Thousands of ways to die in the West
Pretty Deadly, Vol. I by Kelly Sue Deconnick, Emma Rios, Jordie Bellaire and Clayton Cowles (Image Comics, $9.99)
This is myth-making of the highest order, as what appears to be a Western is in fact a story about how the world was saved by a little girl who was willing to die. And, like all myths, it is a story within a story; the butterfly wants a story from a bunny, but this bunny is no longer alive. It’s a hopping skeleton, but nonetheless one helluva story-teller.
And that’s just the beginning of the fantastical in Pretty Deadly.
A pair of buskers—a blind man and a little girl with one blue and one brown eye—sing the song of Deathface Ginny in a Western town and then collect the change. But a chance encounter with a red-headed gunslinger leads to a bounty hunter—Big Alice, under contract to Death himself—on their trail. As the myth unfolds, we get a clearer and clearer picture of the stakes in this battle. And it serves as an origin story, so that the myth-making can go on.
In short, it’s the best thing since Neil Gaiman’s Sandman reboot.
The color scheme is reminiscent of the best art in the Saga series, and the art is graceful, with elements of Native images and La Calavera Catrina faces from Mexican folkloric tradition. Let’s also note that the women aren’t drawn as physically unobtainable male fantasies; they’re beautiful, yes, but also representative, racially and physically, of reality.
And did we mention that they strong, smart, and have agendas of their own that don’t involve doing what men want? Yeah, rate Pretty Deadly a “don’t miss it,” and make sure to keep up with the series.
To celebrate Creator of the Week kellysue and the phenomenal work she, steinerfrommars, jordiecolorsthings, et al have been doing on Pretty Deadly, we’re giving you 50% off the first issue when you use the code GINNY on this page today and tomorrow.
Bitch Planet #1 page 7 inks - featuring PENNY ROLLE
Excerpt from A Conversation with Kelly Sue DeConnick
- DeConnick: Its just, look, women are raised without much representation in the media. So we’re taught very early on how to identify with a male protagonist. This is a switch we have no trouble making. Right?
- But men are actively discouraged from identifying with a female protagonist because female is less in our culture and we don’t want to power down, right? Anything you do that is feminine is weak and small and not a good idea. From a business perspective, if you publish something from a male point of view, women who read these things will probably buy it anyway. But if you do the same story with a female protagonist, you are going to alienate your core readership.
- Finke: But you are writing the books that are stepping out from that. You’re writing Captain Marvel and Pretty Deadly, and it sounds like eventually Bitch Planet will be a break from that as well. So, what propels you as a storyteller to say, I know that these stories are not going to propel the business side but I’m going to do this anyway.
- DeConnick: I’m filled with piss and vinegar? I don’t know. It makes me angry. I was asked in an interview once: You’re writing another book with a female lead? Aren’t you afraid you’re going to be pigeonholed? And I thought, I write a team superhero book, an uplifting solo hero book, I write a horror-western, and I write a ghost story. What am I gonna be pigeonholed as?
- Has a man in the history of men ever been asked if he was going to be pigeonholed because he wrote two consecutive books with male leads? Half of the population is women. I lose my temper here. And it’s certainly not at you. It’s just this pervasive notion that “white male” is the default. And you have to justify any variation from it.
comiXology’s Creator of the Week: Kelly Sue DeConnick
kellysue & davizlopez were kind enough to share some exclusive behind the scenes sketches with us from the new series of Captain Marvel.
**In case you missed it, you can get Captain Marvel #1 by Kelly Sue & Daviz for 50% off when you use the code DANVERS on this page!**
Hurry up, because the code expires tonight at 11:59pm ET!
Stay tuned for more on Kelly Sue throughout the week as well as some social-media-exclusive discount codes!
comiXology’s Creator of the Week highlights one of our favorite people in comics starting each Monday.
comiXology’s Creator of the Week: Kelly Sue DeConnick
kellysue & davizlopez were kind enough to share some exclusive behind the scenes sketches with us from the new series of Captain Marvel.
**In case you missed it, you can get Captain Marvel #1 by Kelly Sue & Daviz for 50% off when you use the code DANVERS on this page!**
Hurry up, because the code expires tonight at 11:59pm ET!
Stay tuned for more on Kelly Sue throughout the week as well as some social-media-exclusive discount codes!
comiXology’s Creator of the Week highlights one of our favorite people in comics starting each Monday.
comiXology’s Creator of the Week: Kelly Sue DeConnick
kellysue & davizlopez were kind enough to share some exclusive behind the scenes sketches with us from the new series of Captain Marvel.
Here are some of Lila Cheney who will be joining the cast this month in Captain Marvel #9. More to come in just a bit.
**In case you missed it, you can get Captain Marvel #1 by Kelly Sue & Daviz for 50% off when you use the code DANVERS on this page!**
Hurry up, because the code expires tonight at 11:59pm ET!
Stay tuned for more on Kelly Sue throughout the week as well as some social-media-exclusive discount codes!
comiXology’s Creator of the Week highlights one of our favorite people in comics starting each Monday.
Marvel Universe Cosplay
CAROL CORPS EDITION
To kick off our comiXology Creator of the Week kellysue party, we’re giving you Captain Marvel (2014-) #1 for 50% off when you head over to this page and use the code DANVERS
The latest run on the character that helped put KSD on the map see’s Captain Marvel leave the planet that she has always protected to take her services as an Avenger to distant reaches of the universe.
comiXology’s Creator of the Week: Kelly Sue DeConnick
It is with much excitement that our next comiXology Creator of the Week is the incredible Kelly Sue DeConnick!
Not only has Kelly Sue established herself as one of the most unique and progressive voices in all of comicsdom, but has become of figurehead of the forward march into the future of comics, indefatigably championing representation and inclusiveness across the whole industry.
It’s no surprise that KSD’s rise to popularity has been meteoric, and we can’t wait to see what comes next.
Follow Kelly Sue on twitter & here on tumblr: kellysue
Stay tuned for more on Kelly Sue throughout the week as well as some social-media-exclusive discount codes!
comiXology’s Creator of the Week highlights one of our favorite people in comics starting each Monday.
