The Queens Begin To Splinter Under A New Threat In Rat Queens #16
by Josh Davison
[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]
A hooded figure walks into the pacifist kingdom of Blorevion, assassinates its king, and usurps the throne. This figure is far from done though; he has other targets on his list. Meanwhile, the Rat Queens are having trouble finishing a single quest. Betty is drinking too much, Maddie isn’t confident in her abilities despite Braga’s best efforts, Dee is tired of Hannah asking her to use god-powers, and Violet is still not back on the team. Things are strained to a near-breaking point, and things aren’t going to get better now that Palisade is under attack.
Rat Queens #16 finds the team at another low point, with the crew at risk of falling apart to strife and repeated failure. Worse yet, they may need to get normal everyday jobs!
This new start for Rat Queens shows that the book will still retain the heart of what makes the comic so enjoyable–the chemistry between the Queens themselves. While it’s generally more fun seeing them get along and riff one-liners with one another, it will be interesting to see how the team changes after this period of internal strife.
I do miss Violet though. She better return soon.
This new villain that we see overthrowing Blorevion has some potential to be a memorable one at least.
Priscilla Petraites’ artwork is brilliant. It is a wonderfully-detailed style which brings the Rat Queens to life in a vivid and textured manner. The costume changes brought along are quite good too. Marco Lesko’s coloring is vibrant and gorgeous as well. Petraites and Lesko quickly prove to be a powerhouse artistic team for this series.
Rat Queens #16 does wind down on the camaraderie that has often made this series so enjoyable, but it will be nonetheless interesting to watch the Queens grapple with the strife that currently divides them. It’s an interesting start for a new arc, and it’s accompanied by fantastic artwork. This one gets a recommendation, as it often does. Feel free to check this one out.
Rat Queens #16 comes to us from writer and letterer Ryan Ferrier, artist and cover artist Priscilla Petraites, and color artist Marco Lesko.
Final Score: 7.5/10
