Yay the Rat Queens are back. I will freely admit that I was a part of the hype train for this series, but hey it ended up delivering in the end so no one can complain. The first issue was great; guess what… this issue is better. The reason being, we’re in the world now. We’ve met the characters and gotten the lay of the land meaning we’re able to freely explore the story and world. The issue kicks off with Violet and Hannah arguing about the troll that’s in front of them. Violet asks how a huge troll sneaks up on someone with Elven eyes and that sets Hannah off on Dwarf stereotypes. It was an awesome way to start the issue off because it reminds you of the ladies personalities instantly and sets the mood for hilarity. It’s great for another reason as well because Kurtis Wiebe paints the real world onto fantasy and makes it a nerd’s delight. A Dwarf that only drinks wine as a matter of principle… loved it! Spoiler the ladies defeat the troll but not without taking some damage and then head back to town to figure out who is trying to kill them. More hilarity ensues along the way of course… and drinking… of course.

There’s definitely more to the story, but it would be very pointless for me to sum it up for you. Wiebe does a great job with this series and continues to give each character their unique voice and personality. Dee and Betty seemed to take the back seat in this issue which was a shame, but it’s also bound to happen with four main characters. Honestly the story doesn’t move forward that much, but we continue to have a better understanding of the setting and spend more time getting to know the characters which I doubt anyone will complain about.

Roc-Motherfucking-Upchurch in the house! Upchurch’s art, as I’ve said before, is fantastic and some of my favorite. I really enjoy his character designs and especially in the case of the ladies they’re very realistic. I can’t stress enough how refreshing it is in the world of comics to see not just men, but women with their unique body frame; from hips to the shoulders no two characters look-alike. Upchurch flexes his action and gore muscles in this issue and it also rocs (pun intended, but with no insult attached). I really enjoy his blood effects and coloring. Something about it is very cool and anime inspired.

I’m very happy that these two creators came together for this series. They’re a great partnership and continue to produce entertaining and high quality issues. If this keeps up it may just work its way onto my top five list. In the mean time you should definitely check out this issue and series. If you missed out on the first issue you should be able to get a second print copy with this issue as well and trust me, you want to do that. This series is proving to be a humorous monthly experience that is also well-written and beautifully illustrated.

Score: 5/5

Writer: Kurtis J. Wiebe Artist: Roc Upchurch Publisher: Image and Shadowline Comics Price: $3.50 Release Date: 10/23/13