Rat Queens Vol. 3

By Kurtis J. Wiebe and Tess Fowler

Having survived the end of the world, the Queens follow Hannah back to where it all began: Mage University. A long perilous journey awaits the Rat Queens as they attempt to find out what happened to Hannah 's father while battling their own demons. Collects RAT QUEENS #11-15.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Image Comics, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 13, 2016
• ISBN: 9781632159328

Kurtis J. Wiebe

Kurtis Wiebe is a Stockholm, Sweden based author. Currently a Story Supervisor at Ubisoft Stockholm, he comes from a decade long career in comics and games. He is the co-creator of over ten original comic series and a content creator spanning podcasts, live streams and other digital media. His stories have garnered multiple industry awards including two coveted Shuster’s for best writer.

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Reviews for Rat Queens Vol. 3

[theriq-4267 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Still liking these queens. This volume brings in some of the more magical side of the world, and it's a nice touch to throw in a bit more mystery and nuance to the magic and the various sources the characters draw from while still playing out story and character drama.

[villemezbrown · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Still okay, but stumbling a bit after last volume's improvements with herky-jerky storytelling and a new artist who is not quite as good as the first two but getting better as the pages turn. It's the Rat Queens' Empire Strikes Back -- they travel to a distant locale, meet up with some estranged relatives, and fall apart as secrets come out and prisoners are taken -- but, you know, not as good. The characters and their interactions carry the day though.

[bookbrig-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

My least favorite installment, but I still really love these characters. Just a bit slow, and when the story did offer a twist/reveal that caught my interest the book ended. Not a super big fan of the naked Hannah page either, for a variety of reasons, not least being I saw this series as a bit of escapism from more traditional comic book cheesecake.

[bobbybslax · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The first two were a bit more cohesive and generally more interesting. This felt like an in-between story: one of those parts of a series where it just sets up for later entries and fails to do much more than bide time until then. I thought the thicker, cartoony art was nice to look at. I still prefer the earlier works, in both art and story.

[glennis.leblanc · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This collection reveals more out our favorite smidgen and Hannah. Betty reveals to Violet a bit of her past and they end up having a nice little adventure that looks like will have consequences for Violet later. Hannah faces her past and her family in this one and it isn’t good. Dee sees her brother at the university and explains to him the family religion and why she has to do what she is doing. Even with everything happening in the issues this is more of a placeholder and doesn’t really move the story along or have a good tight arc. The bonus story at the end of the collection was fun.

Digital review copy provided by the publisher.

[mrs.soule · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I DO NOT like this new artist...all of a sudden all of the women have super-rounded hips and breasts and no longer look like real warriors. Not cool.

[nicolewbrown · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Rat Queens are Betty, a hippie halfling thief whose idea of a meal is drugs and candy, Hannah, a rockabilly elven mage, Violet a dwarven warrior who shaved her beard and then there's Dee, an atheist human who is skilled in combat has magic abilities and can heal, who comes from a family who worships a squid deity named N'Rygoth. In the previous book, they were asked to find a woman named Bernadette and an assassin of the Black Khali may be involved. Dee's husband shows up and tells them that the Haruspex Requiem was stolen. This is the death mask worn by the high priestess of their religion that absorbs all of their knowledge upon their death to be transferred to the next high priestess who wears it. The Rat Queens have found Bernadette and all they can do is fix her so she is back to normal and not spouting nonsense but she will still be blind. A man named Gerrig has stolen the Haruspex Requiem with plans destroy Palisade the town he created. He doesn't have the papers with the spells so he is using what he knows from memory to call to the creatures from the abyss causing the others to hallucinate mostly bad things that will distract them from coming after him. Dee has the spells he needs. Dee winds up becoming the High Priestess of N'Rygoth.In this book, Hannah's dad has gone before the Council and attacked them for not being what they should be. It turns out that the last time years ago when Hannah was a child her dad took down the evil Council for its practices and installed those who were involved in the revolt as the new Council. Hannah and the gang are heading to her hometown to visit her father because she hasn't heard from him in a while and is worried about him.Dee wants to end her religion by killing their god. But she needs help and luckily her brother happens to be there attending his fifth anniversary at the Mage University. Her atheist brother is shocked to find out that there is a god in the first place. But he has information on Hannah. Things she hasn't told her friends. She entered a pact with a demon to help her with her school work and was sent before the Council and banished from the University. While there she attacked the Council. But it wasn't really her it was the demon working through her who did so. Hannah's other secret is that she is half demon herself.Can the Rat Queens survive this new information and attitude from their friend Hannah? These strong women will be tested and fighting their way out may not be possible. This is a great series and this book continues the fun and danger these amazing women go through. Hannah will be tested mightly and push herself away from her friends so what will they do to help her if anything? I really loved this book and I give it five out of five stars.

