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Lady Killer
Lady Killer, Volume 2
The killer housewife is back! The Schuller family has moved to Cocoa Beach, where life carries on as usual. Josie continues to juggle Tupperware parties, her kids, and a few heads--and things don't get any easier for the entrepreneur hit lady when her past comes back to haunt her.
Lady Killer is a black comedy that juxtaposes the wholesome imagery of early 1960s domestic bliss with a tightening web of murder, paranoia, and cold-blooded survival. From rising star author Joelle Jones comes the much anticpated return of Josie Schuller the Lady Killer!
Collects Lady Killer (Series 2) issues#1-#5.
"A level of violence that can only be described as Mad Men's Betty Draper meets Dexter." -Comic Book Resources
"Lady Killer somehow manages to perfectly incorporate the quaint concept of the 1950's TV housewife with blood-fueled antics of vicious killer for hire."-IGN
"Lady Killer is worth its weight in gold for the art alone, but the enigmatic Josie Schuller is the real appeal."--Newsarama
Lady Killer is a black comedy that juxtaposes the wholesome imagery of early 1960s domestic bliss with a tightening web of murder, paranoia, and cold-blooded survival. From rising star author Joelle Jones comes the much anticpated return of Josie Schuller the Lady Killer!
Collects Lady Killer (Series 2) issues#1-#5.
"A level of violence that can only be described as Mad Men's Betty Draper meets Dexter." -Comic Book Resources
"Lady Killer somehow manages to perfectly incorporate the quaint concept of the 1950's TV housewife with blood-fueled antics of vicious killer for hire."-IGN
"Lady Killer is worth its weight in gold for the art alone, but the enigmatic Josie Schuller is the real appeal."--Newsarama
136 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 26, 2017
11 people are currently reading
1010 people want to read
About the author
Joëlle Jones
265 books394 followersJoëlle Jones is an American comic book artist based in Los Angeles.
Jones attended the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland and has worked with a number of comics publishers, including DC, Marvel, Boom, Oni Press. She wrote and drew her own series Lady Killer, published by Dark Horse comics.
Jones has also provided illustration work for a number of clients, including Prada and the New York Times.
Jones attended the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland and has worked with a number of comics publishers, including DC, Marvel, Boom, Oni Press. She wrote and drew her own series Lady Killer, published by Dark Horse comics.
Jones has also provided illustration work for a number of clients, including Prada and the New York Times.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 316 reviews
August 31, 2025
(A-) 81% | Very Good
Notes: Killer art and writing's sharp, across-the-board improved, takes deeper dives in aims and lives, exudes a '60s groove.
Notes: Killer art and writing's sharp, across-the-board improved, takes deeper dives in aims and lives, exudes a '60s groove.
September 6, 2019
You're killing me, Jones!
Please tell me there is going to be MORE someday?
That ending! I mean, it's no more than it should have been, but I want to know what happens next.
I've grown attached to Josie in a weird way. Yes, she's awful and most likely a sociopath, but...eh. I like her.
You actually do get more of a backstory on Josie and some of the other characters. Her mother-in-law & Ivan, in particular. That was not what I was expecting, by the way.
Always nice when an author pulls the rug out from under your preconceived notions.
She and the family move to Cocoa Beach with her husband's new promotion, and Josie opens her own small business - kind of like Tupperware sales, except she kills people.
So. Yeah. Nothing like a Tupperware sales.
I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say there is a lot of splashy gore and the ending is quite a bit different than I expected. In other words, it was good but I want more.
Plus, Joelle's art is just exactly the kind of stuff that I love to look at. Really, she could pretty much write about anything and I'd read it just to get a chance to eyeball whatever she draws.
Recommended!
Please tell me there is going to be MORE someday?
That ending! I mean, it's no more than it should have been, but I want to know what happens next.
I've grown attached to Josie in a weird way. Yes, she's awful and most likely a sociopath, but...eh. I like her.
You actually do get more of a backstory on Josie and some of the other characters. Her mother-in-law & Ivan, in particular. That was not what I was expecting, by the way.
Always nice when an author pulls the rug out from under your preconceived notions.
She and the family move to Cocoa Beach with her husband's new promotion, and Josie opens her own small business - kind of like Tupperware sales, except she kills people.
So. Yeah. Nothing like a Tupperware sales.
I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say there is a lot of splashy gore and the ending is quite a bit different than I expected. In other words, it was good but I want more.
Plus, Joelle's art is just exactly the kind of stuff that I love to look at. Really, she could pretty much write about anything and I'd read it just to get a chance to eyeball whatever she draws.
Recommended!
February 11, 2018
I'm still in love with Lady Killer.
Volume 2 of this Dark Horse comic book--story and art by Joëlle Jones, colors by Michelle Madsen--launched in September 2016 and issues #1-5 are bound here, with a sketchbook of designs as a bonus. I still haven't succumbed to the vice of comic books and instead prefer one purchase to equal one story, but this smart volume does offer that, and sure is fun to flirt with. Cheeky without tipping into silliness, bloody without bordering on repellent, the story is wickedly devoted to women who maintain dual identities between home and office, with the natural complications that arise from work as a professional killer.
