All New Executive Assistant: Iris #5 Review

Does this comic book hit its mark or miss it entirely? Read on to find out.

The official description from Aspen:

The thrilling climax to this all new volume!

Executive Assistant Iris must square off against the full wrath of the deadly Han Li Shao, in an all-out battle for the survival of Cherry Blossom. And the ramifications of this epic struggle will lead to a rather stunning direction in Iris’ future!

In the wide world we live in there have been countless entries that have showed the open space that is the current literary market. From Tarzan to SpongeBob and everything in between there are all kinds of titles out there just looking for an audience. And if you happen to be someone who enjoys seeing strong women kick some serious butt while striking a pose than this is a series for you.

Brian Buccellato pens a script that calls for action via a school full of assassins with the fate of Cherry Blossom in the balance. The core of this outing, strangely enough, is not the titular character but rather the girl caught in between her feuding parents. As a climax the author does a fine job wrapping up but the whole of the tale felt like it needed a bit more meat to make the final emotional punch stick. Even so I found myself pleased as fans surely gather around and wait for the next volume of this Executive Assistant franchise.

From Iris to Han Li Shao Pasquale Qualano has the right level of skill to artfully bring this entry to life. The talent never over analyzes any panel as a minimalist sense is put to work all the way through the final page. Even with the colors by John Starr added in there were a couple instances where the poses were a bit too silly for my taste. But the final product did get the job done.

All New Executive Assistant: Iris #5 is a solid yarn that never seeks to be more than an action romp with attractive women and there’s nothing wrong with that. Recommended.