The brand new volume continues, but is there enough substance to attract both seasoned followers and hopeful newcomers?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Aspen:

It¹s an all-new direction for the Executive Assistant that started it all!

Shao and his cadre of armed mercenaries confront Iris and Maly, but the true conflict is not found in their present‹but, in their past. The brutal sacrifice of Maly¹s actions many years ago have now come back to haunt her, and force Iris to make a decision she¹s not entire comfortable making. A decision that could be extremely dangerous for her future!

What makes this comic book work is the fact that the creative team knows the protagonist well enough to deliver a tale that’s befitting.  The final result is a character driven journey that exists on enough levels to create something that may not be wholly original but is nonetheless engaging.

Brian Buccellato pens the script and that author impressed me.  First and foremost he knows our Executive Assistant well enough to set-up a client and an antagonist that push and pull on her core mechanics.  The direct result of the text is a tale that offers a narrative that invites definition to the information provided while elevating the smarts of Iris.  She knows that she’s being played and even with that entered into her consideration she still does the heroic thing and takes on a mission that puts her personal stakes directly into the proverbial cross-hairs.

The art by Pasquale Qualano complements the written word enough to keep the momentum of the piece moving briskly.  The talent has an eye for detail, even during the complicated action sequences that required precision and a keen interpretation.  There were a couple instances where individual renditions seemed to be a tad bit off but for the most part the illustrator delivered a more than capable display.

All New Executive Assistant: Iris #2 is a really good follow up to a potent beginning.  It may not play with the landscape left in the wake of Executive Extinction but it still earns a recommendation.

4/5