In 1962, plucky housewife Josie Schuller has relocated to the Space Coast, Cocoa Beach, Florida, with her sweet husband Gene, nosy German mother-in-law and blonde twins. Josie is an independent contractor in a line of work her family remains none to the wise on. She prefers using her hands or most any household item except for firearms. Cleanup still an area for improvement, she accepts a minority partner in Irving, an elderly hitman who refuses to settle into retirement. When Irving threatens Josie's precarious balance of work and home, she seeks to dissolve their partnership. Irving has forgotten more about contracts than Josie will ever know and does not go away quietly.
Lady Killer, Volume 2 hits every square that a sequel should. Joëlle Jones offers tantalizing glimpses into the pasts of both Josie and her German monster-in-law and does so in ways that are organic to the story. The men in Josie's orbit return from Volume 1 and by watching Gene and Irving at work, as an aerospace engineer and professional killer, their characters are developed too. As a result, I was invested in the story, which remains grounded (I kept waiting for a Cape Canaveral rocket launch to figure into the action, but if this were a 007 movie, the tone would favor From Russia With Love as opposed to Moonraker).
The addition to its narrative economy, Lady Killer has a terrific heroine in Josie Schuller, so adept at balancing dual identities that Jones saw no need to grant her superpowers or blast the reader off to another galaxy; most of the action takes place in kitchens or in cars. The artwork is cinematic and exciting (on a personal note, Josie reminds me of Joan Collins, one of my favorite starlets from that era). It's apparent from the retro, non-kitschy look and feel that Jones loves the early 1960s and that joy is transmitted to the reader. At the same time, there's sly commentary here about the grave mess bubbling right under the surface of the decade's glossy veneer.
I'd like to see Lady Killer #3 delve into romance and Josie struggling to keep the spark in her marriage alive in between contract killing jobs in and around another model American city.
Volume 2 of this Dark Horse comic book--story and art by Joëlle Jones, colors by Michelle Madsen--launched in September 2016 and issues #1-5 are bound here, with a sketchbook of designs as a bonus. I still haven't succumbed to the vice of comic books and instead prefer one purchase to equal one story, but this smart volume does offer that, and sure is fun to flirt with. Cheeky without tipping into silliness, bloody without bordering on repellent, the story is wickedly devoted to women who maintain dual identities between home and office, with the natural complications that arise from work as a professional killer.
In 1962, plucky housewife Josie Schuller has relocated to the Space Coast, Cocoa Beach, Florida, with her sweet husband Gene, nosy German mother-in-law and blonde twins. Josie is an independent contractor in a line of work her family remains none to the wise on. She prefers using her hands or most any household item except for firearms. Cleanup still an area for improvement, she accepts a minority partner in Irving, an elderly hitman who refuses to settle into retirement. When Irving threatens Josie's precarious balance of work and home, she seeks to dissolve their partnership. Irving has forgotten more about contracts than Josie will ever know and does not go away quietly.
Lady Killer, Volume 2 hits every square that a sequel should. Joëlle Jones offers tantalizing glimpses into the pasts of both Josie and her German monster-in-law and does so in ways that are organic to the story. The men in Josie's orbit return from Volume 1 and by watching Gene and Irving at work, as an aerospace engineer and professional killer, their characters are developed too. As a result, I was invested in the story, which remains grounded (I kept waiting for a Cape Canaveral rocket launch to figure into the action, but if this were a 007 movie, the tone would favor From Russia With Love as opposed to Moonraker).
The addition to its narrative economy, Lady Killer has a terrific heroine in Josie Schuller, so adept at balancing dual identities that Jones saw no need to grant her superpowers or blast the reader off to another galaxy; most of the action takes place in kitchens or in cars. The artwork is cinematic and exciting (on a personal note, Josie reminds me of Joan Collins, one of my favorite starlets from that era). It's apparent from the retro, non-kitschy look and feel that Jones loves the early 1960s and that joy is transmitted to the reader. At the same time, there's sly commentary here about the grave mess bubbling right under the surface of the decade's glossy veneer.
I'd like to see Lady Killer #3 delve into romance and Josie struggling to keep the spark in her marriage alive in between contract killing jobs in and around another model American city.
January 24, 2018
"There are seven rules for going into business for yourself: One: Trust your instincts. Two: Success is a series of small steps. Start with what you have and build what you need. Three: Always be prepared. Four: Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty once in a while. Five: Perseverance is the key. The price of success if hard work. Six: Have the right tools for the job. Seven: Learn from your mistakes."
Throughout this hilariously macabre send up of the fifties or early sixties are these self-help platitudes, useful to live by!
Five stars, for one of my favorite recent comics. I liked the first volume but wondered how the one joke concept might be sustained. Others have said about it, that it is like Betty Draper (in Mad Men) meets Dexter (the serial killer). Josie Schuller is a stereotypical fifties housewife with a stereotypical suburban husband and two little kids who hosts tupperware parties and. . . is also a contract killer with no hesitation to kill for herself, as well. The color scheme here (thanks to Michelle Madsen) is decidedly red with deliciously gruesome and hilarious images worth of Tarantino and the wood chipper in Fargo. We also get to see fifties fashions, fun.
How does this one joke idea move? An old acquaintance, Irving, works his way back into Josie's work (and family) life, becoming Josie's long lost Uncle Irving, and he offers to help solve some of the family problems as well as work as Josie's "clean up" guy. Other business opportunities come up for Josie, so that looks on tap for volume 3. This is a 2017 comic, but I just got may hands on it. This year I might just read them in single issues as they come up.
