Looking to de-stress this exam season? Look no further! Rat Queens, Volume 1 is a wonderfully fun graphic novel that combines the best of DnD storytelling and graphic art. Fans of podcasts like The Adventure Zone by the McElroys or Critical Role should definitely give this graphic novel a try! And btw, did you know that The Adventure Zone actually has its own graphic novel now? Wild. Described by writer Kurt J. Wiebe as “Lord of the Rings meets Bridesmaids,” Rat Queens is definitely for mature audiences only. As a party of four – Betty (Smidgen), Hannah (Elf), Violet (Dwarf) and Dee (Human) – they spend a little too much time at the pub and not enough protecting their hometown, Palisade. Although they enjoy spending their time beating up the bad guys, their primary goals are stealing some loot and finding treasure.
Rat Queens enjoys a nice, rich colour palette, with fixed palettes for each character, and cartoon-style finish. While most of this volume was drawn by Roc Upchurch, Fiona Staples also contributed and later volumes were drawn by artists such as Stjepan Šejić, Tess Fowler, Owen Gieni and many more. Please note that Roc Upchurch left the Rat Queens team in 2014 following his arrest for domestic abuse, after which he was court-ordered to attend classes. You can find a breakdown of the case on The Mary Sue.
The first volume, Sass and Sorcery, received critical acclaim and a 2014 Eisner Award for best series. In 2015, it also won the GLAAD media Award for Outstanding Comic Book for its portrayal of LGBT characters and the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story.
Do you have any suggestions for the recommendation list? Graphic Novels that we should be reading? Let us know by sending an email to edd3@le.ac.uk.
