- Title: Executive Assistant Iris #1
- Comic Vine: link
- Writer: Blake Northcott
- Artist: Donny Tran
Marking the 10th anniversary of the character, Aspen launches a new volume of Executive Assistant Iris which centers around a woman named Iris trained in China to become an Executive Assistant (i.e. an assassin and bodyguard for hire). The comic opens with Iris saving her latest charge, although she’s forced to admit that age is beginning to catch up with her. The rest of the comic deals with setting up the primary storyline of the freelancing Iris being offered a job by Magni Global, one of two biggest security companies around.
Initially hesitant to accept the offer, Iris is wooed by the company’s CEO and joins the team (although she’s not thrilled with taking on a junior partner as part of the deal). There’s obviously more going on with Magni Global than Iris encounters on the officical tour, and I’m guessing her discovery and reaction to the truth will likely provide the basis for the conflict over the next few issues.
The first issue introduces several threads including the character facing her own mortality, a new job, and the hidden agendas of both her new boss and new assistant.
As with most Aspen comics, effort is taken to get the character into various levels of undress on multiple occasions (and get her naked feet oddly highlighted in a couple of random panels which seems to really be playing to a select clientele). While not that memorable, the comic does its job of setting up its core character and world, although longtime fans are likely to enjoy this one more than first-time readers. For fans.
[Aspen, $3.99]