Throughout this hilariously macabre send up of the fifties or early sixties are these self-help platitudes, useful to live by!
Five stars, for one of my favorite recent comics. I liked the first volume but wondered how the one joke concept might be sustained. Others have said about it, that it is like Betty Draper (in Mad Men) meets Dexter (the serial killer). Josie Schuller is a stereotypical fifties housewife with a stereotypical suburban husband and two little kids who hosts tupperware parties and. . . is also a contract killer with no hesitation to kill for herself, as well. The color scheme here (thanks to Michelle Madsen) is decidedly red with deliciously gruesome and hilarious images worth of Tarantino and the wood chipper in Fargo. We also get to see fifties fashions, fun.
How does this one joke idea move? An old acquaintance, Irving, works his way back into Josie's work (and family) life, becoming Josie's long lost Uncle Irving, and he offers to help solve some of the family problems as well as work as Josie's "clean up" guy. Other business opportunities come up for Josie, so that looks on tap for volume 3. This is a 2017 comic, but I just got may hands on it. This year I might just read them in single issues as they come up.
September 4, 2017
Josie Schuller is the ultimate domestic goddess: loving wife, doting mother – brutal assassin?! While she outwardly plays the idealised 1960s housewife, she’s secretly carrying out contract hits. If only disposal of the bodies wasn’t such a pain! Handily, a blast from her past reappears to offer his services. But Josie’s about to learn that being a small business manager has its pitfalls particularly when her sole employee doesn’t take being let go very well…
Bravo, Joelle Jones – Lady Killer 2 is a fantastic sequel! I was absolutely blown away once again by Jones’ outstanding art. The characters’ expressions are uncannily convincing and somehow she’s able to capture a sense of kinetic energy on the page. I loved the detailed ‘60s aesthetics from the architecture to the cars, the clothes and even the kids’ toys. This is also an extremely violent story so be prepared for some very graphic and bloody scenes! Great work from Michelle Madsen too for her gorgeous colours, bringing Jones’ drawings to life beautifully and in all its glorious horror.
Jones proves to be that rarest of combos: an artist who can also write! And she’s put together a compelling story here to match her remarkable artwork. The balancing act between Josie’s domestic and secret life continues to be interesting and her various hits were entertaining. Irving’s dark past from WW2 was both disturbing and morbidly compelling – it reminded me of the real-life case of 19th century serial killer HH Holmes, aka “the Beast of Chicago”.
That said, I felt a little underwhelmed after finishing the book. The main story seemed more like a subplot so I wasn’t totally satisfied. And we only get a small glimpse into Josie’s past that’ll hopefully be developed further on down the line. But it ends with a couple of tantalising cliffhangers that promises a more substantial third volume that I’ll definitely be back for.
Lady Killer continues to be a highly enjoyable series and Joelle Jones shows that she’s one helluva talented comics creator with this excellent second book – great fun, recommended!
Bravo, Joelle Jones – Lady Killer 2 is a fantastic sequel! I was absolutely blown away once again by Jones’ outstanding art. The characters’ expressions are uncannily convincing and somehow she’s able to capture a sense of kinetic energy on the page. I loved the detailed ‘60s aesthetics from the architecture to the cars, the clothes and even the kids’ toys. This is also an extremely violent story so be prepared for some very graphic and bloody scenes! Great work from Michelle Madsen too for her gorgeous colours, bringing Jones’ drawings to life beautifully and in all its glorious horror.
Jones proves to be that rarest of combos: an artist who can also write! And she’s put together a compelling story here to match her remarkable artwork. The balancing act between Josie’s domestic and secret life continues to be interesting and her various hits were entertaining. Irving’s dark past from WW2 was both disturbing and morbidly compelling – it reminded me of the real-life case of 19th century serial killer HH Holmes, aka “the Beast of Chicago”.
That said, I felt a little underwhelmed after finishing the book. The main story seemed more like a subplot so I wasn’t totally satisfied. And we only get a small glimpse into Josie’s past that’ll hopefully be developed further on down the line. But it ends with a couple of tantalising cliffhangers that promises a more substantial third volume that I’ll definitely be back for.
Lady Killer continues to be a highly enjoyable series and Joelle Jones shows that she’s one helluva talented comics creator with this excellent second book – great fun, recommended!
March 6, 2022
I probably liked this more than I should have. But that’s a nice problem to have, isn’t it?
Josie and her family have moved to Florida after the events of the first volume. Are they lying low there? Not quite. Interestingly, after Josie decided (for moral reasons) that she wanted out of the assassination business, and all the trouble this entailed, she’s going freelance now.
Well, let’s just say that the character’s arc is a little wonky. And what happened with the bad guy here (no spoilers) was just ridiculous. But it was sooo much fun. And it still is an incredibly stylish looking comic book.
Recommended for … I don’t know … I guess if you like Mad Men and female assassins then this is for you.
Josie and her family have moved to Florida after the events of the first volume. Are they lying low there? Not quite. Interestingly, after Josie decided (for moral reasons) that she wanted out of the assassination business, and all the trouble this entailed, she’s going freelance now.
Well, let’s just say that the character’s arc is a little wonky. And what happened with the bad guy here (no spoilers) was just ridiculous. But it was sooo much fun. And it still is an incredibly stylish looking comic book.
