Rat Queens, Vol. 3: Demons By Kurtis J. Wiebe

Tatiana

I liked the story, but everyone's boobs and butts suddenly became 5 times bigger.

Sean Gibson

Things I like:

-Fantasy stories
-Exotic and magical locales
-Ass-kicking lady adventurers
-Macaroni & Cheese (not relevant to this story; I just really like it)

All of these elements are present in this tale of our favorite rodentian royalty, and, yet, I found this volume lacking relative to its predecessors. Why? Perhaps it was the close-up on Hannah, who proves to be a bit less interesting (and even more foul-mouthed) when the spotlight is shining on her (and not as much on her companions); perhaps it was the change in art style, which, in and of itself, is just fine, but perhaps not an ideal fit for the book; perhaps it was just that the first two volumes are really good and this one isn’t quite on par.

If you’re a die-hard fan of the Queens, you’ll want to check it out, though be warned that it concludes in an uncomfortable place (not “the back of a Volkswagen” uncomfortable; just uncomfortable from a “is the story moving forward or isn’t it, and, if it is, what’s the deal with that Hannah chick?” standpoint).

Melanie

Sam Quixote

Hannah’s rebel wizard dad gets into trouble at Mage University so Hannah and her fellow Rat Queens take off to help him. Nothing much happens next!

The third Rat Queens book, Demons, is unfortunately a bit crap because I've enjoyed the series up til now. The story for this arc is veeery flimsy and only gives Hannah stuff to do leaving Betty, Violet and Dee basically treading water for the entire book - even though the Hannah stuff is pretty blah anyway. Betty and Violet go sledding and meet a friendly Ice Dragon - cute but pointless - while Dee (still my least favourite in the group - she’s basically a less prickly Hannah) goes to read books at the library. It’s not exactly a gripping read. It doesn’t help that the ending is very anti-climactic too.

The art is also my least favourite in the series so far. Tess Fowler, who drew the Braga one-shot last year, takes over from Stjepan Sejic (who still draws the covers which look amazing), and her style is much less impressive that Sejic’s and the original artist’s. It’s not bad and I didn’t dislike it but it does suffer from comparisons to previous volumes.

I get what Kurtis Wiebe is doing in this one though; it’s not meant to be plot-driven but character focused instead, and we do learn a lot more about Hannah, and we catch glimpses into Betty and Dee’s pasts too. I just wasn’t that interested really - I got from the last book that Hannah was a troubled kid, etc., all the extra detail here felt unnecessary and repetitive.

Ho hum. Well, there goes my interest in this title! It was fun while it lasted but I don’t think I need to know what the Rat Queens do next. Demons is a meandering addition to the series that’ll probably only appeal to hardcore Rat Queens fans and leave the less committed yawning and checking to see how many pages are left.

Norah Una Sumner

3.5 stars

I just want Stjepan back. ❤ Also, I never liked Dee but now she's getting completely on my nerves. My problem? The story was okay but the dialogues were sometimes a bit confusing, the artwork is just.. I don't even know, too clean for my liking? What I want to know is how is it possible for Violet to look really feminine without beard and like a super duper manly girl with beard? It's like it's not the same Violet at all. I'm not saying that I don't like her keeping her beard, I love it, it's just that she looks like a 30-year-old dude.

description

Anyway, I'm definitely continuing with this series because I love these characters and Hannah deserves fucking better!

Ivan

So disappointed.Plot was weak and this volume completely lacked humor, sass and gaming references which made previous 2 installments so good.

I don't think I will be continuing Rat queens after this.

Edit 17.11.2016:
I just saw on Image comics Facebook page that that Rat queens are getting rebooted with new illustrator. Unsurprising considering negative reactions following underwhelming volume 3.New #1 is coming out March 1st, so it's time to get excited about Rat queens again.

Shannon

Um ... what the hell?

This was not what I expected at all. Gone is the humor and pretty much any sort of light-heartedness, and it's replaced with incredibly bitchy and cringey dialogue and a story I almost care nothing about.

