
Must Read (or Watch) (or Play) Monday is a weekly series where we announce what book, television show, movie, or video game we're obsessing over this week.
You guys, I'm. So. Excited. It's Rat Queens week. I'll be honest--I know very little about comics. I mostly just know that I love them. But most of the ones I've read and loved, I discovered only because someone much wiser than me recommended it. And, of course, Rat Queens is no exception.
I was lucky enough to receive the Deluxe Edition for Christmas, and I totally devoured it. Then I talked about it non-stop to all the people kind enough to pretend to care (thanks, guys). And, now, I'm just going to do what I do best--talk about it more. You're welcome.
So, what is Rat Queens?
You guys, I'm. So. Excited. It's Rat Queens week. I'll be honest--I know very little about comics. I mostly just know that I love them. But most of the ones I've read and loved, I discovered only because someone much wiser than me recommended it. And, of course, Rat Queens is no exception.
I was lucky enough to receive the Deluxe Edition for Christmas, and I totally devoured it. Then I talked about it non-stop to all the people kind enough to pretend to care (thanks, guys). And, now, I'm just going to do what I do best--talk about it more. You're welcome.
So, what is Rat Queens?
It's a comic series about a badass lady team-up of four maidens-for-hire, who go around killing creatures for profit. They're 1) hilarious and 2) totally kick-ass. The Amazon description describes the series as "Buffy meets Tank Girl in a Lord of the Rings world on crack," which is a description I'm pretty okay with, actually.
While these ladies might be heroes, they're not your typical do-gooders. There's lots of drinking and drugs and some pretty wild parties. Oh, and sex. Lots and lots of sex. And swearing. And ass-kicking. I wasn't kidding when I said these ladies kill creatures--they kill lots of creatures. Within the first pages, creatures are falling left and right. So, basically, the series is mostly just some good ol' fashioned fun.
But, really, at it's heart, I think this series is about friendship, the families we choose, and being true to oneself. And honestly, I think that's what all the best stories are about. We're all just looking for our way in this world, trying to do the best we can with what we have. It's refreshing to see four kick-ass ladies in a fantasy world wrestling with the very real and basic question we all ask (what the fuck are we doing here?), while still managing to take down some rogue humans and orcs with style.
As a side note: I've been told that the series is sort of D&D-esque, in that the hunting party is made up of a(n) (elven) mage, a (dwarven) fighter, a (human) cleric, and a (smidgen) thief. So, you basically have a magic user, a fighter, a healer, and a rogue, which I've been told is the typical make-up of an idea D&D party. (But in fairness to me, I've played like two D&D games, so forgive me if any of the above is incorrect. I make no claims to D&D expertise.) The point, though, is that each member of the group has their own expertise and role to play in the story, which is nice when you have multiple main characters. You don't ever feel like anyone's story is getting shorted.
While these ladies might be heroes, they're not your typical do-gooders. There's lots of drinking and drugs and some pretty wild parties. Oh, and sex. Lots and lots of sex. And swearing. And ass-kicking. I wasn't kidding when I said these ladies kill creatures--they kill lots of creatures. Within the first pages, creatures are falling left and right. So, basically, the series is mostly just some good ol' fashioned fun.
But, really, at it's heart, I think this series is about friendship, the families we choose, and being true to oneself. And honestly, I think that's what all the best stories are about. We're all just looking for our way in this world, trying to do the best we can with what we have. It's refreshing to see four kick-ass ladies in a fantasy world wrestling with the very real and basic question we all ask (what the fuck are we doing here?), while still managing to take down some rogue humans and orcs with style.
As a side note: I've been told that the series is sort of D&D-esque, in that the hunting party is made up of a(n) (elven) mage, a (dwarven) fighter, a (human) cleric, and a (smidgen) thief. So, you basically have a magic user, a fighter, a healer, and a rogue, which I've been told is the typical make-up of an idea D&D party. (But in fairness to me, I've played like two D&D games, so forgive me if any of the above is incorrect. I make no claims to D&D expertise.) The point, though, is that each member of the group has their own expertise and role to play in the story, which is nice when you have multiple main characters. You don't ever feel like anyone's story is getting shorted.
I guess, since this is a comic, I should also talk about the artwork. But, if I'm honest, I don't know much about artwork in comics. This looks good to me, and that's basically all I can say about it. Other people agree that it's good. So, there's that.
Anyways, read Rat Queens! I'll be back tomorrow with some Rat Queen-themed food, and on Wednesday I'll be doing a casual cosplay of my favorite character from the series.
Anyways, read Rat Queens! I'll be back tomorrow with some Rat Queen-themed food, and on Wednesday I'll be doing a casual cosplay of my favorite character from the series.