A bit of a departure from writer Kurtis Wiebe’s somewhat more serious work, Rat Queens is a fantasy-comedy by Wiebe and co-creator/artist Roc Upchurch. The titular Rat Queens are an all-female group of adventurers that keep the town of Palisade safe from all kinds of monsters, goblins, bandits, and assorted beasties. But, the raging parties and barroom brawls started by the Rat Queens have done more damage than all the monsters ever did. After a simple quest goes wrong, the Rat Queens are in a spot of trouble and scrambling to figure out who’s behind it.
Betty handles the mystery of the mysterious assassins with a little help of Sawyer, the captain of the guard. Everything is looking good right until an orc army attacks Palisade because of a certain group of female adventures killing someone’s boyfriend. Thankfully, with a little help from some fellow adventurers, the Rat Queens are able to put the sexy back into wholesale slaughter.
Wiebe makes this issue another great and funny bit of the story. The reveal of something of a dark past for Sawyer adds depth and interest to the character, all while Betty manages to keep the situation light. Wiebe is able to mix the humorous and the serious together with an expert touch, all while seeding new and interesting plot points and history into the story. A big, bloody battle was only inevitable with all the people that the Rat Queens anger on a daily basis and a dead boyfriend is the perfect reason for it. This issue keeps the fantastic tone of the story going, all while making it one of the most enjoyable series on the stands.
The big battle scene in this issue is such a work of beautiful action that it should make the Lord of the Rings movies jealous, and that’s largely thanks to the wonderful art of Roc Upchurch. Upchurch makes the world of Rat Queens all the richer with his art. The action is a joy to read, as are the smaller moments, like the little asides between the characters. Roc’s art helps to give each character a great sense of body language and personality, only making them seem all the more real. Each of the four Rat Queens is a badass in their own way, and Upchurch makes sure that the reader knows it.
Rat Queens has found its stride in these first four issues and it shows no sign of slowing down. Each issue is better than the last. More action, more humor, and more great moments. If this keeps up, Rat Queens may just prove to be one of the best series of 2014.
Art: 10/10
Script: 10/10
Parental Concern: Not for the kiddies. Blood, guts, swearing, and more.
