Josie And The Pussycats #3: The Inherent Moral Ambiguity In Society (And A Beach Party!)

The issue starts off with a now-standard scenario. Josie, Alexandra, and Melody are successfully performing, this time on a beach. It looks to be going very well. They have a decent-sized crowd and the gig appears to be for a special event. It's definitely a step up from solo performances in a coffee shop. Alan is even there, much to Josie's delight. In between performing for the crowd, she can be seen happily flirting with Alan. Unfortunately, Alexandra arrives to ruin it. Melody sums her newest scheme up succinctly.

Melody's secret ambitions? Teaching a college Economics course.

This time, Alexandra's incredibly ostentatious plan to upstage Josie involves hoverboards, live animals wearing t-shirts promoting herself, and other free merchandise. And, yes, the flame from the hoverboards can turn sand to glass. Comic book science returns! However, that's where the formula changes. Alan and Josie abandom the rest of the group to go off and chat. Josie reveals the backstory for why Alexandra hates her so much, or, at least, her version of it. After an incident with a t-shirt cannon, she swims off to confront her nemesis, and that's where the other side of the story comes into play.

'Frog on a unicycle' is my new favorite insult and I resolve to use it whenever possible.

You see, Alexandra may be a huge jerk, but she's a Shakespeare-quoting jerk and she's generally honest. She reveals that Josie isn't as squeaky-clean as you might believe. She uses people, discarding them when they can no longer benefit her, citing Josie's earlier abandonment of Valerie and Melody as an example.

In a way, it does make sense. I do like the expanded character development for Josie and Alexandra, showing how not everything in life is simple and clear-cut. It's really impressive and a testament to the comic's quality that it can get so subsversive so early in the series. The sudden emotional ambiguity and darkness is even commented on in the issue itself with a Bojack Horseman reference.

BoJosie And The Horsie-cats, coming to Netflix this fall. Mr. Peanutbutter is the mascot.

Josie And The Pussycats #3 is written by Marguerite Bennett and Cameron Deordio and drawn by Audrey Mok. You can find it at your local comic book shop.

Zachary Krishef is an evil genius. Do not question his knowledge of Saturday Night Live trivia or Harry Potter books.