Everyone knows that Saga is the best new graphic novel in ages. It is known. And I know everyone is going to accuse me of taking crazy pills, BUT…I think Rat Queens may be even better than Saga. (In my own completely factual and not at all subjective opinion.) But, they are both part of Image Comics, which is quickly becoming the most innovative and inclusive of all the comic book houses. Seriously, Image Comics has cornered the market on interesting, bad ass, multi-dimensional women in comics – and their artists use a wide range of different body types!
I think part of the reason I have such an affinity for this group of sword wielding, witty women is that their exploits remind me a lot of my old Dungeons & Dragons group that Mr. Quorren and I used to frequently roll the dice with back before our big move. So the Rat Queens fill the void left by my Dapper Chap friends (we were dapper, but not all of us were chaps). We were a mercenary guild where gold was the bottom line, or alcohol. Whichever was in abundance.
And since the opening panels of the first issue of Rat Queens was the titular foursome participating in a city-wide bar fight, I was hooked. First in the group is Hannah, the boss. She’s an elven sourcerer with more sass in one of her victory rolls than I have in my whole body. I love her and want to be her. Then there’s Betty, a hobbit-like hippie rogue with a penchant for drugs, alcohol, candy and women. I love her and want to be her. Next is Dee, a human priest who also happens to be agnostic, introverted and has hips for days. I love her and already am kind of like her (her reaction to a party being held is to read a book). Last is Violet, a dwarven warrior with a taste for blood who has trouble coming up with a sharp, parting bon mots. Violet is the only character that doesn’t get fully sketched out in this volume, but her backstory and personality get explored more in depth in the second volume.
I don’t know what else to say to get you to read this book, other than YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK. (With one caveat, the language and violence gets a bit into the R territory, so if you aren’t down with that, I don’t think you’re going to fall in love with all the characters as much as I did.)
