Pretty Violent #5 Review

Created, Drawn, & Lettered by: Derek Hunter
Written by: Derek Hunter & Jason Young
Colors by: Spencer Holt
Guest artist: Rose Hunter
Published by: Image Comics

After having her biggest weakness exposed, a Chinese finger trap, Gamma Rae plans to get her revenge on her new nemesis, Kill Count, while also hoping to wrap that up in time to attend, her crush, Brodie Perron’s birthday party.

Gamma Rae’s character is one of a kind. Her non-stop attitude mixed with her propensity for self-destruction and her completely blunt demeanor makes her ever action a joy to read. I mentioned this in an earlier review, but the growth shown in the execution of this comic with just a few issues is phenomenal. It has created a world completely its own. It feels like a comic far in it’s run, even though it’s just wrapping up the first arc. In this issue, like in the last, Gamma is seen using her powers in a more controlled way. In the first issue, she caused mass chaos with her inability to gauge her own strength, but now she is shown pretty competently taking down a formidable villain. But she still makes ill-conceived judgment calls. Another example of how quickly the skill is progressing in this comic is how well the jokes are hitting. The addition of characters like Misty Meadows’ brother, Paul, and more exploration of Brodie and his girlfriend are filling the world with more crazy personalities to play off Gamma; the end scene at the party was filled with hilarious moments. The core family drama in the story reaches a new level with this issue and raises many questions that will be fascinating to see answered. I have my theories, but the significance of Kill Count is probably the biggest mystery. I kind of wish we’d had seen more of the family before the finale, but it seems that will be the main focus of the next issue.

Derek Hunter’s art for the series is also growing at an impressive rate. The last issue was when I felt the style was at its most impeccable and this kept that level. The panel layouts have been refined and are now quite nice to read. The action scenes, a huge asset in the series, still have that outrageous nature to them with added polish. Now, the character’s over the top emotions are really starting to draw the eye and add to the scenes they’re used in. I loved the transformation Gamma went through in this issue and how it played into the story. And, the unique lettering is always a nice touch. Like I said with the writing, the art feels like an established style of a comic that’s has been ongoing for much longer than 5 issues. The coloring by Spencer Holt is finding the best ways to help the cartoon aesthetic while giving detail. The shading is where the most can be done to blend with and highlight the style; there is a very nice use of shadows throughout. Derek Hunter’s daughter Rose has a story added to the end of the comic. Her butt joke was great and a highlight of the issue

Pretty Violent #5 continues Gamma Rae’s quest for heroic superstardom and her quest for Brodie Perron’s heart. It’s just as funny as ever and sets-up the finale with questions needing to be answered.