1st Impression: EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT- IRIS (Vol. 3) # 5

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT: IRIS  # 5 (Vol. 3)
Written by David Wohl
Art by Alex Lei  & Siya Oum
Aspen Comics

FLIPPING THROUGH:
                Executive Extinction ends with a few bangs and an increasing body count.  We get an EXTREMELY unlikely alliance. Iris reflects after the death of Lily as she meets with her new partner. Meanwhile, the rest of the EAs gather together for a final assault on Mazutsu.

ART:
                Alex Lei was much improved this issue. His art was crisp. His lines were nice and clean with great pencils and inks. Lei draws beautiful and deadly women with good angles.  Lei also gives great backgrounds and sharp shading throughout the issue. Oum shines will some brilliant coloring this issue. There are some great tones used to show darker areas as opposed to lighter ones. The porportions were great this issue and the sequential art flowed well from panel to panel.  A solid job by this art team.

WRITING:
                Wohl ties up the events of Executive Extinction and this latest Executive Assistant: Iris fairly well. Iris gets some good development here, dealing the with loss of Lily as well as confrontations with Rose. And while we do see some of the other EAs, Iris does shine. The narrative helps give the issue a great flow.  The dialogue felt real and the situations fit the storyline and issue well. My only gripe was that it felt a bit rushed at the end. Not much but I think a couple extra pages would have helped make this issue have a better flow. Still, Wohl closes this chapter in Executive Assistant: Iris’s life well with gripping action and good drama that does not drag.

OVERALL IMPRESSION:

                The book is fairly solid. Wraps up everything well. The art was good. Pretty solid issue all around.

RATING:

                I give Executive Assistant: Iris # 5 an 8 … out of 10. 

Straight Forward Reviews: Executive Assistant Assassins 11

The Executive Assistants are back. The last issue had a big shake up, just how is the world of Executive Assistants holding up?

Review by Jeremias de Leon

Story

This issue focuses on the backstory of a new assassin. No information on what kind of role she'll play or why she's being shown now but after the big events in the last issue getting new players on the EA: Assassins stage seems likely and she just may be a new protagonist, or antagonist even.

The assassin shown here is a woman named Rani who was trained by her father. We get development of her character through flashbacks with her father, showing how her training is, the relationship with her father and her knack for certain things which later shows to give her an edge over other assassins. 

The writing in this definitely exceeded my expectations even with my expectations being raised since starting to read this series. 

Art

The artist is different than previous issues but does a fantastic job. The characters all look like they're alive, not necessarily ultra realistic but they never look stagnant or like cut outs. When they move they look like they're flowing. Cool fight scenes, big explosions this book is full of them and they look great.

Verdict

Executive Assistant Assassins has always been a fun read and this issue adds character development to that. The art is different but still fantastic. Definitely a good starting point for new readers as this issue focuses on a totally new story and character. You won't need to have read previous issues to understand and the writing is solid and will have you intrigued. I give this issue a 9 out of 10.

StraightForward Reviews: Executive Assistant: Assassins 10

The latest in Aspen's EA: Assassins is ready for us. Does it still hold up?

Review by Jeremias de Leon

Story

Things come to a head in this issue as the Assassin's fight for their lives against Mazutsu's forces and Rose. There is stuff here that I just can't spoil and it's done really well too. What I will say is that the writing in this issue is a shining example for how good this series really can be. The characters in this book are proving that they are definitely more fleshed out than what some passersby seeing this series in the stands might think. You're going to be more interested in them after reading this issue no doubt about it. I can't spoil what happens but man, is it heavy.

Art

Funny thing, the penciler and colorist are the same here as in issue 1 but there is an evolution in the art that if you didn't know better you might think they were a different team. The style isn't drastically different but the details have gotten better and the dynamism in the action panels are so much better than before. In terms of making your eyes happy, this book delivers.

Verdict

The latest in EA: Assassins has a lot going for it. The story is interesting and the art is better than before and there's something that happens that well, you'd think would happen to someone else. I give this issue a 9 out of 10.

Executive Assistant Assassins issue 9 review

The Executive Extinction event rolls on and here at TheBrokenInfinite we continue to report on the action, hiding behind an undisclosed rock, safe from the Executive Assistants and Mazutsu's fighting. As we'd probably be able to be taken out by pretty much anybody in this series.

Review by Jeremias de Leon

Story

As stated in the last issue's review things are getting intense, and in this issue if it's not already at it's boiling point it seems it will reach it soon. This issue isn't about the action so much as it focuses on backstory and fleshing out the motives of the characters. Namely Mazutsu and Ivy. We see why Mazutsu is bent on destroying the Executive Assistants, especially Ivy and why Ivy is doing what she is doing. Alliances and betrayals are the order of the day in this issue as well, as we see former allies fighting and former enemies becoming allies. It's all done with reasons too, so it gives the story a sense of unpredictability but it doesn't come off as arbitrary either. The writing has always been pleasantly surprising me since I first started reading this series and it continues to do so in this issue.

Art

Readers, would you believe the art has gotten even better since the last issue? It seems even issues I didn't really care about or picked up on are fixed. The characters always looked good but they also are posed and convey motion even more believably than before. Something I mentioned in a previous review, that the characters in a panel or two looked stiff or unrealistic. I again must mention that it was a rare occurrence then, since the previous issues are more than worth looking at. But moving forward if this kind of level of art continues the series out to be a sight to behold.

