Rat Queens Volumes 1-3
Grade: A
I did not know a great deal about Rat Queens when I picked up the first volume and I was more than pleasantly surprised. Rat Queens might actually be the most adorable adult graphic novels I’ve read yet.
Hannah, Vi, Dee and (my personal favorite) candy and fun loving Betty are basically mercenaries hired out to fight evil and in their off time they party, get into trouble, avoid their pasts and annoy everyone in town.
I thought it was very funny and very well-written. The jokes are good. The characters are both sweet, annoying, good and flawed and their friendship feels very real. This is another one I was reading thinking why isn’t this a television show or a movie. I would watch the crap out of this- at least until it’s inevitable decline.
I also appreciate the fact this is about some butt-kicking women and not only do we get a heaping helping of their friendship there’s also plenty of side character relationships that work. Their significant others as well as siblings, parents and other friends. In fact I’d generally say that the siblings, parents and friends play a bigger role than lovers.
Unfortunately I do agree with some reviewers that Volume 3 has problems. It definitely meanders and while the first two were pretty contained stories this feels like a whole lot of set-up and a whole lot of story where the biggest perhaps most important thing happened off the page. It’s worrisome I admit but I also like the characters and their relationships to each other so much I’m more than willing to keep going for now.
Just to reiterate despite the fact that I said adorable and think it’s about the cutest thing I’ve read in a long time they are definitely adult books. Drugs, sex, drinking, death and nudity included!
Recommend: Yes.