Pretty Deadly 2 review

Pretty Deadly 1 was, in terms of quality, the best comic I read last month. It somehow combined a western, a fairy tale, mythology, a mystery and poetry into one comic. There were so many layers of storytelling, and so much going on that you really had to read it more than once to understand anything. The more you read it, the clearer everything is. And yet there’s still a lot of mystery that had yet to be revealed.

Pretty Deadly 2 isn’t quite as good as the first issue, but that’s no fault of its own. It’s purely a continuation of the first issue, and thus you won’t fully appreciate it without reading the first. Even so, this comic also needs several readings to grasp what’s going on. Ginny, Death’s daughter, is revealed in full about half-way through. She isn’t much for words, which only makes her more mysterious and frightening. Most of the other characters from the first issue also appear, but their roles are reduced to make way for Ginny.

Death’s daughter is showcased in a marvellously brutal action scene that wouldn’t be out of place in an exploitation film. There’s decapitation, masochists intentionally slicing their own faces open, and a few particularly brutal panels that’ll either make you wince or giggle. It’s also where the art really shines, with a smooth sense of motion and good use of visual storytelling.  Outside of the action, there’s a lot of imagery and a number of visually interesting characters. Emma Rios’s art as plenty of creative uses of full page images with smaller panels in-between.

If there is a more unique comic on the market right now, I haven’t heard of it. Kelly Sue DeConnick is rocking this creator-owned series so far, and there’s still plenty of potential for it to get better. If you haven’t yet, do yourself a favour and give Pretty Deadly a shot. Not everyone will like this kind of storytelling, but those who do will be in for a treat.