“Rat Queens” is back…again! The series makes it second triumphant return with new series artist Tess Fowler and new series colorist Tamra Bonvillain. Hannah, Violet, Dee and Betty are back for more beer, more action and more friendship. Read on for our spoiler free review of “Rat Queens” #11.
Written by Kurtis Wiebe
Illustrated Tess Fowler and Tamra Bonvillain
“DEMONS”
Road Trip! Having survived the end of the world, the Queens follow Hannah back to where it all began: Mage University. With Necromancers being hunted by a mysterious cadre of religious zealots, Hannah will see to it that the Council of Ten, the overseers of the mage community, do something about it.
“Rat Queens” hasn’t been the easiest book to stay with, but not because of the quality. With two art changes and a few delays, this series has not been able to completely keep the momentum it started with. However, that’s going to change with the addition of artists Tess Fowler and Tamra Bonvillain. This was the strongest issue the series has had in quite some time, and it really evokes the “Dungeons & Dragons” spirit it has always sought to capture.
“Rat Queens” #11 picks up shortly after the point issue ten ended, when Hannah got a call about her father. What about her father, we didn’t know, but it’s led to the Rat Queens hitting the road to go back to where she went to college. The issue opens with the ladies being caught by goblins and almost eaten. After some clever maneuvering by Betty, they make their escape and get back on the trail to their final destination. Once there, they celebrate but don’t have any idea what dangers are heading their way.
Overall, this issue is a very solid way to return to the series. The story is easy enough to get into (although I really wish this had a very quick recap page,) and the first few pages do a lot to illustrate the different personalities of each character. The humor is sharp tongued and Wiebe really hasn’t lost a step as far as his character work. For most of the issue they are all together sharing the same plot, but you start to see where things might split off. Betty has some stuff going on and she’s involved in a pretty exciting cliffhanger that ends the issue. What’s interesting about the plot is that it seems to be more personal that the last arc. Palisades being under attack was so big that it didn’t allow for all of the characters to get a ton of development. Right from the beginning, it’s clear that this is story is squarely focused on them and with their personalities already established so well, the timing for this is perfect.
The stars of “Rat Queens” #11 are Tess Fowler and Tamra Bonvillain. Roc Upchurch and Stjepan Sejic brought something special of their own to the series, but Fowler’s style feels almost feels like it’s what was meant to be here from the beginning. “Rat Queens” is very obviously influenced by role playing games like Dungeons & Dragons, and Fowler is the first artist that has made this series feel like that. Sejic was great at capturing magic, and for the part of the story he worked on, he did that pefectly. Fowler, though, seems to approach this from a place that’s very rooted in fantasy.
The first thing you’ll notice with the character designs is the costuming. For the first time, I felt like these women were wearing actual armor. Violet is almost head to toe in armor that looks heavy and durable. Fowler goes so far as to at one point to have Dee ricochet arrows off of her, and it’s that detail that stays with you whenever you see the heavy armor plates. Fowler also changes the Rat Queens clothing. Once they get to town, she puts them in what is basically “street wear.” Their armor is for fighting, so while they’re in the tavern, they wear more casual outfits that fit their color scheme while reflecting their personalities. Even more striking is the way Fowler handles their body types. These women are warriors and so they have defined muscles. There are a few panels where you see clearly defined muscles, something you rarely see in comic books when it comes to female designs. The action scenes and backgrounds are detailed so finely in a way that the series hasn’t really seen before.
Continued belowTamra Bonvillain’s colors are stunning. She’s quietly one of the best colorists in comic books right now, with her work on “Wayward” and “Pisces” displaying her wide range. With “Rat Queens” #11, she shows off her knack for mood. The Rat Queens are always what your eyes are drawn to by almost popping off the page. Bonvillain colors the backgrounds with the same care as Fowler’s pencils and gives the book a true sense of place. The detailing in the costumes is also very well done with things like chains and swords being multifaceted. It’s a beautiful, fun book with a truly great art team that will hopefully stick around for a very long time and get this series back on track.
“Rat Queens” #11 is the start of what could be a special arc for this series and with the addition of Fowler and Bonvillain, it feels like things are finally back on track for this series.
Final Verdict: 8.3 – A strong return with an art team that brings a deeper feeling of fantasy to this series.
