Rat Queens #5 (Image)

Rating: 5/5 – Characters drive the frantic fun in this fantastic fantasy.
by ComicSpectrum reviewer Will Hessling.

I’m going to gush about this series. It embodies what I love about creator-owned comics.  Creators, and by extension we, the faithful readers, can have a whole lot of fun. The buzz surrounding the five issues of this series is impressive and well deserved.  This issue exemplifies the reason the series has been so successful: it’s a lot of fun from beginning to end.

Story wise, we get satisfaction in both the battle and the subsequent party. Who cares if that one shop we saw got destroyed?  I think there might be a story there but whatever, right? The important thing is partying with the Four Daves, and I call Orc Dave (keep the birds in)!

Kurtis J. Wiebe has packed this issue with quotable lines, like the favorite movie all your friends will quote for years to come.  I can’t say enough about the job Wiebe and artist Roc Upchurch are doing, everything just works. This issue is a testament to efficient storytelling, we get three distinct settings that all satisfyingly accomplish exactly what’s intended, all while showing rather than telling why we love these characters.

So yeah, character development and all that, but it’s also genuinely fun to read. I’d like to mention an example, maybe of one specific character moment that shows what I mean, but the entire issue is filled with so many I can’t choose just one.  What I love about this series is the balance between all the cast members.  There are great moments for your favorite, whomever that may be, and great interactions between them if you love them all.  Character is what drives the series, whether they are battling or mixing drinks.

Reviewed by: Will Hessling
(will@comicspectrum.com)
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