Verdict

This issue's focus on backstory and motive building more than the action is great. It gives it more substance. Plus there's still action so it never gets boring it also doesn't drag on with it's motive building. The characters don't spout long philosophic diatribe or go into random poetry every character gets to the point about what they're thinking or they're explanations for what they're doing. Perhaps because as hardened mercenaries/assassins thinking too much about what you're doing or saying isn't stressed. I was thinking for a while on what score to give it but seeing what it's done fleshing out the story and making the art even better I have to say this is a solid 9 out of 10.

Executive Assistant: Assasins #8 review

Welcome back to TheBrokenInfinite's comic reviews. This time we're looking at Executive Assistant Assassins issue 8.

Review by Jeremias de Leon

alternate cover

Story

This issue certainly takes a step up in intensity. As if the previous issues didn't let you already know that the stakes are high this issue punches you in the gut with it. The Executive Assistants get into some brutal situations. If ever you doubted these women are trained killers, like you would if you've read any other issue, but if you did this certainly proves it.

On top of all the action there's more being unveiled and yet, at the same time getting cloudy when you get into just what's going on. More allies and enemies appear and motives are called into question. The story is truly starting to come together and the narrative style works well. It's not too vague, nor is it overly complex.

Art

The art is downright awesome. Even better than in previous issues. The one problem where certain random panels, usually action panels, didn't seem to have characters on model. Which was a minor complaint because those panels were few and far between has been improved here. Nothing in this issue seemed to be off and of course each of the characters being the beautiful women they're supposed to be were drawn with gorgeous detail.

they don't play around

Verdict

In all honesty I had reservations about this series. But this issue has put all doubts to rest. The writing is smart and of course the titular characters and action scenes look great. But the reason this series is great is because of the writing. Each character gets explored and each character is actually complex and have their own motives, desires, likes and dislikes and it makes this book just that much more of a good read.

Executive Assistant: Assassins upped it's game in a big way and I have to give this a 9 out of 10.

First Impressions: Executive Assistant: Iris # 2 (Vol 3)

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT: IRIS # 2 (Volume 3)
Written by David Wohl
Art by Alex Lei & Teodoro Gonzalez
Aspen Comics


FLIPPING THROUGH:

            The Executive Extinction Event continues as Iris is trying to track down her one employer, John Wheeler. And unfortunately, it brought her face to face with the Executive Assistant named Rose. Rose & Iris duke it out for a bit  as Iris narrates the fight.
            After Iris finds out where her employer is and who took him, Iris chases after him only to run into more trouble in the form of the Executive Assistant on the cover besides her … Jasmine.


ART:

            Lei’s pencils and inks have a kind of zen to them. They are not overly strong inks but they are not weak either. There is a subdued grace with the panels and that works EXTREMELY well for Executive Assistant: Iris. Each panel seemed to flow into the other. Gonzalez’s colors really helped to keep the kinetic zen of the issue with its fast pace, beautiful women and varied scenery.

            Not a single character seemed out of proportion. The Action really flowed on the panels. And the colors really made the issue come to life. Lei has some great pencils and inks here. Very strong. There was only one panel where I was kind of weirded out by the eyes cause of Iris’s angle but otherwise, a really strong issue artistically.


WRITING:

            Wohl definitely hits a sweet spot here. The pacing of this issue was excellent. There was an uncanny flow in this issue that I have not read in many comics. There was this almost larger than life-movie like pacing and scenes going on in this issue. The fights were good and credible … though I want more of Jasmine vs Iris. Iris herself proved to be an extremely interesting character with multiple bosses and loyalties. Her verbal trade with Rose was just a interesting as the physical one.

            The issue did not read fast. It felt like an  I was put into a middle of the movie but I got just enough of it to understand what is going on and want to see the rest of it. Rose was definitely an interesting character that I would personally like to see more of but Iris really shines here. And the plot to the Executive Extinction event seems to be really heating up with this issue showing more Executive Assistants going to war with each other. 

            Wohl delivers good plot, great characters and strong action with a rhythmic pacing that enchants you like your favorite song.

OVERALL IMPRESSION:

            Executive Assistant: Iris # 2 (Volume 3) delievers an action packed, rhythmic paced story with realized characters and high stakes. The story  continues to climb and fit into the Executive Extinction event while standing on its own strongly. Wohl writes a powerfully melodic issue with Lei & Gonzalez delivering art that fit a live action movie template well.
 

            Despite the one odd panel, this was a good read and I am looking forward to learning more of this event and what will happen next.


 RATING:

            I give Executive Assistant: Iris # 2 (Volume 3) … a 9 … out of 10. 

Preview: Executive Assistant:Iris (Vol. 3) # 2

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT: IRIS (vol 3) #2

David Wohl – Story / Alex Lei – Art / Teo Gonzalez - Colors

Iris is back, but will she make it through the – Executive Extinction!

The “Executive Extinction” crossover reaches a deadly turning point as Iris encounters an ALL NEW Executive Assistant--Jasmine—and the results are perilous! With her employer already kidnapped and held by the Russian Mafia, Iris makes a shocking decision that could end with her own death!

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT IRIS creator David Wohl is joined by newcomer Alex Lei and series vet Teo Gonzalez, to bring you the thrilling third volume as the “Executive Extinction” crossover event continues!

Executive Assistant Iris (vol 3) #2 is in stores January 30th, 2013!