I enjoy comics. Often I enjoy good comics. Occasionally I have enjoyed a great comic. It is a rare event for me though, to read that special comic that has moved me. Reading to oneself is a solitary activity. When a book connects you to the artist – when you can feel the emotion that was put into a story and you become charged by that emotion – that is an experience you’ll always remember. It’s also one that will compel you to share that story with others. Pretty Deadly compelled me to tell you to pick up a copy of issue #1 on Wednesday because it is that kind of special story. One told by phenomenally talented storytellers Kelly Sue DeConnick, Emma Rios, and Jordie Bellaire.
The story is a Western tale with some great mystical elements thrown in with a carefully subtle measure. There could be magic, but this story could also just be about good old fashioned revenge. What is clear, is that the way in which the story is told could be a magical thing in itself. The book mixes story dialogue with poetry. As the story unfolds, an old fashioned kind of comic on a tapestry is unrolled. The prime characters begin to tell the story of the tapestry as the comic narrative deftly weaves through the panels. Once the telling of the tapestry is over, and the travelling story tellers are paid for their tale, they continue on through rest of the comic with Old West action hot on their heels in the form of Ginny, the daughter of Death.
The art is the kind that you drink in and then put the book down feeling refreshed.
That tone of writing and art is changed throughout the book by the ever wonderful coloring of Jordie Bellaire. DeConnick and Rios couldn’t have picked a better colorist to work with. Rios’s pencils are soft but at times hurried. Her pencils are never lazy though. Rios matches DeConnicks words in a pace that pushes the story forward when necessary, but slows it down again so you don’t read too quickly. The art is the kind that you drink in and then put the book down feeling refreshed.
Kelly Sue DeConnick’s words are what moved me. Although the art of Pretty Deadly was spectacular, it was the heart of the book and the afterword that confirmed my interpretation of the story they’re telling. Pretty Deadly #1 ends with a set of short stories about events that happened to DeConnick in different parts of her past. Those events, tied together, are like the feathers of the wings that helped this book to fly. We’ve all had an experience in our past where we felt like we were falling. Sometimes we are lucky enough to have support, and are lifted through the experience. Other times falling down can be the lesson. I’m looking forward to finding out which one of those experiences this book will take me down.
Writer: Kelly Sue DeConnick
Artist: Emma Rios
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Publication Date: October 23, 2013
Cover Price: $3.50
Preview pages courtesy of Image Comics
Let me know what you thought about the book in the comments or on Twitter @MarkAvo.