Lady Killer by Joelle Jones and Jamie S. Rich
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: trained assassin gets paid to kill people by day,while playing the devoted family man by night. He delicately balances the double life, making sure his family doesn’t suspect a thing.
But what if the assassin wasn’t the husband? What if it was a housewife in the 1950s? That’s the story weaved by Joelle Jones and Jamie S. Rich in Lady Killer, in which Josie stylishly performs hits for her employer before cooking dinner for her husband, mother-in-law, and kids. The plot hits all the classic beats, during which Josie has to try to balance her employment with her family and keep everyone out of the know, but it also humorously pokes fun at the genre. Josie will finish killing someone while in a fit and flare dress and high heels, then complain about the bloodstains rather than the murder.
Joelle Jones’ art reflects this contrast, portraying both Josie’s assassin life and home life in bright, bold colors. Josie’s dresses pop off the page… along with vivid red blood spatters. Speckled texture looms over each page, highlighting the violence of Josie’s double life, even when she’s performing mundane chores in her housewife role.
Chapter covers display mock-1950s advertisements, like this “car” ad: Stylish enough for her… roomy enough for everyone else!
If you like killer women and chic vintage style, be sure to check out Lady Killer!
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