[kmajort · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Wow.... I can handle change, really. But I'm not sure that I approve of the changes in RQs.
Art, really different. I don't think I like Tess Fowler's renditions near as much as Roc Upchurch's work.
And the story: choppy, hard to follow. Dark, I can handle. Unfathomable just makes me sad.

[greeniezona · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ah, volume 3. Vi's beard is growing back in, we get hints of Betty's past, Dee delves into her religious roots, all while we're diving deep into Hannah's backstory while on a mission to rescue her father. Hannah's story is emotional and intriguing, but Betty bonding with an ice dragon who's also obsessed with candy takes the cake.

The art continues to be beautiful in this volume, but in places it actually seems a little too pretty. Less edgy, more cartoony.

Finally we get some backstory that reveals that Braga used to be a very male Broog. The story explains Braga's fierceness, the loss of the eye, and why Braga left the orcs, but nothing at all about the sex/gender change. Which is a little... odd.

Not quite as well loved as the first two volumes. But I'm still along for the ride.

[befuddledpanda · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4.5 stars. This series is so much fun! The only downside is each volume ends so quickly. :) I am itching for the next volume. Also, the characters are so kick-ass.

[willowsmom_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I just devoured all three (as of December 2016) volumes of Rat Queens, and god do I wish there were MOOOOOOOORE. The writing vacillates between hysterically funny to wrenchingly deep and clips along fast enough to keep me immensely entertained. I love all the Queens, but candy and mushroom binging Betty is pretty dang amazing. Here's hoping this series keeps going for a long, long time--I just wish it had been around when I was growing up, but as it is this is definitely one to add to the list of 'things to share with the girls once they're older'.

[krau0098 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this third installment in the Rat Queens series. These are such hilarious and yet strangely heartfelt graphic novels. There’s a ton of action and a ton of humor and the illustration is well done as well.In this book we mainly follow Hannah as she and the other Queens try to figure out what happened to her father. We also get a lot of backstory on Betty and the situation she fled when she joined the Queens. Betty and Violet have an especially interesting run in with a dragon that I really enjoyed as well. Things are left in tumult at the end of the book; will the Rat Queens survive the revalations about Hannah’s past? I did miss the artwork that was in TP 1 and 2. This artwork is still beautifully colored, but not as edgy and fitting to the tone of the story as the artwork in the first two TPs.Overall another wonderfully entertaining volume in the Rat Queens graphic novel series. These are very adult books (swearing, violence, sex, and drugs aplenty here). I would highly recommend to adult graphic novel readers who love fantasy graphic novels.

[empress8411 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was certain I would adore this series the first time I read the title of Volume One - anything with "sass" in the title had to be good. I was right! The writers created a story imbued with both humor and depth. I adored the relationship between the four main characters – it had an authenticity to it that made it amazing. Even the secondary characters had depth and complexity. The plot complimented the character development nicely – and provided ample spots for sarcasm, snark, and sass. I must have laughed out loud about a dozen times. There was a lovely mixed of tribute and parody of D&D, which as a player, I enjoyed immensely.My only qualm was the art changed in volume three, not for the better. I preferred the style of the first two. But this is a personal thing and doesn’t detract from the story.Volume one and two are one story, with volume three starting another story arc. I’m eager for volume four – which won’t be out for at least a year, although two of the individual issues are out.I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys snarky stories with complex characters. And it’s a must read for any D&D player.