REVIEW: Executive Assistant: Iris Annual #1

This is my first foray into Aspen Comics, secretary, bodyguard assassin hybrid and I am served well this annual. There are four chapters, two focusing on Iris’s profession and the others detailing characters and situations looking to add to the overall setting.

The more traditional of the four is “The Chance” by Vince Hernandez and Michael Shelfer. It sets up Iris as the new girl on the block and how she became the go to girl for her employer. Whilst there is a sameness about the art throughout the book, Shelfer does an admirable job. Although I would question how falling head first from a building affects hairstyles.  Mark Roslan and John Ercek are listed as digital inkers. I am not sure if this means they on the same page, but there is a distinct change to inks throughout this story, with some heavy inks contradicting the earlier cleaner style.

Part Four, “Executive Assistant”, written by David Wohl,  with art by Eduardo Francisco, is no more than a brief recap of what is expected of Iris. There are a couple of action pages, but it is more to show the past and imply the future. It is safe to say Mr Krilov, won’t see the regards Iris is sent to give as warm.

The other two stories, “Rose” by David Wohl and Randy Green and “Scar Tissue” by Heather Finley and Tony Parker are ok. Without previous knowledge of the book, I can’t say for definite if they are showing history’s of existing characters. It is certainly alluded to, more so in Rose. Either way, “Rose” is the better of two, no surprise as it’s written by Wohl, who is a co-creator.

So, what you have is a book of four stories, two featuring the female lead, with art that seems to excel at painting a great, for the most part, similar universe. It’s a hard task to create a book that looks to entice new fans whilst still paying service to existing fans. The format of this book tries to do both, with a modicum of success.

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network

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