Recommended for … I don’t know … I guess if you like Mad Men and female assassins then this is for you.
January 8, 2018
Mad Men if one of the wives was secretly an assassin. Josie and her family have moved to Florida for her husband's new job. She's trying to restart her hitman business which is currently a bit low-rent. She's also having a problem disposing of the bodies. Enter an old friend who may be more trouble than he's worth.
The book looks absolutely gorgeous. Joelle Jones does such a fantastic job of marrying the typical 60's housewife with these bloody, graphic murder action sequences. The opening tupperware party is worth the price of the book alone.
Received a review copy from Dark Horse and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
The book looks absolutely gorgeous. Joelle Jones does such a fantastic job of marrying the typical 60's housewife with these bloody, graphic murder action sequences. The opening tupperware party is worth the price of the book alone.
Received a review copy from Dark Horse and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
June 11, 2018
I guess this is not the case of the comic being bad, just it being entirely not my thing. Contract killers and ultra-violence in the real world setting is something that disturbs my depressed brain deeply, so I get little enjoyment from a story like this, and I should have known better than to pick up the second part after reading the first one. Joelle Jones is an immensely talented writer and artist, and I will read whatever else she comes up with (so looking forward to Catwoman!), but Lady Killer is not a book for me.
January 5, 2018
Josie is back!!
My favorite assassin for hire who always looks flawless has relocated to Florida after the Seattle "incident" and the entire Schueller family is settling into their new routine. Gene has a new job with a very unpleasant boss, and Josie is now an independent contractor. Of course this means she now has to also handle some of the less pleasant sides of her work, like cleaning up, but she is determined to make it work! It's all rather swell until an old friend shows up with a business proposition...
Just like "Lady Killer - Volume 1" (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), this graphic novel is a delight for the eyes - so long as you like the juxtaposition of "Mad Men" and blood splatter. Jones' art is stylish, fun and has a wonderful energy: she captures her characters' emotions beautifully. She also develops their background a bit more: we get a glimpse of Josie's upbringing and of what Mother Schueller was up back in Germany... I loved that we get to see the dark stuff between the shiny 1960's surface: the scenes featuring the repulsive Mr. Robidoux are a sharp reminder that on top of the demands of her job as a killer, Josie has other more subtle horrors to worry about...
Volume 2 also ends on a tantalizing cliffhanger: I can't wait to read the next installment! This series is quickly becoming my favorite graphic novel series, with its dark humor, perfect protagonist and amazing style! 4 and half stars. Highly recommended to fans of vintage chic and slasher flicks.
My favorite assassin for hire who always looks flawless has relocated to Florida after the Seattle "incident" and the entire Schueller family is settling into their new routine. Gene has a new job with a very unpleasant boss, and Josie is now an independent contractor. Of course this means she now has to also handle some of the less pleasant sides of her work, like cleaning up, but she is determined to make it work! It's all rather swell until an old friend shows up with a business proposition...
Just like "Lady Killer - Volume 1" (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), this graphic novel is a delight for the eyes - so long as you like the juxtaposition of "Mad Men" and blood splatter. Jones' art is stylish, fun and has a wonderful energy: she captures her characters' emotions beautifully. She also develops their background a bit more: we get a glimpse of Josie's upbringing and of what Mother Schueller was up back in Germany... I loved that we get to see the dark stuff between the shiny 1960's surface: the scenes featuring the repulsive Mr. Robidoux are a sharp reminder that on top of the demands of her job as a killer, Josie has other more subtle horrors to worry about...
Volume 2 also ends on a tantalizing cliffhanger: I can't wait to read the next installment! This series is quickly becoming my favorite graphic novel series, with its dark humor, perfect protagonist and amazing style! 4 and half stars. Highly recommended to fans of vintage chic and slasher flicks.
January 1, 2018
4.5 stars
I really love this series! The tone, the art, the writing! It's all so wonderful! I just really want AMC to grab the people that made Mad Men and turn it into a television show! I know it would be an instant hit!
So, this picks up a little ways after the end of volume one. Josie and the family have moved to Florida for her husband's new job. Mother Schueller is still not Josie's biggest fan but she's keeping the secret. Josie's running things on her own now and it's a little rough at the start. I feel like this book made it clear that Josie seems to actually enjoy her job. Her husband, on the other hand, is having a terrible time with his new, lazy, chauvinistic pig of a boss. He's stressed and Josie's a little stressed handling the job and clean up on her own.
All and all, this was an entertaining volume. We get more backstory on Mother Schueller and that was interesting. I will say, there's a two page spread of the house during a particularly thrilling scene and I really, really loved the artwork in it! All of the artwork in this book is fantastic!
It ends on a cliffhanger and I'm excited to see where it goes next!
I really love this series! The tone, the art, the writing! It's all so wonderful! I just really want AMC to grab the people that made Mad Men and turn it into a television show! I know it would be an instant hit!
So, this picks up a little ways after the end of volume one. Josie and the family have moved to Florida for her husband's new job. Mother Schueller is still not Josie's biggest fan but she's keeping the secret. Josie's running things on her own now and it's a little rough at the start. I feel like this book made it clear that Josie seems to actually enjoy her job. Her husband, on the other hand, is having a terrible time with his new, lazy, chauvinistic pig of a boss. He's stressed and Josie's a little stressed handling the job and clean up on her own.
