Rat Queens #1 Review
August 19, 2013 8:39 am | Leave your thoughts
Rat Queens Issue #1 Review by David Griffin
Spoiler Alert: This review contains details regarding the plot and characters of the upcoming Image comic Rat Queens.
Don’t read this review. Get in your car and head down to your local comic book store. Make your way to the counter with the guy that knows way more about comic books than you will ever know in your entire life and grab the front of his shirt. Pull him over the counter until his face is an inch away from yours. Use both arms if necessary. As he squirms in your grip, praying that the glass case supporting him does not fail, say these seven words. I want to be a rat queen. If this does not seem like a good idea, go ahead and read this review and judge for yourself.
All I have heard about all year is how Image Comics is going to blow people away with its new title Lazarus. I hate to break it to the Image people, but your marketing machine REALLY misfired. If I want to hear stories about how rich families use money and power to solve all their problems, I will turn on Fox News Channel. Rat Queens #1 comes out September 25th so you still have time to get your orders in. The Rat Queens deliver on the promise of books like Sucker Punch and adjectiveless X-Men: an all female team of bad ass warrior women.
Peter Panzerfaust creator Kurtis J. Wiebe has crafted the crown jewels of the Image Comics/Shadowline universe. The Rat Queens are a group of mismatched battle maidens for hire who will vanquish any monster you pay them to smite and drink you under the table after the job is done. The team is lead by Hannah, a rockabilly elven mage with doting necromancer parents and a “fuck the bullshit” frame of mind. Violet, the hipster dwarven fighter, is a love letter to gamer grrrls everywhere. Dee, the atheist human cleric, is a sardonic delight that I cannot wait to learn more about. Rounding out the team is Betty, the hippy hobbit thief. She is unquestionably the scene stealer of this title whether questioning the sheriff if dragons like their dicks tickled or providing a dinner during their first quest of candy and shrooms.
The art by Roc Upchurch has an attention to detail that you only see from an artist who is really into what he is working on. Look at the difference between Jae Lee’s work in Dark Tower and Superman/Batman. It’s the difference between passion and paycheck. The character designs show a level of detail that reminds me of sitting around my dungeon master’s kitchen table drawing my character on the back of my sheet. Remember the guy in your gaming group who always insisted on playing a female character, but you never knew exactly why? That guy would worship at the feet of Roc Upchurch. The Queens may be accused of having a cheese cake element, but this is not some sort of store bought pre-made processed dessert, oh no no no. This is hand crafted, grandma’s recipe delight covered in awesome sauce. The fight scenes are visceral yet spunky. A strange combination, I know, but, if Upchurch was drawing any of the 18 Deadpool monthly books, I might not feel so guilty about trying to read them.
You don’t have to be gaming goob to love this book; but, if you are, buy this book. I am indefinitely suspending your gamer card if you fail to read this. Don’t balk at the $3.50 cover price. The art in issue one alone justifies the expense. On Pop Culture Leftovers, the highest rating of excellence is a Tupperware Party. I’m sorry, guys. There will be no tossing this one. Tasting it won’t be enough. Domesticated Dave is declaring this one Tupperware all the way.
***Podcast update***
To listen to the Leftovers review of Rat Queens listen to Episode 17 of Pop Culture Leftovers at the 1:26:22 time stamp. Pop Culture Leftovers is available on iTunes, Stitcher and Podbay
Tags: Image Comics, Kurtis Wiebe, Rat Queens, Roc Upchurch, Shadowline Comics
Categorised in: Comic Reviews
This post was written by David Griffin
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