Pretty Deadly, Vol. 1: The Shrike

A woman written, drawn, & focused book without losing any strength of character, but rather elevating it!

The visuals are so powerful in this book & the shape-shifting is beautifully portrayed.

I appreciate that this is a Western that gives the spotlight to the female characters, but doesn't make it corny or forceful. It's also a book that caters to any reader, regardless of gender.

Perfect for someone who has a vivid imagination & an enjoyment for metaphorical works.

I kinda sorta liked this but at the same time, it didn't really grab me quite the way I expected. I'm not exactly sure why. I liked the characters we were introduced to and I loved the whole Wild West Supernatural kind of feel to it. The artwork is stunning, and I did like the narration by Bunny and Butterfly and the overall text which has a sort of lyrical murder ballad feel to it.

But... I feel that while I liked all the elements I just didn't quite like the overall package. I guess there was just something... missing? Needed? Maybe there is more to the story? I'm not sure. Anyway, I would like to read more, and the last part of this volume made reference to Volume 2 coming soon, but its been a year since Volume 1 was published so I guess its likely that we won't see it for a while, if ever. Fingers crossed!

The artwork is so marvelous on so many levels that I can't even find words. But the plot is not worthy of the illustrations. I will be stalking Emma Rios' work from now on.