All and all, this was an entertaining volume. We get more backstory on Mother Schueller and that was interesting. I will say, there's a two page spread of the house during a particularly thrilling scene and I really, really loved the artwork in it! All of the artwork in this book is fantastic!
It ends on a cliffhanger and I'm excited to see where it goes next!
January 21, 2020
Li esse livro logo em seguida após terminar o primeiro volume e agora estou ansiosa por uma continuação.
July 14, 2018
Another really fun volume [is that the right word to use for a story about an assassin housewife? lol]. Once again I absolutely adore the artwork and overall the story is entertaining and well-paced. There were definitely a few twists here that i was not expecting and I'm really interested to see how the next volume goes after what happened at the end.
February 17, 2020
This sequel to Joelle Jones's hit series finds Josephine having to contend with a new partner and an invitation to join an assassin's union! I'm happy to say that Lady Killer 2 is better than the first installment, with what seems to be higher stakes and crazier twists and turns. And Jones's sharp-lined art is still a joy to look at. Here's hoping for more Lady Killer!
December 22, 2017
Talk about bloody, gruesome and brutal. This second volume is a lot more graphic than its predecessor but the storyline and artwork are superb!
The second volume is a strong sequel with some incredibly tense moments...and what an ending! Definitely on board for volume 3. Brilliant!
The second volume is a strong sequel with some incredibly tense moments...and what an ending! Definitely on board for volume 3. Brilliant!
August 26, 2022
📚 Hello Book Friends! LADY KILLER, VOLUME 2 by Joëlle Jones was as good as the first volume if not more. I am amazed by the amazing illustrations and by the story line. Josie is a sexy, witty, and violent killer for hire who is not afraid to get her hands dirty. Wow! Some of the scenes were gruesome but they work for this book. This is not a graphic novel for children or for the faint of heart. It is very explicit! If you can tolerate the blood and gruesomeness, you will love this series. I can only hope that a third book will be published soon to see what happens next for Josie. I will keep my fingers crossed that this will happen.
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May 13, 2018
(originally reviewed at
thelibraryladies.com
)
Given that I enjoyed the first volume of “Lady Killer” by Joëlle Jones, it was a long and difficult wait for “Volume 2” to finally come out. Assassin Housewife Josie Schuller was a character that went above and beyond my expectations in the initial tale, an archetype that could have easily fallen into sex kitten kitsch lie so many other ‘badass’ women before her (Harley Quinn, anyone?). But the strength of her character lies within her complexity, and her multifaceted life and personality makes her an intriguing and fascinating protagonist, and I was excited to see where the choices she made in the previous book took her.
When we left Josie she had broken ties from the group that hired her on as an assassin. In a rather, uh, flamboyant way. Now she and her family (consisting of her husband Gene, her twin daughters Jane and Jessica, and her suspicious mother in law Mrs. Schuller) has moved to Florida, and Josie is working as a free agent assassin as well as maintaining the role of a perfect homemaker. By day she throws cocktail parties and barbecues, by night she’s killing targets. The duality of an ideal 1960s housewife and a cold blooded killer is both hysterical, but a bit barbed as well. Even hit women need to juggle it all, and have certain facades to maintain just as many women today feel a need to do so. I love seeing Josie interact with both her targets and her family. Her love and devotion to Gene is lovely to see (especially since he’s so clueless about who she is and what she is capable of), and little interactions with her daughters shows the fierce love she has for them and keeping them safe, be it from physical dangers or loutish, inappropriate men and their ‘humor’.
One of the realities of Josie’s new life, however, is that by working solo she doesn’t have the support she had in the past, which makes flying under the radar more difficult. It was one thing to take out a target and have others there to clean up for you; it’s quite another to have to deal with it yourself, especially if you are a petite lady. I like that Jones was realistic in that Josie, capable assassin or not, struggled with body disposal and clean up, and had to turn to a shady character from the past, Irving, to help her with it all, as well as finding herself approached by another group that may want to strike a partnership. I like that Josie is frustrated that she needs help, and wants to continue her career on her own terms. But of course, with everyone having ulterior motives and underestimating the excellence that is Josie Schuller, nothing can come easy, and she finds herself the victim of the toxic assumptions that even though she’s a trained killer, ultimately she’s a woman, and therefore exploitable. The themes are evergreen, aren’t they?
