Dark Horse Comics 2015
Written by Joelle Jones & Jamie S. Rich
Illustrated by Joelle Jones
Coloured by Laura Allred
First let me say the Seattle World’s Fair promo in that old cartoon style animation on the page was PERFECT! If you haven’t seen it open to the first page and take a gander because it’s spot on what it should look like. I’m sad that this is the last issue of the arc but I will hold out hope that they will come back with another adventure in the future because with Mad Men having ended I miss this era where everyone dressed to go out and an idyllic lifestyle was portrayed, though never really lived, and just what it represented.
So Josie and Ruby set things up to get to Peck and the men so they could finally be free to live their lives their way. What a better setting than the Seattle World’s Fair for this happen at too. With old rides in the backgrounds showcasing the research done is brilliantly portrayed. Josie is such an intelligent woman she’s got the brains, style and sophistication not to mention the Jackie O look to her that makes her so darn interesting, deadly and unmistakably fun. She’s right too it wasn’t hard to get Peck and the Boss man’s attention.
What I found even more exciting is that Gene brought the family to the Fair to see her hard at work. Alright now I’m sorry but we’ve not seen nearly enough of Mother Schuller and seeing this issue and what she goes through, experiences and witnesses well this needs more attention as well and hopefully garner Josie more respect that she’s given her in the past.
The action sequences are superbly done! This showcases to me that a woman can be just as effective, deadly and capable as any man. She’s tough as nails and a no nonsense woman who does her job to the best of her ability and doesn’t make excuses for what she does and that is why she’s so damn fun to read. So Josie manages to create a supporting cast for herself including Ruby and Irving, though Irving or Reinhardt is also a man Mother Schuller recognizes from the War making things even more complicated and interesting. She needs these kinds of people around well if they all survive this insane encounter.
Peck started out as this fun good looking interesting guy trying to be her side or snide love interest and protector but turned into something totally different and that transformation isn’t so unexpected but it is remarkable. I love that he can go to being that guy to this one so easily is scary good stuff.
There’s a two part ending here the first of which i’ve wanting to see more of since the first time we saw Josie and Mother Schuller talk the second well not only did it fit right into the first issue but the conversation with her husband leaves the door wide open for something new for her in the future.
There’s so many reasons to love this book from it’s concept, execution and the research that went into making it as authentic and believable as it is.