, train them up to be soulless assassins, give them all push-up bras and throwing stars, and then sell them to international bad guys to be "personal assistants". One of them, our heroine Iris, is happy to kill her boss's enemies, (although if the victim is a devoted family man she tries to make it look like he died of natural causes, because that's easier on the surviving family). SPOILER. Iris does have a change of heart eventually, (somebody has the nerve to kill someone she likes a lot), so I guess that's, you know, a good lesson learned.I'm all for cheesecake kick-butt heroines, but it's just more fun if they are actually heroic. Red Sonja for example. Switching tropes from the hooker with a heart of gold to the damaged psychopath with a heart of something like gold is a bit of a stretch. This might all work better if Iris killed people ironically or with a suave James Bond psycho-twinkle or bon mot, but most of the story is played straight and all of the assassins are a humorless lot, which made it all much harder to swallow. Iris generally has the same demeanor whether she's slitting a throat or clearing a jammed paper copier, which leaves the reader at something of a loss.That said, the creators try to establish a legit backstory of mind control and behavior modification to explain these executive assistant killers, and if you keep that in mind the story works a little bit better.The art is interesting. Good lines and inking and color, with nice detail. Action is a little hard to follow because it's very much of the Pow! Wham! Ninja skilz variety, but that's generally O.K.. The characters never project much in the way of expressions, which works during the cold-blooded killer segments, but not so much when any other emoting is called for. (Many variant covers are included, and they are especially interesting - some in a cheesecake way and some just as examples of how differently characters like these can be interpreted.)Volume 1 collects issues 0 through 6 of the comics series. Volume 1 was first issued in 2011. It has been reissued "now at a lower price point" in 2019, I guess with the intention of rebooting the franchise for a new wave of readers. I could see how if they can reboot this with a more modern and complex set of heroine executive assistants, and with a bit more knowing humor, this franchise could have potential.(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

It's gratifying to give props to a graphic novel published by someone besides the big two. It's tough times for all print media and the comic industry is no exception, with that situation compounded for smaller companies trying to establish some presence in a shrinking market while staying afloat. Throughout its existence Aspen's claim to fame is its relationship to the late Michael Turner who is greatly missed. He was a driving force behind their female protagonists, with this book unabashedly following that same formula. Don't think sex is its only appeal. While its spirit is provocative there is sufficient depth and pathos involving lead character Iris to give the book substance. In her world an executive assistant is one recruited at a young age to not only serve in office matters but double as bodyguard and assassin. She lives in a structured yet dangerous milieu of obedience and loyalty, forsaking her own happiness in the process. While her surroundings have improved upon adulthood she has discovered a gilded cage is confinement nonetheless. Not the desired life chosen for herself with that aspect critical to her tale. Add in action and intrigue and the book rises above its genre limitations. The series ends on a cliffhanger so the announcement of this summer's volume two in conjunction with a major event around the character is welcome news indeed. So along with Aspen's other acclaimed title Lady Mechanika things are looking promising for the company, a needed shot in the arm for them and hopefully a harbinger for the entire industry as well.

Browsing through the pages of this book we see IRIS drawn as a character from flesh and bones. While to an outside person she might seem a cold, ruthless professional (at least in the begining) we get a lot of insight as to what motivates her and what her history looked like. The whole story shines with great action, at the same time being told in a convincing manner. A shame really that such a potential was wasted on next books from the franchise.

If u are on this amazon page, then u have an idea of what u want. Do not waste time reading any more reviews.Buy this book immediately. Enjoys.