By Kelly Gaines

Assassinistas #2 turns bringing your child to work on its head in a well-paced and hilarious way. For anyone who missed issue one, #2 starts out with a brief recap, laying the groundwork for the bizarre spy adventure ahead. The premise is simply stated, but nonetheless unique. A college guy and his boyfriend (Dominic and Taylor)  tag along with his ex-bounty hunter mother (Octavia) to solve the kidnapping of a little boy. The catch? The little boy is the son of one of her former teammates- one currently too pregnant to take the case herself. The other catch? The case may bring the former “Assassinistas” a little closer to home than they expected.

This issue was a quick and fun read. The plot moves from the awkwardness of smoking a joint with your mom to the palpable stress of being pregnant while having a missing child with steady rhythm. The narrative is only slightly interrupted by chunks given to convey the stats and history of The Assassinistas as a team. Even so, it’s notable that these expository breaks don’t pull the reader out of the story, and offer an extra layer of character development to thicken the plot. I can definitely say that I am looking forward to seeing what Octavia pulls Dominic and Taylor into next, and whether or not the boys learn to comfortably navigate the bounty hunter lifestyle.

As for the Assassinistas art style, artist Gilbert Hernandez gives the book a very straightforward look reminiscent of punk rock album covers and 1990’s ‘zines’. The main question I ask myself when critiquing a comic’s art is whether or not the art fits the story, or distract the reader from fully engaging with the text. Hernandez’s art fits the gritty flash of Assasinista’s style like a custom bullet in an illegally purchased gun (ahem, Octavia). Assassinistas has the potential to appeal to comic fans of multiple genres. It’s a read worth checking out.

Score: 3/5

Assassinistas #2
Writer: Tini Howard
Artist: Gilbert Hernandez
Colorist: Rob Davis
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Publisher: Black Crown/IDW