Rat Queens vol. 1 – Sass and Sorcery
Image Comics
Writer: Kurtis J. Wiebe
Artist: Roc Upchurch
Letterer: Ed Brisson
Reviewer: Derrick Crow
Summary: In an age of wizardry, swordsmanship, and pelvic thrusting, four women of varying races and sex drives calling themselves the Rat Queens quest the kingdoms in search of glory and gold. In the first volume, the four are haunted by demons of their past, but that doesn't stop them from partying hard, and questing harder.
Review: This is a series that starts out really strong, and just gets stronger as it goes. The first volume covers the first five issues of the series, and they're one helluva ride. To begin the gushing, each issue feels like a full story on top of the main narrative tieing each of them together. Someone has hired lesser known mercenaries to kill the Rat Queens and a number of high profile mercenaries, after nearly succeeding in slaughtering everyone, the mystery is set afoot and girls must solve the crime.
That being said, Hannah, Dee, Violet, and Betty don't really care all that much about the mystery to give it their full attention (leading to the hilarious way in which the mystery fiend is revealed), most of what these women care about, at least in the case of Hannah and Betty, is partying , fighting and booze. That doesn't mean any of them are devoid of characterizations and personalities of their own. Dee is socially inept as well as a total rebel to the crazy fanatics of her parents' religion, Violet is running away from her family for her own reasons, Betty is in love with this one girl who won't give her the time of day, and Hannah is still in the college party girl stage refusing to grow up.
We actually get to learn a lot about these characters, and yet we're only trimming the surface of each one, and I like that a whole lot as it makes them feel real, without giving everything about them away. So we can grow and learn more about them as they grow and learn more about themselves. And Dee is my favorite, in case anyone is wondering.
Another thing I found surprising, yet wholly enjoyed was the fact that when this arc begins, these characters are completely well known and have set up histories for themselves in this world. Much of what makes them the way they are when we're introduced to them has already happened and it feels as if we're being dropped in the middle of their story, only to decipher how it began. Not everyone can pull this off, and yet here it's done nearly flawlessly.
I'm going to admit, I personally didn't find much wrong with this first volume of Rat Queens, it's a really solid first five issues. I guess if I had to start nitpicking, it's that the way the crime is solved is probably a little too easy and but it just feels in character. And most of the possible interesting side characters were actually killed in the beginning, so now Wiebe will have to work harder to make the remaining side characters and any new characters he can create that much more compelling.
I also hope we get to see the Rat Queens questing more outside of the town in which their based, and hopefully they'll world build and we'll find them traveling more. I do like the characters surrounding them, and I want to know more about them, but this seems to me like a band of characters that need to constantly be on the move, not tied down to a single town.
Upchurch's artwork is incredibly stylish as well, I like it a whole lot. I know he got into someone trouble recently and was taken off the book, which makes me sad, but for the time that we have him he gives this series a fresh, fully-fleshed out look. Everything is a mix of realistic and cartoony, and it's really a fitting look. Each of the characters we're introduced to look unique to one another and also look like people you'd meet in real life. Each of the Queens look like real people, and have unique styles unto themselves.
Dee is the more sexy one in my opinion, in case anyone is wondering. Violet being a close second.
I don't like his hairstyle for Hannah though, it bugs me a whole lot every time I look at it. I know it's hair, but I just can't but think it's two horns covered in hair – although if it was reveal that was what her hairstyle was, it'd make a whole lot of sense.
The series also invokes a fresh blend of real talk with this unique fantasy style. People have a sense of humor, and even nameless characters get funny one-liners before getting taken out. One such memorable one is where an assailant gets his arms cut off and before getting killed he yells “Dicks!” and I just laughed so hard. This is a hardcore fantasy realm, and I love it.
Rat Queens: Sass and Sorcery, in my opinion, is a near-perfect if not perfect, beginning to what I believe will remain to be a lovely and well-written and well drawn series for as long as it remains. The first fives issue are quick reads, yet never feel dull or less than a single whole. A lot happens, and that is a refreshing feeling to me. Just judging on these five issue alone, I feel everyone needs to start picking up this series, especially those who are clamoring for more strong, kick ass, female led stories, and personally I will definitely keep reading as I'm now invested in where these characters go from here.
