Despite Ginny's presence throughout the story, this arc, and especially this issue, is the story of Sissy and Death. Watching Sissy mature and step into the dark side of the world has been such a grave yet edifying experience. The ending promises more to come and I am anxious to see what this year brings. Read Full Review

Rios' work is as much art as it is fable. The sophistication of her visual storytelling, combined with Jordie Bellaire's violent colors creates a world like no other in comics. Pretty Deadly pushes at the limits of medium, challenging our ideas of what comics can be, and issue #5 drives that point home with a self-assured swagger that leaves us desperately wanting more. Read Full Review

In part, this book creates different, reality-bending scenarios to force readers to slow down and think about these questions "and more. And while this may prove distasteful for some, others will no doubt find this lends to multiple readings where meaning can slowly be pulled out over time. Some books can be enjoyed quickly, and that's fantastic; still others provide a more subtle and slow satisfaction that is only discovered through several rereadings. This is one such book, and I'm looking forward to seeing how I respond to it a year from now and beyond. Read Full Review

When all is said and done, Pretty Deadly #5 is still an effective and brutal weird western tale. The constant stream of information crammed into every page of the book is a little overbearing, and Ginny certainly feels like a secondary character in her own book. Regardless, this series looked and felt unlike anything Ive seen, and I cannot wait for DeConnick and Rios to team up again. Read Full Review

Chances are you didn't miss out on this series considering how well it sold, but if for some reason you jumped off after the first couple of issues you should give it another shot and finish it out. That and you're going to need to know what happens here if you're going to read the second volume" and you want to read the second volume. At least I do. Read Full Review

PRETTY DEADLY closes out its first arc with a beautifully-executed fifth issue. Loose ends are tied, exquisitely-choreographed action unfolds, and the fairy-tale-like framing device comes full circle. It's a run that will read well in trade (though trade-waiters will be shorted a set of incredibly thoughtful backmatter), and the title will be missed as the creative team takes a break before resuming Ginny's adventures. Read Full Review

This issue ends a story. Maybe not the entire story but I felt like it was finished. There was a definite conclusion. I don't know how it will go on. But there on that last page it said, “to be continued.” So I guess I'll just have to wait and find out. Read Full Review

Sometimes it's not the story that's being told but the journey that the creators take you on that counts. As Kelly Sue DeConnick and Emma Rios have marched us along with their characters into Death's domain, Pretty Deadly has been a confounding yet fascinating story Read Full Review

Too much in some respects and too little in others, the result of an ending that comes a dozen or so issues before its time. Read Full Review