Women in Comics: "Pretty Deadly"

Pretty Deadly puts forth a western-style story with a supernatural, mystical twist that I found myself easily wrapped up in. The poetic, lyrical dialogue pairs hand-in-hand with the graphics, and even just the first issue gives a glimpse into some intriguing relationships. I’m always a sucker for the gruff, older protective figures who are surprisingly paired with a child character that they take under their care. The “found-family” quality of the two main characters’ relationship is endearing and mysterious, making me want to see the continuation of their journey.  I loved the dry brush technique in the lifework and the color choices, as they work together to make simultaneously moody and electric-looking pieces.

I connected with the energy of the art pretty easily as it drew me in and made me want to spend awhile just analyzing the brush strokes. The visual storytelling device of the tarot cards pairs perfectly with the arcane elements of the narrative. Once again, the characters Fox and Sissy caught my attention pretty easily with their solid costume design and magical storytelling in the first third of the story. I like snarky child characters, especially those like Sissy who seem to have a mysterious power about them.

If I were to adapt this story for a different medium, I think I would choose television. Television allows for a narrative to be told over a longer period of time and thus more attention could be given to more characters unlike in something like a feature film. To accomplish this transition, Pretty Deadly might make more use of flashbacks to establish how Fox and Sissy came together, or perhaps start before the first issue and kick off the story following one or the other before they meet. The TV show could also continue telling two stories at once, also following the journey of Alice as the gunslinger character.