Review: PRETTY VIOLENT… #3
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writers:Â Derek Hunter and Jason Young
Artist:Â Derek Hunter
Colors:Â Spencer Holt
Reviewer:Â Tony Farina
Summary
Pretty Violent with lots of Swears #3 finds our misanthropic hero Gamma Rae getting the chance to do her first hero team up with Captain Friendly. They are being instructed by Maximum Prophet to protect a shipment of gems. These gems, will be, as they always are, attacked by the Under dwellers. Chaos happens. It is Pretty Violent with lots of swears.
Gamma tries to do some good deeds, but in typical Gamma fashion, she just makes everyone mad, causes a mess and has a ton of people tell her off, with lots of swears and even a few gestures. Just when she thinks things will go as poorly as possible, she is rewarded with a promotion and a new partner. Turns out, even heroes need to break the rules sometimes.
Positives
Pretty Violent with lots of swears #3 may be the funniest of the series so far. The head of the super hero group is called Maximum Prophet, he lives in a place called Savior Complex that has a giant statue of himself out front. That is pretty good stuff. The moral ambiguity of super-heroism on display is so spot on. Captain Friendly blindly follows orders because he is a one dimensional, white superhero guy. He can’t think for himself. It simply wouldn’t work.
The art work here by Spencer Holt continues to dazzle. Drawing all kinds of new super heroes and villains and monsters each week is impressive enough, but as the title tells us, there will be a lot of absurd comic book violence. There is a fine line between satire and farce and Holt makes sure that keeps this book on the right side of satire. He has to, because Young and Hunter are telling really smart jokes that have a thoughtful social commentary which is on full display in the below panel.
Negatives
There is a formula at work here. I think that while this book is the funniest, it is too by the numbers. I see that next month, Gamma gets a nemesis whom I assume will be her dumb brother. That will change it up. You can only tell the same joke so many times. The character can stay true and do what she does, but she needs to grow. I have yet to tire seeing Gamma Rae swear and kill things. I suspect it could grate on some people, but the fact that Hit Girl is still out there killing bad guys, lets me know that there is always a place in the comic world for bad ass, foul mouthed children kicking ass.
Verdict
The story is progressing and the future looks bright for Gamma Rae. It also looks bloody and messy, but she wouldn’t have it any other way would she? Pick up this gory, funny and most assuredly rated-M book.
