Pretty Deadly Volume 3: The Rat by Kelly Sue DeConnick, art by Emma Rios

Image Comics, 2020

ISBN-13: 9781534315198

Available: Kindle, paperback

Buy:  Bookshop.org  |  Amazon.com

DeConnick and Rios’ Pretty Deadly Volume 3 : The Rat launches us forward in time from World War I to 1930s Hollywood. The late Sara Fields’ granddaughter Clara has been found murdered. Her Uncle Frank, known as “Conjure-Man” to some, is desperate to find her killer. He tracks her path through Los Angeles, where the Reapers of Hunger, Thirst, and Obsession have each attempted to lure Clara to their way of life in some way. Frank calls out, loud enough for the Reaper of Vengeance to hear his pleas to help him find out what happened to Clara. Deathface Ginny appears to aid her old acquaintance.

As per volumes 1 and 2, volume 3 presents a compelling story with familiar characters, and a few new ones. I could read an entire series on Deathface Ginny alone. Getting a few more glimpses of the Immortal Reapers is interesting as well. I wish we had more of them. Art by Emma Rios and colours by Jordie Bellaire are, as usual, well rendered. I’m hoping there will be more Pretty Deadly in the future by this team, especially knowing that Image released Pretty Deadly: The Shrike Vault Editionon April 30, 2024.

The long gap in years between  the publication of volumes 2 and 3 was unfortunate. Luckily, I was able to access all volumes through interlibrary loan to reread the first two and finally read the third.

Pretty Deadly Volume 3: The Rat collects issues 1-5. At the end of the trade paperback is a collected discussion guide created by Dr. Jeremy Stoll, which makes this a book that could find use in the classroom. Recommended.

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker