Fighting The Fleshers In Rat Queens #14
by Josh Davison
[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]
The Queens are at the mercy of a band of mutated orcs called the Fleshers. They come from an ancient tribe that can mold flesh and bone with dark and powerful magics. Betty made it out, and she was found by Dee, who may have literally been answering her prayers. Dee is a goddess now…sorta. Divinity is strange. In any case, it’s up to them to free the remaining Rat Queens and their friends before the Fleshers kill them or worse.
Rat Queens #14 brings Dee back to her friends while something horrible and ancient threatens to morph their very bodies into unspeakable shapes.
Most of the book focuses on Betty and Dee, as would be expected given the circumstances. Betty has a lot of questions about being a god and what that entails. Dee’s answers aren’t really absolute, but they’re more humanist than Betty was expecting.
The Fleshers themselves take special interest in Braga and Dave given that they’re orcs too, and these Fleshers may have some connection to the Queens’ past.
The Fleshers themselves are quite disgusting. We get to see their handiwork on a poor gnome towards the beginning, and they generally have bone armor growing from their bodies.
Dee’s new powers look great, and she seems quite powerful at this point.
Owen Gieni’s artwork continues to suit the Queens excellently, giving the world a gritty vibe to accompany all the fantasy elements and monsters. The design of the Fleshers is great, and the action scenes are cathartic and impactful. The color art is distinct and fits the vibe and tone of the world too.
Rat Queens #14 is another entertaining and action-heavy installment to this fantasy adventure series. Our heroes stand against a disturbing new threat, but, through their teamwork and grit, they just may survive the day. This one gets a recommendation. Check it out.
Rat Queens #14 comes to us from writer Kurtis J. Wiebe, artist and cover artist Owen Gieni, letterer Ryan Ferrier, and variant cover artist Jim Valentino.