Things are getting intense and just a little bit personal in “Rat Queens,” with the characters stuck in one of their most horrifying spots yet. It always feels like a while between issues, but it’s easy to jump back in and get to the sword and sorcery action it brings us.
Written by Kurtis J. Wiebe
Illustrated & colored by Owen Gieni
Lettered by Ryan Ferrier“THE INFERNAL PATH,” Part Four
Having escaped the Underpit by the skin of their teeth, the Queens track down the source of the orc invasion while Dee must make an impossible choice: save her friends or save herself.
If I had to summarize this issue in three words, they would have to be “emotional body horror.” Fortunately, I have far more than three words to work with, so we can get into more details than that.
The Rat Queens are no stranger to tough spots, but Kurtis Wiebe knows how to put them in the nastiest of situations here, one that the characters are unlikely to leave without some kind of scars. Dee’s newfound dose of semi-divinity may help, but that doesn’t stop this issue from leaving readers with knuckles turned white from clutching the pages.
Considering some of the other horrors the Rat Queens have been through, that’s saying something. They’ve dealt with monsters, devils, politicians, and eldritch beings right out of a game of “Call of Cthulhu,” but being held captive to a body-twisting monster is a new one. What makes it all the more impactful is the personal stakes the characters have in it.
Artist Owen Geini works the more twisted aspects of this issue excellently. From an emaciated, body-warped orc causes a blue-skinned gnome’s body to twist and deform as it cries out to the bony protrusions sticking out from the villain’s minions, and all the way to the sheer emotion on the characters’ faces when they’re faced with personal situations – the artwork brings out the sheer scale and stakes of this chapter.
However, that is not to say the entire issue is filled with either gut-wrenching emotion or body horror. There’s still plenty of action, made more memorable by Dee’s new crystal powers. The waves of crystalline energy and the magical weapons she grants her friends add new color and visuals to the chapter, along with plenty of the usual violent, bloody action we’ve come to expect from the Rat Queens.
Story-wise, we’re nearing the climax of this story arc, so things are moving at a fast pace. We see more of this body-twisting villain, along with plenty of monologuing from him, while hitting some emotional beats that raise the stakes for the orc characters.
In fact, Orc Dave and Braga are two characters that each had their own single-issue specials, but haven’t been as central to the story as the rest of the character. Braga is a newer addition to the Rat Queens, so we haven’t had as much time to get to know her outside of her one-shot and her time in the mirror of regrets. Meanwhile, Orc Dave has mostly served as a romantic interest for Vi, but now he’s given more personal stakes.
Of course it makes sense that the storyline involving an orc invasion connects mostly to the orc characters. Kurtis Wiebe does a good job at bringing both their backstories into this, connecting them to the ongoing narrative in ways that give them personal stakes and have come about as a natural result of their past decisions.
To say much more would delve into spoiler territory, but suffice to say it brings together a few story points in an organic manner. Or at least as organic as body-manipulating monsters can get.
As a result, though, this issue doesn’t have the same amount of banter and hilarity as some of the others. The characters are more concerned about their survival than they are at getting in a witty remark, but there are still some good opportunities for one-liners here and there. Since Betty and Dee are the only ones not spending most of the chapter in cages or chains, most of the good dialogue comes from them, particularly when discussing just how much of a god Dee really is at this point, or the nature of divinity as a whole.
Continued belowWith that said, everything is very true to the characters as established. How they react to their situations and twists, both in the dialogue Kurtis Weibe gives them or the expressions and body language Owen Gieni provides, are entirely natural to everything we know of them. The only characters we don’t know that much about yet are Sadie and Maddie, two characters I hope we get more from soon (especially since Sadie is a former Rat Queen and Maddie has finally gotten to join them), and sadly this issue doesn’t give them much yet. But just as Dave and Braga are getting their stories more integrated into the main plot, so too will we get more from the rest of the cast in due time.
Given all the plot threads being pulled together for this issue, it feels like this chapter of “Rat Queens” may be best enjoyed as part of the paperback collection, but that’s not to say it’s not enjoyable on its own. The character beats, emotional drama and sheer visual power of the artwork make it a great addition to the story and a welcome return for the Queens.
Final Verdict: 8.1 – An emotionally gripping issue, filled with powerful imagery and great stakes for the characters that bring together multiple beats.
