“Auntie Agatha’s Home for Wayward Rabbits” #1 features interesting characterizations and snappy dialogue, but fails to really get going. (Warning: contains minorspoilers.)
Written by Keith GiffenCover by Benjamin Roman
Illustrated by Benjamin Roman
Colored and lettered by
Bryan Valenza and Beyond Colorlab
Lettered by
Auntie Agatha’s Home for Wayward Rabbits is in danger. Run by the titular Agatha and her niece, Julie, this peculiar shelter cares for damaged and dysfunctional rabbits—and now it’s being threatened by a wealthy businessman who will stop at nothing to tear it down. This charming series marks the return of critically acclaimed writer KEITH GIFFEN to creator-owned work.
The more I read solicits and write reviews, the more I’m convinced that publishers and their marketing departments aren’t exactly in sync. Often, in retrospect, it feels like whoever wrote the solicit for a particular issue was racing ahead, tipping off plot points to come rather than describing what actually happens current installment.
This is exactly the case with “Auntie Agatha’s Home for Wayward Rabbits” #1.
Upon reading the debut issue, I suppose we could guess that the titular shelter is “being threatened by a wealthy businessman who will stop at nothing to tear it down,” but in truth there’s very little in the book itself that makes this clear. In fact, the vast majority of the first issue is pretty devoid of plot in general, centering instead on well conceived characterizations and witty banter.
The book begins like a classic sitcom, with an exterior “establishing shot” of the titular shelter. There’s even a wooden sign hanging above the mailbox that makes it crystal clear exactly where we are. Next, we see Julie, Auntie Agatha’s niece and the establishment’s de facto caretaker. With her large Manga eyes, slouchy oversized sweater and acerbic teen wit, we immediately sense that she is the undisputed protagonist and star of the series. Naturally, to really command our attention, she needs a comedic foil. Unsurprisingly, that character takes the form of an anthropomorphic talking rabbit (Sawyer) who also has a sidekick and straight man of his own (Pope), a fellow talking rabbit.
Visually, artist Benjamin Roman’s character designs feel spot on, deftly straddling the line between recognizable types and refreshingly new interpretations. Sawyer is short, purple and semi-cuddly – despite his crusty attitude – with floor-length floppy ears and a heart-shaped patch of fur on his chest. Like a Care Bear from an alternate timeline. Pope, on the other hand, looks a bit like an aging hipster. His fur is white with purple accents, including what looks like a bushy, frowny goatee and much smaller, pointy ears. He’s also big and round, a full head taller than Sawyer. Together, they definitely look like the classic comedic duo.
Rounding out the cast is a vivid collection of similarly twisted types. First, there’s a zombified rabbit named Fritter, who is described as OCD but looks like he’s on acid. He wears socks over his hands, verbally thanks God for every step that he takes and has huge, bulging eyeballs with tiny pinprick pupils. Loomis, the shed-dwelling mouse, looks like a classic loner rodent who’s been around the block a time or two. His big ears are nicked and frayed, there’s a long scar over one eye and his misshapen nose is literally out of joint. He’s also paranoid that cats are taking over the world. Near the end of the book, we also meet two more humans, Naomi and Raquel, who are presumably twins. These huge, menacing “meat monsters” are not to be trifled with. They came in search of Aunty Agatha and will not be denied.
Ultimately, as with the lengthy descriptions above, there’s way too much time and space devoted to introducing the cast of characters, entertaining as they may be. In the end, there’s only so much space and something has to give. In this case, that’s the plot, which feels thin and barely established. Yes, the goons have appeared. Yes, there’s something weird and intriguing about the rabbit pellets. But the book fails hook in the reader the way that a first issue should.
Without a doubt, Bryan Valenza and Beyond Colorlab’s cool, purple-violet color palette is spectacular, equal parts ominous and trippy, existing as it does in some sort of perpetual twilight on the border between light and dark. Similarly, Roman’s art is playful and engaging, cleverly subverting a typically all-ages aesthetic in service to a much more sophisticated, grown-up script. Indeed, Giffen’s dialogue is smart and multilayered, full of quips and banter, while also operating on a deeper level. The ingredients are unique and well crafted. Sadly, in the first 32 pages, the story simply doesn’t rise to the occasion.
Final Verdict: 6.8 – “Auntie Agatha’s Home for Wayward Rabbits” #1 is full of interesting characters, with great artwork and sharp dialogue. The story, however, falls flat and fails to get off the ground.
