Comics

Advance Review: “Rat Queens” #1

Published

11 years ago

August 19, 2013

Imaginative, fierce, and even silly in parts, Rat Queens is an entertaining adventure story realized with genuine comedic flair and winning art. Writer Kurtis J. Wiebe, co-creator Meg Dejmal, and artist Roc Upchurch, present a series that captures some of the core elements of high fantasy with palpable affection and ease; and offer a modern twist on the established genre. This yet to be released on-going is told in five-issue arcs, is inspired by role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons, and is nothing less than a gem of pure, unadulterated fun.

WRITTEN BY: Kurtis J. Wiebe
ART BY: Roc Upchurch
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE: September 25, 2013

“Rat Queens” follows a ragtag bunch of bar-brawling battle maidens (say that ten times fast), whose disorderly lifestyles are the cause of much concern in the village of Palisade. After violent circumstances land them in the dungeons with the rest of the village Neanderthals, a town official by the name of Sawyer Silver offers to release them on behalf of disgruntled Mayor, Atticus Kane; provided they complete a monster hunting quest for him. For a group of death-dealing contract killers, their assigned task should be a cake walk; but all is not what it seems.

Without being overbearingly informative or rushing the narrative, Wiebe handles the encumbrance of exposition and character introduction exceptionally well. Readers are not privy to the girls’ history, or how they came to have such camaraderie; but their dynamic and hilarious dialogical interactions effectively demonstrates their true companionship. There is “Hannah the rockabilly elven mage, Violet the hipster dwarven fighter, Dee the atheist human cleric, and Betty the hippy hobbit thief.” With vibrant personalities that are as fleshed out and distinguished as their visual character designs, both Wiebe and Upchurch introduce an amazingly diverse and likeable cast of badass individuals; making it far too difficult to pick favourites.

Upchurch’s artwork strides with distinct style and dignity toward the final pages of the book, and by then, the charm it casts is just about faultless. He captures the light and whimsical tone of the series well, while also representing the violently dark aspects of Wiebe’s vision in brutal fashion. There is a fluidity in his illustrations when depicting scenes of extreme action. He demonstrates this particularly well when the Rat Queens go into “Attack Pattern Alpha” mode on their foes; stock poses, battle cries, and all. From colours, to inks, and panel layouts, the issue is impressively pieced together and thoroughly topped with a deliciously glossy finish.

The first installment of “Rat Queens” sets a high standard for the rest of the series and is a perfect introduction to Wiebe and Upchurch’s darkly comedic, action-adventure fantasy world. Though an amusing and unquestionably fun read, the issue promises more bloodshed and potentially sinister story developments in the upcoming chapters. Definitely a series worth checking out.

4.5/5 SKULLS

Reviewed by – ShadowJayd

Related Topics:Image Comics Kurtis J Wiebe Rat Queens Roc Upchurch

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Comics

‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics

Published

7 days ago

April 18, 2024

Meagan Navarro

Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.

Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.

In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”

The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”

Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”

“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.

Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”

Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.