By Brandy Dykhuizen. Josie Schuller has come to a point where she feels productive and fulfilled at work, able to hone her craft knowing a reliable cleanup crew is waiting in the wings. We see what a good day at the office looks like now for Josie, in two pages of red-tinted panels, depicting the gruesome order of her working mind. Meat hooks and bleach pair cheekily with plaids and polka dots, with moments of violence over backgrounds reminiscent of vintage McCall’s pattern books. The grisly and the pretty collide in new ways in Lady Killer 2.
While Josie’s managed to compartmentalize her current assignments, a heavy dose of backstory that upends her work and home balance finally comes into play. Josie’s mother-in-law gets hashed out in greater detail, so we learn of a past connections that does nothing but strain present interactions. In a beautiful World War II flashback, colored in the sepias and greys of old photos, Frau Schuller becomes much more than a batty old lady, as Josie learns of her hardworking past as a femme fatale.
As things heat up on the homefront and work starts to intrude into her personal life, Josie, like any concerned homemaker, is left to figure out what’s best for her family. Much like her husband is conflicted with his boss’ asinine behavior, which in turn directly or indirectly affects his family, Josie is left to consider whether good ol’ Uncle Irving is more of an asset or a tangible threat. A clandestine meeting at the local department store shows that her options are running thin, and by the time she makes it home, Irving has already forced her hand into the next move. Lady Killer 2 is diving into the meat of the story. Actions begin to have consequences in the book’s most delightful issue yet.
Dark Horse Comics/$3.99
Written and Art by Joëlle Jones.
Colors by Michelle Madsen.
Letters by Crank!
8 out of 10