Speaking of underestimating women, Josie isn’t immune to it. We get some background to her crabby and suspicious mother in law, Mrs. Schuller, who up until now Josie has seen as a mere thorn in her side. Turns out, Mrs. Schuller has a lot of stuff she’s been hiding, and some of her knowledge and backstory sparks off some dangers for Josie, and in turn their shared family. I am going to go into this a bit because I have a lot to say and dissect with this revelation, so consider this your warning for spoilers: As it turns out, Mrs. Schuller used to work as a clerk for the Nazis. She’s now living a secret life in the U.S., hiding her past from those around her. I personally was uncomfortable with this revelation. While I like that it helped propel another plot line further along, it feels gross to me that this woman is pretty much getting off scott free as of now for being an honest to God Nazi. I appreciate the device of her being able to recognize ‘badness’ when she sees it, and that it means that she has some, um, skills that may come in handy down the line, but ultimately I really dislike that she is a foil to Josie. It’s a monster recognizing a ‘monster’ kind of situation, and I find it hypocritical that she wants Josie away from her son and grandchildren when she actively helped commit genocide. It’s a huge blip in what had, up until that point, been a stellar story, and sets it off kilter for me. But if we are willing to set aside the whole Nazi thing, it does show some interesting parallels between Josie and her mother in law, and how they both love their family fiercely in the face of hiding very large and very dangerous secrets. Secrets that can’t keep sustaining themselves.The idea that Gene will forever be in the dark about Josie’s profession is a tedious one, and I was worried that we would continue to see Josie making roasts, stirring martinis, and keeping him in the dark to a laughable degree. But Jones makes a pretty ballsy decision in this volume that lays the groundwork for Josie’s perfect facade to start cracking as things become more and more out of control. We are left on a pretty big cliffhanger and potential gamechanger about this, as well as the return of someone who could REALLY mess things up for Josie’s personal life.
So Nazi storyline aside, I really enjoyed “Lady Killer: Volume 2”, and the growth and shift that Josie Schuller maneuvers within in. I had to wait so long for this volume, and I have the feeling the the next one will also be a wait. It’s one that I am more than willing to wait for, though. However impatient I may be.
Given that I enjoyed the first volume of “Lady Killer” by Joëlle Jones, it was a long and difficult wait for “Volume 2” to finally come out. Assassin Housewife Josie Schuller was a character that went above and beyond my expectations in the initial tale, an archetype that could have easily fallen into sex kitten kitsch lie so many other ‘badass’ women before her (Harley Quinn, anyone?). But the strength of her character lies within her complexity, and her multifaceted life and personality makes her an intriguing and fascinating protagonist, and I was excited to see where the choices she made in the previous book took her.
When we left Josie she had broken ties from the group that hired her on as an assassin. In a rather, uh, flamboyant way. Now she and her family (consisting of her husband Gene, her twin daughters Jane and Jessica, and her suspicious mother in law Mrs. Schuller) has moved to Florida, and Josie is working as a free agent assassin as well as maintaining the role of a perfect homemaker. By day she throws cocktail parties and barbecues, by night she’s killing targets. The duality of an ideal 1960s housewife and a cold blooded killer is both hysterical, but a bit barbed as well. Even hit women need to juggle it all, and have certain facades to maintain just as many women today feel a need to do so. I love seeing Josie interact with both her targets and her family. Her love and devotion to Gene is lovely to see (especially since he’s so clueless about who she is and what she is capable of), and little interactions with her daughters shows the fierce love she has for them and keeping them safe, be it from physical dangers or loutish, inappropriate men and their ‘humor’.
One of the realities of Josie’s new life, however, is that by working solo she doesn’t have the support she had in the past, which makes flying under the radar more difficult. It was one thing to take out a target and have others there to clean up for you; it’s quite another to have to deal with it yourself, especially if you are a petite lady. I like that Jones was realistic in that Josie, capable assassin or not, struggled with body disposal and clean up, and had to turn to a shady character from the past, Irving, to help her with it all, as well as finding herself approached by another group that may want to strike a partnership. I like that Josie is frustrated that she needs help, and wants to continue her career on her own terms. But of course, with everyone having ulterior motives and underestimating the excellence that is Josie Schuller, nothing can come easy, and she finds herself the victim of the toxic assumptions that even though she’s a trained killer, ultimately she’s a woman, and therefore exploitable. The themes are evergreen, aren’t they?
Speaking of underestimating women, Josie isn’t immune to it. We get some background to her crabby and suspicious mother in law, Mrs. Schuller, who up until now Josie has seen as a mere thorn in her side. Turns out, Mrs. Schuller has a lot of stuff she’s been hiding, and some of her knowledge and backstory sparks off some dangers for Josie, and in turn their shared family. I am going to go into this a bit because I have a lot to say and dissect with this revelation, so consider this your warning for spoilers: As it turns out, Mrs. Schuller used to work as a clerk for the Nazis. She’s now living a secret life in the U.S., hiding her past from those around her. I personally was uncomfortable with this revelation. While I like that it helped propel another plot line further along, it feels gross to me that this woman is pretty much getting off scott free as of now for being an honest to God Nazi. I appreciate the device of her being able to recognize ‘badness’ when she sees it, and that it means that she has some, um, skills that may come in handy down the line, but ultimately I really dislike that she is a foil to Josie. It’s a monster recognizing a ‘monster’ kind of situation, and I find it hypocritical that she wants Josie away from her son and grandchildren when she actively helped commit genocide. It’s a huge blip in what had, up until that point, been a stellar story, and sets it off kilter for me. But if we are willing to set aside the whole Nazi thing, it does show some interesting parallels between Josie and her mother in law, and how they both love their family fiercely in the face of hiding very large and very dangerous secrets. Secrets that can’t keep sustaining themselves.The idea that Gene will forever be in the dark about Josie’s profession is a tedious one, and I was worried that we would continue to see Josie making roasts, stirring martinis, and keeping him in the dark to a laughable degree. But Jones makes a pretty ballsy decision in this volume that lays the groundwork for Josie’s perfect facade to start cracking as things become more and more out of control. We are left on a pretty big cliffhanger and potential gamechanger about this, as well as the return of someone who could REALLY mess things up for Josie’s personal life.
