Pretty Deadly: Vol 1: The Shrike (2014)

Pretty Deadly: Vol 1: The Shrike (2014)

Author: Kelly Sue DeConnick  |  Illustrator: Emma Ríos  |  Page Count: 120

"This world ain't been kind to me. I say let it burn."

Taking place in a traditional American Western setting with an accompanying fable-esque slant, Volume 1 of Pretty Deadly is centred on a small handful of enigmatic but arguably well-written characters, each of whom has a murky past that they're either aware of, are attempting to hide from others, or are simply oblivious to.

It's difficult to tell at this early stage which of the cast is going to be most important to the ongoing narrative, or even who will be most profitable to sympathise with, but two of them seem to stand out from the rest.

The first is named Sissy, a young girl with two different coloured eyes and an unusual and frightening destiny.

The second candidate is Ginny, a woman on a mission. Ginny is a yellow-eyed violent force within an already violent world. She has a skull mark on her face but it's not just for show - it has a deeper meaning. That meaning is revealed when author Kelly Sue DeConnick's darkly poetic prose hits its triumphant stride.

It's a complicated telling, layered with hidden depths and nuances that might not be apparent during a first reading. Alternatively, you could flip it around and say that it's a confused telling, imprecise and lacking clarity. Both viewpoints make sense, but I side with the former, and after finishing the book I began to think that if future volumes are as good, then it might just be able to fill the gap that was left in my comic-reading life after finishing Mike Carey's Lucifer.

Emma Ríos provides the art. It has weight to it, with characters' faces feeling like they've history ingrained in the creases and cuts. The wide panels are cinematic, contrasted by small, square boxes that get up-close and personal with the action, helping to tell the story, in the proper sense of the word - it's not separate from it like it is in some superhero comics, which often include fight scenes as an obligation more than anything else.

Like the story itself, the fast paced art can be a little confusing at times, but not so much that common sense or careful analysis won't reveal the intention and intricacies.

Jordie Bellaire's colouring is complementary and dark, making good use of dusty oranges, inky blacks, and reds that aren't far removed from the colour of congealed blood. It captures perfectly the savageness of the environment. As much as I enjoyed the writing, it's the art and colouring that really make Pretty Deadly special. If there was some way for comic creators to do the kind of director commentaries that we get on DVDs, I'd want one with all three women present.

The book collects together Pretty Deadly issues 1-5.