Tentacles. Flashbacks. Tiny killer birds. Palisades and the Rat Queens are in big trouble. Is it good?
Rat Queens #9 (Image Comics)
We pick up the story we left before the special Braga issue, where giant tentacle monsters have been sent to destroy the town by crazy person Gerrig. As the issue opens, we see young Hannah and her getting harassed in a different town. We can also see where Hannah gets her attitude.
But as she wakes up, we learn that these are just memories, time distortion caused by the giant tentacle monsters, who happen to be demons who feed off of distorted realities. All the Rat Queens have survived so far and they regroup with other fighting buddies to try and figure out how to stop the demons.
Hannah figures out that Gerrig is the one responsible and that his target is Sawyer, who is still tied up and trapped by Gerrig, who continues to monologue about his need for revenge. The group heads for the keep where Gerrig is holed up and begin kicking ass.
Betty is the best.
Then, CLIFFHANGER! Will our heroines and friends survive to adventure another day??
Is It Good?
This issue dives right back into form, going back to the main storyline with new series artist Stjepan Sejic, whose style fits the Rat Queens universe perfectly. His style is slightly more sketchy, less defined lines than Upchurch, but his colors are gorgeous, all characters look just as they should, and his action sequences are clear and exciting.
The plotting in this issue is top-notch. The use of distorted reality demons give the story more depth as we get to see scenes from some characters’ pasts, which keeps you guessing and emphasizes the chaos in Palisades. The flashback with Hannah and her mom was especially touching.
Explains a lot.
One of the things I love about this comic is that even the tertiary characters get their own moments. We get a flashback with bluebird Dave, one of my favorites from the other gangs in Palisades. Wiebe has created a deep world and giving a moment to a character like Dave opens it further.
Magic beard of birds. Sure.
This issue is a great start back into one of my favorite books. Losing your co-creator/artist could have been a major blow, but Wiebe doesn’t lose a stride, giving us his trademark humor, friendship, action, and snark in an issue that is perfectly paced. This book is so consistently great, I can’t wait for next month.
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