We just ended the previous volume, is it really time to launch a new one?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Aspen:

An all-new direction for the Executive Assistant that started it all begins right now!

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT IRIS is free from the murky past that has haunted her fate and threatened her existence up until this point. Now, with her former master Ching, the mastermind Mazutsu and the CIA a distant memory, Iris will painstakingly discover that the start of a new life for an Executive Assistant can be anything…but free from danger!

It may seem like a questionable tactic to launch another version of this title, but that’s just what’s being done here and to the creative team’s credit it’s quite effective.  It’s not a perfect relaunch but there’s more than enough good to garner the attention of any comic buyer that’s looking for a bit of a different experience.

Brian Buccellato pens the script and he nails the inner dialogue that makes Iris a protagonist that’s worth rooting for.  I was instantly impressed with the text encased in this outing, but it was the story itself that certainly carried a fair amount of flair and spice to sell me on its concept.  If you’re not familiar with the Executive Assistant franchise don’t worry, because the author sees fit to write this as if the whole saga is starting, not quite over, but on a proper jump on point.

The art by Pasquale Qualano is stylistic in nature as he uses minimalist sensibilities to build the visual side of this violent and somewhat complicated world. There were a few instances where the lack of concrete details and odd angles did a bit of a disservice to the whole package.  Even so, when the action started I was impressed with the talent’s ability to anchor banter and temper violence to a tasteful level.

All New Executive Assistant: Iris #1 is a really good comic that starts things off with a bang, but for fans that just wrapped up Executive Extinction it might be a bit jarring.  Recommended.

4/5