The 1960s were a time of constant change in the United States. The “nuclear family†was on its way out, people started to rebel against the norm and music became louder and angrier. Also changing were the roles of women. Joëlle Jones and Jamie S. Rich take this task on in their newest comic series “Lady Killer.†The preview pages make this comic look like it’s something special.
Josie Schuller is the typical 1960s housewife. That is if you ignore the fact that she’s a ruthless killer for hire. In the first issue we see her impersonating an “Avon†lady to get to a target.
There is so much that can be done with this setup. The 1960s is one of the perfect periods to create a female assassin. One of the main reasons is that in that period people still viewed the woman’s role is in the kitchen and that a “proper†woman does not become an assassin.
Another reason this could work is that this is the “James Bond†era. So much can be done between a woman assassin and a secret agent that this could very well blow some people’s minds.
The artwork helps out as it looks like a typical 1960s comic. It helps in that if this were drawn in a modern comic art style it would lose something in the awe factor. Making it look like a 1960s comic brings a greater atmosphere to the comic. It’s almost as if this comic was released in the wrong decade.
“Lady Killer†has a lot going for it and a lot to live up to. It has an interesting premise, art that just works and had plenty of room to work with and entertain readers. It would be very hard to disappoint readers, though that can change with the comic’s release in January.
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