Final Score: 5 Foul-Mouthed Questing Queens out of 5
Image Comics
Writer: Kurtis J. Wiebe
Artist: Roc Upchurch
Letterer: Ed Brisson
Reviewer: Derrick Crow
Summary: In an age of wizardry, swordsmanship, and pelvic thrusting, four women of varying races and sex drives calling themselves the Rat Queens quest the kingdoms in search of glory and gold. In the first volume, the four are haunted by demons of their past, but that doesn't stop them from partying hard, and questing harder.
Review: This is a series that starts out really strong, and just gets stronger as it goes. The first volume covers the first five issues of the series, and they're one helluva ride. To begin the gushing, each issue feels like a full story on top of the main narrative tieing each of them together. Someone has hired lesser known mercenaries to kill the Rat Queens and a number of high profile mercenaries, after nearly succeeding in slaughtering everyone, the mystery is set afoot and girls must solve the crime.
That being said, Hannah, Dee, Violet, and Betty don't really care all that much about the mystery to give it their full attention (leading to the hilarious way in which the mystery fiend is revealed), most of what these women care about, at least in the case of Hannah and Betty, is partying , fighting and booze. That doesn't mean any of them are devoid of characterizations and personalities of their own. Dee is socially inept as well as a total rebel to the crazy fanatics of her parents' religion, Violet is running away from her family for her own reasons, Betty is in love with this one girl who won't give her the time of day, and Hannah is still in the college party girl stage refusing to grow up.
We actually get to learn a lot about these characters, and yet we're only trimming the surface of each one, and I like that a whole lot as it makes them feel real, without giving everything about them away. So we can grow and learn more about them as they grow and learn more about themselves. And Dee is my favorite, in case anyone is wondering.
Another thing I found surprising, yet wholly enjoyed was the fact that when this arc begins, these characters are completely well known and have set up histories for themselves in this world. Much of what makes them the way they are when we're introduced to them has already happened and it feels as if we're being dropped in the middle of their story, only to decipher how it began. Not everyone can pull this off, and yet here it's done nearly flawlessly.
I'm going to admit, I personally didn't find much wrong with this first volume of Rat Queens, it's a really solid first five issues. I guess if I had to start nitpicking, it's that the way the crime is solved is probably a little too easy and but it just feels in character. And most of the possible interesting side characters were actually killed in the beginning, so now Wiebe will have to work harder to make the remaining side characters and any new characters he can create that much more compelling.
I also hope we get to see the Rat Queens questing more outside of the town in which their based, and hopefully they'll world build and we'll find them traveling more. I do like the characters surrounding them, and I want to know more about them, but this seems to me like a band of characters that need to constantly be on the move, not tied down to a single town.
Upchurch's artwork is incredibly stylish as well, I like it a whole lot. I know he got into someone trouble recently and was taken off the book, which makes me sad, but for the time that we have him he gives this series a fresh, fully-fleshed out look. Everything is a mix of realistic and cartoony, and it's really a fitting look. Each of the characters we're introduced to look unique to one another and also look like people you'd meet in real life. Each of the Queens look like real people, and have unique styles unto themselves.
Dee is the more sexy one in my opinion, in case anyone is wondering. Violet being a close second.
I don't like his hairstyle for Hannah though, it bugs me a whole lot every time I look at it. I know it's hair, but I just can't but think it's two horns covered in hair – although if it was reveal that was what her hairstyle was, it'd make a whole lot of sense.
The series also invokes a fresh blend of real talk with this unique fantasy style. People have a sense of humor, and even nameless characters get funny one-liners before getting taken out. One such memorable one is where an assailant gets his arms cut off and before getting killed he yells “Dicks!” and I just laughed so hard. This is a hardcore fantasy realm, and I love it.
Rat Queens: Sass and Sorcery, in my opinion, is a near-perfect if not perfect, beginning to what I believe will remain to be a lovely and well-written and well drawn series for as long as it remains. The first fives issue are quick reads, yet never feel dull or less than a single whole. A lot happens, and that is a refreshing feeling to me. Just judging on these five issue alone, I feel everyone needs to start picking up this series, especially those who are clamoring for more strong, kick ass, female led stories, and personally I will definitely keep reading as I'm now invested in where these characters go from here.
Final Score: 5 Foul-Mouthed Questing Queens out of 5