Reviewed by Taylor Hoffman
Taylorbhoffman@gmail.com & @taylorcheckers
“Rat Queens” #10 fulfills my need for badass ladies, good Lovecraftian creations, and dungeons and dragons style fantasy. This is the second issue with new artist Stjepan Šejić (Darkness, Sunstone) and it continues to be a perfect match in tone, character, and overall story. This issue is special for quite a few reasons, but mainly, it’s character and relationship development. All the main action is intense, but the overall conflict is concluded about halfway through. This allows us to really delve into the best part of the series, The Rat Queens.
Story By: Kurtis J. Wiebe
Art By: Stjepan Sejic
Publisher: Image Comics
Release Date: April 8, 2015
Cover Price: 3.50
The tension between the love interests comes to a breaking point. Up until now, we’ve only had glimpses into the emotions of our beloved characters, some more than others. In this case, the story focuses on much more than just defeating the big bad, flying squid god N’Rygoth. Without spoilers, the Rat Queens kick ass, as per usual. It’s not surprising that at this point in the series we’re experiencing more depth; the lovers of Rat Queens are a loyal bunch just like our protagonists, so at issue 10 it’s not the same slayer game. It’s still plenty full of that fun and swift violence and the action is not lost.
Šejić’s art conveys something much messier, more chaotic, which fits the fast-pace of pages in which there’s fighting, decapitation, arrows to knees, and all that rewarding stuff. It’s cathartic at heart because there’s obviously such a love for this series that’s evident by the connections that are finally coming together. In the past few issues, there’s a serious application of depth to the characters.
Tess Fowler’s beautiful rendition of Braga in her one-shot brings those secondary characters part of the main story, treating them with respect as three dimensional and fleshed out. It’s no secret that Wiebe’s favorite character is Braga, so the care from the team has shifted to theme of self-discovery runs through the rest of the comic with beautiful transition and honesty, just like Braga. That’s important, more than important, it’s paramount to representation in comics – trans*, bi, and generally the “Other” are real. It’s lifting a veil that has so long alienated characters to a point of total invisibility or simply not there. Rat Queens started with excitement and a huge energy to be fun, and underneath all of these connections were building.
These last few issues have proved truth in even the strangest comics and environments; it’s relatable. The inclusion of Braga, especially, even though she’s just seen in a few pages of this one is great because there’s more acceptance than just surface level. It’s too long been a cheap trend to make trans* characters a joke or a trick, and there are more examples of this than there are trans* persons represented in comics at all. Again, respect for the characters is paramount. Rat Queens exemplifies something that’s been missing and goddamn, I love it.
Then there’s Sawyer and Hannah’s relationship that has always been a back and forth love affair where one always has too much pride, but this time there’s something more entrancing. In a moment of trying to accept or return his love and life ––– which she in no way should or needs to –– Hannah reveals something huge to Sawyer and to the readers (“That’s why her hair’s so big, it’s full of secrets!”). Again, so much emotion is put into these moments and it’s mirrored by the struggle that Dee faces with her past. What happens when faced with inherited guilt, ultimate power, and evil, who can handle it? Read this issue now to find out, right now.