Welcome to this week’s edition of The Comic Book Virgin, the series where I dive headfirst into the world of comics and never look back.
This week: “Pretty Deadly“.
After hearing all about Kelly Sue DeConnick for the longest time, I finally got to read some of her work. And let me be the first to say, damn. “Pretty Deadly” is absolutely wicked. The story bounces between the present and the past. It begins with Bunny telling Butterfly a story; the story of Death’s little girl, Ginny, and those around her. It’s absolutely mesmerizing.
The setting is that of a Wild West town, as well as the countryside surrounding it. The art, done by Emma Rios and Jordie Bellaire, is exquisite. Each character is distinct, and the dark colors blend nicely together without it being too bland.
The story, like I said, is that of an old Western drama. Sissy and the Old Man appear to be vagabonds on the run. They tour different towns and tell the story of Deathface Ginny, the ethereal daughter of Death and a beautiful woman. Sissy runs into Johnny, a man who gives her a binder which appears to be very important. It’s hard to say what Johnny is, considering he spends most of the first issue in bed because of a gunshot wound given to him by Big Alice. After the Old Man finds out that Sissy has the binder, they go on a long winded journey to try to outrun Deathface Ginny and Big Alice, both after them for their own reasons.
Over all, I enjoyed “Pretty Deadly“. I thought that the story was interesting, if a little confusing, and that the art was really good. Each of the characters were well written and flawed in their own way, which I also liked. Imperfect people make for a better story; it’s true in comics and in real life.
That’s all for this week. Read it yourself and tell me what you think!