Pretty Deadly

DECONNICK | RIOS | BELLAIRE | COWLES

That’s the thing about graphic novels that makes them so difficult to do, but so beautifully superior when done well. In every graphic novel you have two story-tellers: the writer and the artist. Now, Deconnick is a solid writer and lays out these beautifully integrated twists, but when she wrote the words, “On that day, were you afraid, bunny,” (emphasis in original) who was there to keep my rolling eyes from falling out of my head, but Rios. Rios is an artist and a storyteller. Perhaps that’s why I’ve fallen in love. This is my second time reviewing one of Rios’ projects and I’m so proud.

I don’t want you to have to read any further due both to this being my first piece of fun writing in a while, and also because this is a lot of words to get through. So, here’s my opinion: I thought it was worth-while to read. It’s got some fucking badass character design which will make you swoon and a compelling, if sometimes confusing, plot. It did not sweep me off my feet—I may or may not continue reading the series—but I am glad I read this volume.

Covers are usually for conveying, visually what the back cover does in words: Why should you read this? What is it about? The cover is inspirational and definitely drags you in but when I was halfway through the first volume, I still didn’t understand the whole cover. Someone else may be faster than I, but I loved that it became a puzzle. Once again, it may be because my brain has the thought capacity of a piece of toast, but it was a unique experience for me, and that’s really what I love about new graphic novels.

Pretty Deadly tells the story of a story. I don’t like getting into details, I think it’s both unnecessary for my critique and also disrespectful to the story. I will comment that I thought the nested story was phenomenal but IF YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE RHYMING LINES IN IAMBIC PENTAMETER, REFLECT THAT IN HOW THE WORDS ARE LAIN OUT ON THE PAGE. Goddammit, I almost flipped a table.

So, I usually start out by talking about myself and the personal context in which I read these stories. I don’t really got much today. I didn’t really connect to the story on a personal level, besides an ever-present desire to be and admiration for badassery. It did not elicit some deeply buried feeling that had been quietly waiting until someone said the right words at the right time. I’m overworked and destroyed from the end of the semester and I’m currently hiding away from the world. Maybe I couldn’t connect to the story because I’m dead inside or because I picked it out so long ago and I don’t have that elated connection from the discovery and purchase. I don’t know. I’m just trying to keep it together.