Pretty Violent #2 Is Like The Superhero Successor To I Hate Fairyland
by James Ferguson
Gamma Rae’s first day as a super hero has ended in bloodshed. Seriously, there was so much blood. So many people died including other heroes. What do you expect? She’s from a family of super villains. That twist has added another level of fun to Pretty Violent. It would have been enjoyable enough with Gamma Rae’s hilarious attempts at heroism. Add a family dynamic full of rivalries and just a bit more violence, and you’ve got yourself a good time.
Pretty Violent definitely lives up to its name. It’s crazy how quickly things can turn too. One minute Gamma Rae is swooping in to save the day and the next minute she’s beating a blue crab monster to a bloody pulp. The violence is cartoony and over the top. Artist Derek Hunter creates some gruesome fight scenes filled to the brim with blood and gore, yet they’re never gross or disgusting. Instead, they’re like something out of a Ren & Stimpy cartoon…but again, with way more blood.
As we meet more people in the supporting cast, I have to wonder if any of these idiots are worth saving. They’re all pretty horrible and selfish. Even the other heroes are like this. Gamma Rae is the best among them. Sure, she has an ever-growing body count, but she means well. This duality adds to the fun of Pretty Violent.
Hunter also co-writes this book with Jason Young. The two fill the comic with fun jokes and quippy dialogue that’s a perfect match for the artwork. Everything is over-the-top and hilarious. Also, despite the cartoonish look of the art, this is very much an adult comic and not meant for children. The copious amount of violence is matched by the obscenity-laden dialogue.
That mistake could be made from the bright and colorful nature of Pretty Violent. Colorist Spencer Holt fills these pages with a vibrant palette that’s taken right out of the old Saturday morning cartoons. Everything really pops on the page, particularly the blood. Have I mentioned there’s a lot of blood? Oh, there’s also the vomit. There’s a lot of that in this issue too. All we need are some fart jokes and we’ve got the ideal comic for any middle schooler.
That’s not to say this is an immature comic. Pretty Violent plays with the sillier nature of the super hero tropes in a great way. It’s a downright fun comic. It feels like the super hero successor to I Hate Fairyland.
Pretty Violent #2 from Image Comics is currently available at your local comic shop and digitally through ComiXology and Amazon Kindle.
