Rat Queens #16
Previously: Rat Queens #15
It’s six months after Hannah’s imprisonment and the Queens, to Dee’s chagrin since she was never fond of the place to begin with, arrive in Palisade after sailing the seas. Violet, who is driven to Palisade by six months of no sex, and Betty, who wants to reestablish her mushroom connection, quickly override Dee. Upon arrival, Palisade seems to be deserted as most of the local townsfolk are gone and left in their place, holed up at a local bar, are a bunch of unknown mercenaries deep in the throes of drunken revelry.
But not all are strangers as Dee meets up with her husband, who’s strangely stayed around waiting for her even though the last time they were together things were said that cannot be taken back. Dee quickly brushes him off as she’s still petty. Betty and Dee also meet up with Braga and Tizzie, who just arrived the night before and - needing funds - have taken a job exterminating centipedes from the sewers.
Dee, in a violent mood because of her husband, and Betty agree to join them and like the Rat Queens of old the girls immediately bond as they vanquish their enemies. Violet meets her brother Barrie, who all of a sudden wants to reconnect with her, but it will have to wait until she answers to her horniness with Orc Dave, who seems more jovial than we remember.
They quickly go to a room to a room, but when Dave pulls down his breeches, Vi reacts violently. The rest of the Queens arrive at the bar just in time to see a retreating Dave get his head cleaved in two by Vi as she yells “Just when you think you know somebody”.
Rat Queens #16
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Plot: mostly sets up the next arc - 8/108/10
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Dialogue: witty banter between the Queens is back - 9/109/10
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Art - 9/109/10
Summary
Man, it’s great to be back in Palisade. This issue basically sets up a bunch of questions that will comprise the next arc: like what happened to the townsfolk and where’s Sawyer and the rest of the Palisade guards? There is something definitely going on not only because Vi butchered Dave, but there was a constant theme of family members who left on bad terms: Barrie and Mezikiah, coming back trying to reconcile. The question now is whether Vi really killed Dave or did she notice something (probably related to his dick size) that clued her in on Dave being an imposter.
Also, I called it a few issues ago that Braga and Tizzie would make great additions to the Queens and this issue goes a ways to make that a reality. Incidentally, no Hannah in this issue and not even a mention from one of the Queens. I found that kind of strange. Seeing as how she’s escaped her prison, it’s only a matter of time before she shows up again, but the question is whether it’ll be as friend or foe. Finally, I loved that with all the strange shit happening the one thing that gets Dee to finally exclaim “what’s going on?” is Tizzy saying “I even saw Gary running around with friends.”