So Nazi storyline aside, I really enjoyed “Lady Killer: Volume 2”, and the growth and shift that Josie Schuller maneuvers within in. I had to wait so long for this volume, and I have the feeling the the next one will also be a wait. It’s one that I am more than willing to wait for, though. However impatient I may be.
April 6, 2018
Enjoyed this but would have gotten more if I had read first volume. dunno why the library gets volume 2 but no 1.
May 13, 2020
I was anxious to read this new chapter, even if with a little delay compared to its publication.
We find the Schuller family in Florida where Josie continues her dual activity as a Tupperware seller and freelance killer.
From the first pages we see Josie's double side: not only a charming woman, professional in her job of a saleswoman, mother, wife and impeccable housewife, but a ruthless, brutal and bloodthirsty killer, who transforms the murders into a chaos of blood and mangled meat. In this adventure there will be many problems that she will have to face without a breathing space, both inside the family and outside.
There is always a vein of dark humor, combined with the excellent artwork, which make the most of the bloody scenes, but also the traits of the various characters, especially Josie and Irving.
Congratulations to Joëlle Jones and Michelle Madsen for the excellent work. After the incredible ending of this story, I can't wait to read the next issue.
We find the Schuller family in Florida where Josie continues her dual activity as a Tupperware seller and freelance killer.
From the first pages we see Josie's double side: not only a charming woman, professional in her job of a saleswoman, mother, wife and impeccable housewife, but a ruthless, brutal and bloodthirsty killer, who transforms the murders into a chaos of blood and mangled meat. In this adventure there will be many problems that she will have to face without a breathing space, both inside the family and outside.
There is always a vein of dark humor, combined with the excellent artwork, which make the most of the bloody scenes, but also the traits of the various characters, especially Josie and Irving.
Congratulations to Joëlle Jones and Michelle Madsen for the excellent work. After the incredible ending of this story, I can't wait to read the next issue.
Read
December 27, 2017Some of my favorite art and one of my favorite comic arcs. I've got to impatiently wait for the third volume now.
If I had an aesthetic, it'd be Lady Killer: vintage, chic, and also without fear of getting dirty as hell to get the job done. Maybe less murderous, but you never know.
If I had an aesthetic, it'd be Lady Killer: vintage, chic, and also without fear of getting dirty as hell to get the job done. Maybe less murderous, but you never know.
February 4, 2018
Josie is BACK and better than ever. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this graphic series - I just want them to come out more quickly!!
May 7, 2021
We pick with Josie and her family moving to Florida and her going free lance assassination but then Irving comes in and offers her partnership with him doing the cleanup and she gets an offer from Mr Hawley of some assassin-guild but when things go sideways and when her mother in law tells her the truth about Irving and who he really is and when she wants out, Irving becomes a big threat for her family and all and so Josie has to go in and take him out to protect her family but the cost is too high and the way Eugene is involved is fascinating but then the ending, the guy who returns is awesome! This was a great volume and had such big personal costs for Josie when everything comes crashing down for her and the art is just fabulous be it the expanded or the close up sequence shots, just wow, brutal and all that! I hope the other volume comes out soon, its fascinating!
January 9, 2018
This was such a good installment!! I absolutely loved it. I hope that she continues this story because it's an amazing concept with fun and interesting characters and a plot line that's to die for (haha did you see what I did there :D ). Anyway, if you haven't picked up this series yet I would definitely recommend it. I haven't seen a lot of people read this series and I think this is the year that I am going to push this series. Seriously! If you haven't read it it's time to pick it up.
June 28, 2018
Bullet Review:
Well I'll be. I did NOT see that coming.
The last volume had a great premise, but the ending didn't make me think this volume had much legs. I wasn't expecting much from volume 2, but damn, Jones did it. She found out how to continue the series.
This is a great example of a series you may skip over because of a lackluster volume 1, but volume 2 is much stronger.
I'm interested in where the story goes from here.
Well I'll be. I did NOT see that coming.
The last volume had a great premise, but the ending didn't make me think this volume had much legs. I wasn't expecting much from volume 2, but damn, Jones did it. She found out how to continue the series.
This is a great example of a series you may skip over because of a lackluster volume 1, but volume 2 is much stronger.
I'm interested in where the story goes from here.
December 4, 2020
Lady Killer, Volume 2 by Joëlle Jones is a great follow up to the first installment. It was so much fun to be back. It was great to be back. I love the pitch black sense of humor. I hope one day we'll get to see more of Josie in the future.
February 13, 2019
As concluded from the previous book, Josie is now free and deciding to "go solo". But everything comes with a price and being on your own brings a hardship. The second book of Ladykiller is a bit darker, rougher and there is more drama - thanks to that it seems a little bit better than previous one, but the premise and the storytelling are the same. The end is nice, and if I add experience from the first book, I must say I really enjoyed this comics story about Josie, the housewife assassin.
October 18, 2021
The hitwoman homemaker is back at it, in this stunningly illustrated series. The violence in LADY KILLER is as intentionally ridiculous as Tarantino--although the victims here bleed black, not red; I suppose it would make sense that comic book characters would bleed ink! However, the more easily overlooked aspect is the incredible attention to period detail. I have a fondness for the kitschy '50s aesthetic, and there is so much here to love, from tailfins to Tupperware--even meticulously detailed wallpaper.
