Lady Killer (comic book)
Lady Killer is a comic book series written by Joëlle Jones and Jamie S. Rich, illustrated by Joëlle Jones and colored by Laura Allred.[1] It is published by Dark Horse Comics since January 2015. The comic had great critical reception and was nominated at the Eisner Awards as Best Limited Series in 2016.[2]
| Lady Killer | |
|---|---|
 Lady Killer #1. Art by Joëlle Jones | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Dark Horse Comics |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Genre | Thriller |
| Publication date | 2015–2016 |
| Creative team | |
| Created by | Joëlle Jones |
| Written by | Joëlle Jones, Jamie S. Rich |
| Penciller(s) | Joëlle Jones |
| Letterer(s) | Crank! |
| Colorist(s) | Laura Allred |
Lady Killer is a thriller taking place in the 1950s, and tells the story of Josie Schuller, a perfect housewive who leads a secret life as killer for hire on her spare time.
Synopsis
The story takes place in the atmosphere of the 1950s. Josie Schuller, who has all the attributes of the perfect housewife and mother of her time, secretly works as hired killer for a mafia organization. But her double life doesn't please her employer: he doubts her liability, and soon decides to have her eliminated.
Characters
- Josie Schuller, killer for hire and housewife
- Peck, killer, colleague and supervisor of Josie
- Stenholm, boss of the killer organization
- Gene Schuller, Josie's husband
- "Frau Schuller", Josie's mother-in-law
Analysis
The title "Lady Killer"
The expression "lady killer" originally described a man seducing numerous women. The comic book Lady Killer switches the word's meaning and uses it to designate a woman killing numerous people.
Inspirations
The author Joëlle Jones stated in several interviews that the imagery and graphics of Lady Killer were largely inspired by her "love of vintage advertising and illustration from the 1940s through the 1960s",[3] including the work of the American painter and press illustrator Norman Rockwell.[4]
Publications
- Lady Killer .1 (Dark Horse Comics, 2015)
- Lady Killer .2 (Dark Horse Comics, 2016)
Critical reception
Lady Killer was very well received by both the public and the critics. The book is rated 4.24/5 on Goodreads,[5] and on Comic Book Roundup, it received a rate of 8.6/10 by critics, and 8.8 by the public.[6] Alison Baker from the website Comicosity wrote that "Lady Killer is clever, fun, and has the potential to be a standout book."[7]
In 2016, Lady Killer was nominated as Best Limited Series at the Eisner Awards, and its author, Joëlle Jones was a nominee both as Best Penciller/Inker and Best Cover Artist.[2]
References
- Lady Killer on www.darkhorse.com
- « 2016 Eisner Award Nominees » Archived 2017-04-14 at the Wayback Machine Comic-Con International: San Diego
- « Dark Horse’s Limited Series Lady Killer to Return For Second Story Arc; Joëlle Jones Talks Future of the Series » on www.themarysue.com
- Heather Johanssen, « Interview: Joëlle Jones, the artist behind Lady Killer » on Boing Boing, October 9, 2015
- « Lady Killer, Issue #1 », on Goodreads
- « Lady Killer #1 Reviews », ComicBookRoundup.com, 2017
- « Review: LADY KILLER #1 », Comicosity, January 7, 2015