After a two month hiatus, Rat Queens is back with the new arc, The Far Reaching Tentacles of N’rygoth! From Image Comics comes the latest installment by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch. The cover by Upchurch features all four Rat Queens performing as a band.
Recovering from the huge party at the end of issue five, the Rat Queens are called to the Mayor’s office regarding damages to a statue’s specific appendage, before getting sent off on another quest. Meanwhile, Sawyer is off hunting down Bernadette’s kidnappers.
The use of the Garys as a punching bag hasn’t gotten old yet. Wiebe also gets to continue to show Betty’s playful side as she picks mushrooms instead of fighting. I like that after fully establishing the world, we’re starting to delve into more character-driven stories, with the addition of Mezikiah.
Roc Upchurch takes a very cinematic approach to his art-style, with background characters and scenery being slightly out of focus. He isn’t afraid to work outside panel borders either, and it helps the images pop off the page. He’s an absolute master of facial expressions, highlighted by the page where Sawyer meets Gerrig, ranging from confusion to disgust.
Similar to Skullkickers, Rat Queens has the best parts of sword and sorcery action, with humor mixed in. We get to see the Rat Queens grow as a unit and see Sawyer come into his own. This is a perfect point for new readers to jump on board. Although you don’t have to have read the first arc, I highly recommend it.
P.S. The last panel is utterly creepy.