August 6, 2023
Josie goes into business for herself and learns that cleaning up is actually the hard part. Irving charms his way into a partnership with a hesitant Josie: she does the killing, he handles the disposal. She gets to stick with what she's best at and he gets a way to keep busy during his golden years. Except she can't get him to stop dropping in on her family...
Volume 2 zooms along just as fast as did v1...a bit too fast, honestly. It feels like non-stop battle scenes and contract killings (never fear, every victim is an asshole so the reader has permission to keep rooting for the protagonist). Lady Killer could really afford to pause, take a breath, and spend a little time on plot and characterization.
There's a wonderful flashback to Josie's childhood with her bitter, determined mother in a situation that made me go...yeah, that actually makes sense.
Gorgeous gorgeous art. Love the abutment of rigorously pleasant '50s stylishness and relentless violence. And Jones has the knack for digestible action scenes. I never have to work to figure out what's happening.
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Standout illustration: a beautiful two-page cutaway shot of a house that perfectly lays out the field of battle for Josie, an approaching enemy, and some cowering innocents.
Volume 2 zooms along just as fast as did v1...a bit too fast, honestly. It feels like non-stop battle scenes and contract killings (never fear, every victim is an asshole so the reader has permission to keep rooting for the protagonist). Lady Killer could really afford to pause, take a breath, and spend a little time on plot and characterization.
There's a wonderful flashback to Josie's childhood with her bitter, determined mother in a situation that made me go...yeah, that actually makes sense.
Gorgeous gorgeous art. Love the abutment of rigorously pleasant '50s stylishness and relentless violence. And Jones has the knack for digestible action scenes. I never have to work to figure out what's happening.
-------------------------
Standout illustration: a beautiful two-page cutaway shot of a house that perfectly lays out the field of battle for Josie, an approaching enemy, and some cowering innocents.
May 14, 2022
Aslında üç buçuk yıldız. Dörde de yuvarlanırdı belki ama dört fazla iyi bir puan :)
İlk ciltte tahmin edip incelemede yazdığım gibi, başta Reinhardt ve büyükanne cephesi olmak üzere hikaye derinlik kazandı. İşin aksiyon kısmı da güzelleşti.
Fakat ilk cilt incelemede ucundan bahsettiğim gelişmelerin cereyan etmesi, yani “tahmin edilebilir” seyir işin sürprizini bırakmadı pek (bu okurlara da yaranılmaz canım swh)
Baskıdaki yer yer net olmayan kareler maalesef bu sayıda da mevcut.
Çok fazla sürprizi olmayan, görsel estetik anlamında vadettiğini veren ortalama ama keyifli bir okuma sunuyor.
Bazı kitapları okuduğumda “bu çizgi romandan daha iyi anlatılamazdı” intibaı oluşur. Lady Killer serisi ise Tarantino elinde (başyapıt olmasa da… gerçi yönetmen dehası materyali dönüştürebilir belki…) seyirlik, eğlenceli bir cumartesi filmi olur diye düşündüm. Kesin film haklarını birileri almıştır. Çekerlerse görürüz öngörümüzün akibetini.
İlk ciltte tahmin edip incelemede yazdığım gibi, başta Reinhardt ve büyükanne cephesi olmak üzere hikaye derinlik kazandı. İşin aksiyon kısmı da güzelleşti.
Fakat ilk cilt incelemede ucundan bahsettiğim gelişmelerin cereyan etmesi, yani “tahmin edilebilir” seyir işin sürprizini bırakmadı pek (bu okurlara da yaranılmaz canım swh)
Baskıdaki yer yer net olmayan kareler maalesef bu sayıda da mevcut.
Çok fazla sürprizi olmayan, görsel estetik anlamında vadettiğini veren ortalama ama keyifli bir okuma sunuyor.
Bazı kitapları okuduğumda “bu çizgi romandan daha iyi anlatılamazdı” intibaı oluşur. Lady Killer serisi ise Tarantino elinde (başyapıt olmasa da… gerçi yönetmen dehası materyali dönüştürebilir belki…) seyirlik, eğlenceli bir cumartesi filmi olur diye düşündüm. Kesin film haklarını birileri almıştır. Çekerlerse görürüz öngörümüzün akibetini.
November 20, 2017
ORIGINALLY POSTED: https://bibliomantics.com/2017/11/19/...
Professional assassin/Tupperware saleswoman Josie is back and bloodier than ever. With her nuclear family now living in sunny, Cocoa Beach, Florida, Josie is struggling with the challenges of being a freelance murderer, all while trying to keep the literal skeletons in her closet hidden from her unsuspecting husband. What could go right?
Professional assassin/Tupperware saleswoman Josie is back and bloodier than ever. With her nuclear family now living in sunny, Cocoa Beach, Florida, Josie is struggling with the challenges of being a freelance murderer, all while trying to keep the literal skeletons in her closet hidden from her unsuspecting husband. What could go right?
January 1, 2020
This was definitely more gritty than the previous one. I just wanted mah poor Josie to clear things up with her husband tho HAHAHA. This one's definitely a looker than the first volume though and I really love how the environment were well drawn and laid out. IT'S GOT THE 60'S ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER DANG STRAIGHT. Still love this and I really want to read the third volume as soon as it gets published huhuh
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