Blog

Executive Assitant: Orchid #1
Publisher: Aspen
Writer: Scott Lobdell
Artist: Micah Gunnell
Cover: Micah Gunnell

This is one brutal issue as we are introduced to Orchid and the world she inhabits as an Executive Assistant. Used as a weapon by the jackass son of a Colombian crime lord she is an unfeeling and death dealing force of nature. The problem is the crime lord isn’t happy with the way his son has chosen to use her, and after showing his displeasure assigns her to a more pressing matter. On the other side of the world we are also briefly introduced to a Mr. Villone who is accompanied by a woman we can only assume is another Executive Assistant, as he informs her that he’s got an issue that needs dealing with as well.

We are given a sense that Orchid is the polar opposite of Iris as Lobdell describes her character during her murderous montage. Sure her and Iris have spent the better part of their lives killing people and fighting, but where there is a humanity in Iris, Orchid seems to just be a machine. It doesn’t help that her employer is the type that takes all kinds of liberties with her, making Mr. Ching (Iris’s former employer) look like boss of the year. Due to the large amount of action the issue reads kind of fast, but when it looks as good as Gunnell makes it you really can’t complain. This isn’t a knock to Lobdell who still delivers solid dialog and sets up the next issue for you, but Gunnell was able to showcase a lot here. His action scenes are pretty sick and during all of the chaos he keeps things clean and exciting. He’s also not one to slack on the calmer moments of the issue, and even gives the ladies who read this title some eye candy.

When news that Executive Assistant: Iris was ending arrived, I immediately wanted more because it just felt incomplete. Well, Aspen is definitely delivering a lot more than expected as we go deeper into the world that Iris comes from. I have a few theories about The Hit List Agenda and where it’s going, but only time will tell if I’m right in my assumptions. The one thing I do know is that you should check this series out when it hits shelves July 13th!

Infinite Speech
infinitespeech@comicattack.net

Advance review copy provided by Aspen