Rat Queens #5 Review

If Rat Queens were just a book devoted to poking fun at fantasy tropes and cramming in as much blood and risque humor as possible, it would be worth a read. Luckily, this book operates on deeper levels than that. Kurtis J. Wiebe has been slowly fleshing out his cast of foul-mouthed adventurers over the past few months, and that character growth really starts to pay off in issue #5. This issue runs the gamut from hardcore violence to intense moments of drama to laugh-out-loud humor, and it's a great way to cap up the first story arc.

This issue wraps up the battle between Palisade's surviving mercenaries and the angry troll army. There's a healthy dose of the old ultra-violence, but Wiebe doesn't devote the entire issue to blood and carnage. He also sheds more light on the ongoing mystery of who hired the assassins to attack our heroes as well as explores the raucous celebration after the fighting is done. Some memorable character moments are inserted throughout, with Dee in particular emerging as one of the more complex and troubled characters in the series.

Roc Upchurch renders this issue in his usual cartoony, fantastical fashion. This is easily the most visually diverse installment so far with the way the script bounces from bloodshed to partying. Rat Queens could almost be too stylized for its own good, but the color and texture help keep everything just grounded enough in the realm of low fantasy that it works.

Unfortunately, it'll be several months before the next chapter of Rat Queens hits the stands. Take the opportunity to get caught up on this quirky gem if you haven't already.

Jesse is a mild-mannered writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.

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