Rat Queens #16 Review

Writer: Kurtis J. Weibe / Artists: T. Fowler, T. Bonvillain / Image Comics

If you’re a Rat Queens fan, and I know you are, you should know by now that Kurt Wiebe has put the Queens on a creative breather.

After long consideration, I’ve decided to put Rat Queens on hiatus. (1/2)

— Kurtis Wiebe (@kurtisjwiebe) April 17, 2016

Now, I admit, I was a loud critic of the last arc, so I can say I think a pause to reconsider here is a good idea. Keeping up a monthly writing schedule is grueling and sometimes a break to consider and plan is a good one. And if it helps Wiebe get his mind right, that’s great, as much as I’ll miss the series. But before that break, there’s one last issue and it resets the Rat Queens for whatever comes next in a smart-ass, foul-mouthed way that felt just right for me.

[divider type=”space_thin”]
Now minus Hannah, Dee, Violet, and Betty return to Palisades, looking for a little relaxation and, if you’re Vi, a giant Dave to snuggle up with.

But things have changed in Palisades. The bar is full of gentrifying bros drinking all the good beer and staging bear fights. The streets are quiet but the sewers are crawling with giant bugs. Dee and Betty meet up with Braga and Tiziruiah, formerly of the Peaches gang — you remember them from the siege of Palisades — and together the 4 of them go on a quick dungeon crawl to clear their heads while Violet is busy with Dave.

[divider type=”space_thin”]
This is an entertaining team-up that gives the artists a chance to shine. Fowler and Bonvillain have settled into a good groove with both their individual expressions and their large-shot crowd scenes. I hope when Wiebe returns to the Rat Queens, he again drafts these two for the job. I’ll be following them to their next projects.

The issue ends with a cliffhanger, of course, but one that could, if necessary only imply that the Queens are up to their old tricks. Their personalities are intact with sharp, funny lines. Their style reset has been completed, with a brighter color palette and more nudity. The team has been juggled just enough to give us something to speculate about. I do hope they all come back. As much as I disliked the last issues, the Rat Queens are still my girls and I don’t want them to go. In the meantime, I’ll be looking for a new dungeon crawl of a comic to enjoy. Recommendations anyone?

7.5 Fucks out of 10

Are you following Black Nerd Problems on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr or Google+?