[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
Gamma Rae desperately wants Misty to be her friend. Of course, Gamma has been raised by villains who are self-admitted A-holes, so she doesn’t have a lot of skills. Her mother offers to turn Misty into a zombie. Her brother has some other nefarious plans. Will Gamma Rae be desperate enough? Tune into Pretty Violent with lots of swears #4 to find out.
Positives
Colorist Spencer Holt is on point in Pretty Violent with lots of swears #4. While artist and co-writer Derek Hunter has a delightfully dark vision for this universe, Holt puts a beautiful shine on it. The fact that this is supposed to look like a kids cartoon means it needs to be bright and attractive to little kids. Holt does that by using…well, just look at the below panel. If there were no words, you would think this was a promo for a Saturday morning cartoon (OK, I know I am old and not everyone knows what that is. Look it up).
I love that Hunter has this back story of family dynamics playing out. We all have our family issues. I relate to Gamma Rae in a few ways. 1. I am a bit of a black sheep in my family. 2. I swear a lot just because but also because of my family. I think that we comic nerd types can all relate to this. We want to be heroes or read about heroes or watch them on TV or…and our families don’t understand. Hunter is tapping into something that is universal for his audience. This book is never going to be mainstream. He made sure of that when he titled it Pretty Violent with lots of swears. The family drama is delightful and I like that he has kept it going.
Negatives
Spencer Holt’s colors are maybe too good. I always worry that a five year old will grab with while he is on a trip to the comic shop with his older sister.
Verdict
Gamma Rae is this world’s Charlie Brown. She keeps trying to kick that football and she keeps missing. I love her moxie and her intentions are so good. She just wants people to love her but she can’t get out of her own way. She may call the villain in this a “rusted out $h!t funnel” but she is really a good girl who wants to save the world and be part of something better than her crummy family of villainous monsters.
