It seems there’s at least one new #1 coming out of Image every week, each petitioning a place in the collective eye of comic fandom. Even so, “Pretty Deadly” looks to make a lasting impression right out of the gate, from its visually striking cover to the perplexing and gorgeous contents within.
Written by Kelly Sue DeConnick
Illustrated by Emma RíosKELLY SUE DECONNICK (Avengers Assemble, Captain Marvel) & EMMA RÍOS (Dr. Strange, Osborn) reunite to bring you an all-new ongoing series that marries the magical realism of Sandman with the western brutality of Preacher. Death’s daughter rides the wind on a horse made of smoke and her face bears the skull marks of her father. Her tale of retribution is as beautifully lush as it is unflinchingly savage.
At first glance, “Pretty Deadly” has a lot in common with the fellow Image published “East of West.” Both books have a surreal Western setting, employ nonlinear storytelling, and center on the personification of Death. Fortunately, even with such similarities in the series DNA, “Pretty Deadly” feels quite unique.
“Pretty Deadly” seems to center around the story of at least two young girls with an apparent connection. I say seems, because nothing in “Pretty Deadly” #1 is cut and dry. We learn of the first, “Deathface” Ginny, through the second, “The Girl in the Vulture Cloak” (and no, the latter is not the name of a Steig Larsson novel). Yes, the former may not even be real (and if she is, her name might not even be Ginny). The full scope of the series is only hinted at through a large enigmatic cast with unknown motives and associations. If you’re like me and found the previously cited “East of West” to be a tad obtuse in its debut, you might find yourself somewhat in over your head here.
That’s not to say the book is subpar or inaccessible, but rather that DeConnick and Rios force the reader to open their minds to this bizarre new world they have created. And what a world it is; soaked in the sharp contrast of Bellaire’s candy coated color palette, Emma Rios’ vision is truly breathtaking. Her style feels like something out of another age entirely. As the solicitations text implies, “Pretty Deadly” feels right at home with with the greats of the early Vertigo era. There’s also a heavy, Alan Moore “Swamp Thing” vibe at play, both visually and tonally.
The art team displays a terrific level of experimentation. Bellaire blends sensible, real world colors with bubblegum highlights; a freshly fired pistol trails soft, pink smoke, a captivating tale comes to live in vivid shades of orange and yellow, and the trail of a bullet leaves a purple streak against the cold blue of a twilight sky. The disconnect between what is and what should be keeps the reader on his or her toes, never quite sure what to make of this deceptively simple place.
Likewise, Rios shakes things up with wonderfully unconventional panel structure. Several pages appear at first glance to be a simple splash page, often with superimposed panels covering the underlying scene. On closer inspection, one finds that these open pages are a collage of images unbound by lines. This open page structure allows Rios to reel the reader into a given scene, giving pertinent visual cues while the smaller inset panels carry the plot forward. It’s a fantastic blending of story and art that only comics can accomplish.
While Rios and Bellaire’s work is far from straightforward, DeConnick’s plot is almost unnavigable, though this is likely by design rather than failings of DeConnick as a writer. Through the disembodied narration of the “bunny” and the “butterfly,” the reader is thrown head first into a web of tangentially connected characters. Paralleling the leads of fellow Western staple True Grit, the grizzled, enigmatic Fox and “Sissy” a.k.a. the Girl in the Vulture Cloak form the anchor by which readers find grounding. DeConnick introduces a myriad of interesting supporting characters through their dealings with this duo, with each relationship and interaction foreboding an impending doom or importance, and the absolute lack of context makes the issue more of a puzzle than a singular story (or a story, within a story, within a story, as it were).
Continued belowDeConnick is very much going for the mystery angle. As such, my interpretation of the issue’s plot, or that of any other individual, should be taken with a grain of salt. DeConnick leaves this opening chapter, quite purposely I imagine, wide open to interpretation.
Because of this, “Pretty Deadly” allows for more of an open experience than a point A to B journey. I would say this book has the potential to become a “water cooler comic,” but that term short changes “Pretty Deadly” considerably. This creative team is playing with heavy concepts, not just thematically but artistically and functionally as well. There’s a surprising amount of content densely packed within these 24 pages that will demand several re-reads and any number of high-brow discussions, preferably deep into the night.
Final Verdict: 9.3 – Most Definitely Buy. DeConnick, Ríos, and Bellaire crush any notion of the comics industry as a “boy’s club.”
