Pretty Deadly, Vol. 1 Review: Death’s Daughter Rides
DeConnick and Rios's mythic, dreamlike Western folktale.
By Web Admin
Some comics tell you a story. Pretty Deadly sings you one. This 2013 Image Comics series from writer Kelly Sue DeConnick and artist Emma Rios is less a conventional narrative than a folk ballad rendered in ink — a mythic Western about death, vengeance, love, and storytelling itself, narrated by a dead rabbit to a butterfly. It is strange, gorgeous, and demanding, and it is unlike almost anything else on the shelf.
This is our full review of Pretty Deadly, Vol. 1: The Shrike. We’ll cover what the book actually is, why so many readers find it confusing on a first pass (and how to fix that), Emma Rios’s remarkable art, and who should take the plunge. Fair warning up front: this is a book that rewards patience and re-reading, not skimming.
What is Pretty Deadly?
Pretty Deadly is a creator-owned series written by Kelly Sue DeConnick (Captain Marvel, Bitch Planet) and drawn by Emma Rios, with color by Jordie Bellaire and lettering by Clayton Cowles. The first arc, “The Shrike,” was published by Image in 2013–2014 and collects issues #1–5 for around US$10.
At its center is Ginny — Deathface Ginny — the daughter of Death himself, born of Death’s love for a mortal woman and raised to be a reaper of vengeance. She rides into the story like a legend given flesh, and the plot spirals around her: a blind man and a girl in a vulture cloak who travel telling her tale, a dying figure, a bargain with Death, and a hunt that pulls mortals and myth together.
The framing device: a bunny and a butterfly
Here is where new readers stumble, so let’s be clear. The whole story is narrated by Bones Bunny — a dead rabbit — to a butterfly named Butterfly. These two interludes bookend and interrupt the tale, framing it explicitly as a story being told. Once you understand that Pretty Deadly is presenting itself as a folk myth, a song passed down rather than a naturalistic plot, the book’s dream-logic suddenly makes sense. Go in expecting the clean cause-and-effect of a typical comic and you’ll be lost; go in expecting a ballad and it opens like a flower.
Why it’s confusing (and worth it anyway)
We’ll be honest: Pretty Deadly is the most demanding book in this batch of reviews. DeConnick’s script is elliptical and poetic, trusting you to feel the connective tissue rather than have it spelled out. The first read can be disorienting. But the book is built to be re-read — the pieces that puzzle you early click into place on a second pass, and the emotional and mythic architecture reveals itself as remarkably tight. Treat the first read as immersion and the second as comprehension. Both are worth your time.
Emma Rios and Jordie Bellaire: the art
The visual storytelling is spectacular and integral. Emma Rios draws with a loose, energetic, almost calligraphic line, letting figures dissolve into motion and violence bloom across the page. Jordie Bellaire’s color — dusty desert golds, sudden bloody reds, cold otherworldly blues — carries much of the emotional weather. Together they make a book that feels like myth: beautiful, brutal, and slightly unreal. This is art you slow down for.
Themes: death, vengeance, and story
Pretty Deadly is fascinated by the same forces that power all folklore — mortality, revenge, love, and the act of storytelling that keeps the dead alive. DeConnick has spoken about the book as an exploration of death and reconciliation, and later arcs deepen that theme. Beneath the Western trappings, this is a meditation on how we carry loss and turn it into legend.
A tip for first-time readers
If you take one piece of advice into Pretty Deadly, make it this: don’t fight the confusion on your first read. Let the images and language wash over you the way you’d let a half-remembered fairy tale unfold, without pausing to interrogate every panel transition. Read it once for mood and music, then again for meaning. On that second pass — armed with the knowledge of who Ginny is, what the framing bunny is doing, and where the story is headed — the book reorganizes itself into something surprisingly precise and deeply moving. Readers who quit after one baffled read never get to the good part, and the good part is very good.
Content warning
Pretty Deadly is for mature readers. It contains graphic violence, blood, disturbing imagery, and dark themes surrounding death and abuse. The violence is stylized and mythic rather than exploitative, but it is present throughout, so consider this an adult book.
How it compares
If you love comics that swing for myth and poetry over tidy plotting, Pretty Deadly keeps excellent company.
| Book | Genre lens | Difficulty | Approx. price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pretty Deadly, Vol. 1 | Mythic Western folktale | Hard | ~US$10 |
| The Sandman, Vol. 1 | Mythological fantasy | Medium | ~US$20 |
| Saga, Vol. 1 | Space-opera family drama | Easy | ~US$10 |
Fans of dark, literary fantasy comics should also check our best fantasy comics guide, and readers who love DeConnick and Rios as a team can trace their whole collaboration through our best comic book runs feature.
Who should read it?
- Readers who love poetic, mythic storytelling and don’t need everything spelled out.
- Fans of Westerns, folklore, and dark fantasy looking for something genuinely fresh.
- Anyone who admired DeConnick’s Bitch Planet or Rios’s expressive art elsewhere.
- Patient readers happy to read a book twice.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Gorgeous, expressive art from Emma Rios and Jordie Bellaire
- A bold, original mythic voice unlike anything else
- Deeply rewarding on a second read
- Powerful themes of death, grief, and story
Cons
- Genuinely confusing on a first pass
- Elliptical script won’t suit plot-focused readers
- Graphic, mature content throughout
Which edition should you buy?
The series runs across three collected volumes; start at the beginning.
| Edition | Collects | Approx. price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volume 1: The Shrike | Issues #1–5 | ~US$10 | Trying it out |
| Volume 2: The Bear | Next arc | ~US$15 | Continuing readers |
| Volume 3: The Rat | Final arc | ~US$17 | Finishing the saga |
The verdict
Pretty Deadly is a beautiful, ambitious, difficult book — the kind of comic that asks something of you and gives back more than it took. It won’t be for readers who want their stories straightforward, but for those willing to meet it on its own mythic terms, it’s a haunting, singular achievement. It sits proudly in our best fantasy comics guide and our best Image Comics roundup, and it’s a highlight of the whole Indie & Image hub.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Pretty Deadly so hard to follow?
It’s deliberately structured as a mythic folk ballad, narrated by a dead rabbit to a butterfly, with a poetic, elliptical script. Once you accept it as a legend being told rather than a literal plot, it makes far more sense — and a second read clears up most confusion.
Is Pretty Deadly a Western?
Sort of. Volume 1 uses a mythic Old West setting, but it’s really a dark fantasy folktale about Death’s daughter. Later volumes move to other times and places.
Is Pretty Deadly appropriate for teens?
It’s aimed at mature readers, with graphic violence and dark themes throughout. We’d steer younger readers elsewhere.
Do I need to read all three volumes?
No. Volume 1, “The Shrike,” tells a complete story. The later arcs expand the mythology but the first book stands on its own.
For more from this creative team and era, browse our best comic book runs feature or the wider fantasy comics guide.
