Another in the “Hit List Agenda” crossover wraps up this week with Executive Assistant: Lotus. It’s a solid ending for the series and still the second best in the series, coming up second only to Orchid. It plays a bigger role in the events happening in Iris, but it still leaves a bit of mystery for how the entire crossover is going to end. We saw at the ending of the last issue that Lotus was being betrayed by her employer and this issue is that show down. Lotus has served Virat for years and thought she had his forgiveness for killing his daughter, it turns out that he wanted to use her and then kill her which takes away all sympathy for his character. It also doesn’t make much sense, since she had come to him to be killed in the beginning and he declined. It’s just a very strange revenge plan if you ask me. At any rate the newly trained and computer chip controlled Executive Assistants are sent for Lotus and she must dispatch them the best she can. She manages to take down two of them, but then finds herself being choked out by some gas from a third.

Low and behold our series jumping Iris shows up to save her. It’s clear by this issue that Iris is being sent to take out the other executive assistant’s employers either due to a shady business deal gone wrong or for other yet to be revealed reasons. Iris and Lotus now find themselves with only a gun and a sword as they take on five more well trained e.a.’s before they can kill Virat.

It’s a very fast paced issue that is solely focused on the action. After all the story progressed as far as it could by the end of the last issue leaving only the resolution. It’s a decent issue because of the action, but it sadly lacks the detailed narrative that the first issue so prominently displayed. I enjoyed the nuances that Vince Hernandez used in his action sequences, but as the series has progressed they’ve become less and less. The narration instead focuses on Lotus’ betrayal and her strategy for survival.

The ending is descent and matches the series thus far, but it’s still a bit lack luster and doesn’t do the strong character of Lotus justice. Of all the series in the crossover she was the most likeable character and I would be interested in another series featuring her and that’s a credit to this series for sure. That’s not to say it was perfect, but it was good and entertaining and sparked enough interested to desire not only to know the outcome of the “Hit List Agenda”, but also what the future has in store for Lotus.

Score: 3/5

Publisher: Aspen Comics

Price: $3.50