The first three issues weren't bad at all. I thought they kind of stumbled along without anything offensive and there were still some pretty funny parts.

Like this:

Then we learn about the . So, ok, with everything going on with her stepfather (on that note, why isn't her bio father ever mentioned?) and the spoilerish thing above I figured things would get darker. Again, not a bad thing.

So we've got Betty and Violet off on their own little adventures, and Dee is continuing on with her story from the last volume. All the while, Hannah is just going around being as nasty as she possibly can be.

Then we get to the last issue.

Seriously, what happened here?

Hannah tries to explain her side of the story and the Queens are like, "ok, it's in the past, we can move on, we're here to help you," and Hannah's all "YOU GUYS ARE THE WORST I FUCKING KNEW YOU WOULDN'T HELP FUCK ALL Y'ALL."

Like, I get that she's abrasive and even mean sometimes ...

Apparently being a dick is contagious too because Vi kills this guy for basically no reason:

And then.

And then, Hannah goes and does this: (NSFW because boobs)

I don't know about you guys but after a huge fight with my friends I like to strip naked and admire myself in the mirror.

And if THAT isn't bad enough, she decides to cut her hair.

So if you didn't already hate Hannah now her character design is fucked up too. I really don't understand why Hannah is acting the way she is by the end, unless the author is going to come around and say, "it was I'll be annoyed but it'll make sense. If it's not shaping up that way the ending of this volume is just awful.

What happened to you, Hannah? Did you forget this was you in issue #11?

I hope Rat Queens doesn't end up being a series I have to abandon, but if the story strays so far from the path of the first two volumes I just might have to cut my losses.

April (Aprilius Maximus)

1.) Rat Queens Volume 1 ★★★★
2.) Rat Queens Volume 2 ★★★★
3.) Rat Queens Volume 3 ★★★
4.) Rat Queens Volume 4 ★★

--------------------------------------------------

2nd read - I actually liked this a lot more than the first time I read it???

1st read - I am SO disappointed. The art style has changed (but that's because the previous illustrator was arrested for domestic abuse), but I wish Wiebe has chosen a better replacement. The story was lacking and the characters weren't themselves and overall it just wasn't the same :(

Anne

Okay, call me Mrs Fusspot, but what's up with this cover?! Dat ass. Those boobs. Did they get stung by some bees from hell??

Let me explain my main annoyances with the new artwork by simply showing you the differences. The mystery of what happened to Dee's ass:

What did happen to Dee's ass? Seriously...Maybe she grew up a little but that wouldn't make any sense when it comes to the chronology. It's not like years have passed between the before and after picture. Luckily, this only mainly effects the cover, so it's not that of a big deal. Just something that caught my eye. In a very unsubtle way.

What frustrated me more was the way Violet has been drawn this time (I'm not referring to the beard, she had it before as well, I just like this image better than the ones I could find of her with a beard)

She just looks so much more masculine (apart from the massive rack she's displaying on the front cover). I guess the people who do like this change will come up with the argument that she's a dwarf and she definitely looks more like one now. However, I really don't think it's an improvement. I want the old Violet back! And the old art style, really...

It's obviously not just the main characters; you can see it in all of the other characters and surroundings as well. Tizzie, a side character from the other volumes, was totally unrecognizable for me up until the point where her name was mentioned. And then I still wasn't entirely sure if this was the same girl we were talking about...

The Tizzie from the previous books was a scrawny girl with ash blonde hair. The Tizzie from this book has saddlebags and golden blonde hair. I don't have anything against looking at saddlebags, by the way, I have them myself as well, but it's just an entirely different girl! I think some weight was added to all of the characters, come to think of it, which isn't a bad thing either. It just would've been nicer if they started off the series with that in the first place instead of changing it halfway in.

Anyhow, yes, the new artwork: apart from the colour palette, I'm not a big fan of it.

The story is alright, but feels a bit clunky and...different. The Mage University looks pretty awesome, but we hardly get to see any of the actual insides of it. The different types of scenarios and sceneries rocked, but the transfer from one to the other was done rather messily.

We finally get to see a bit more of Betty's history. It's not much, but hey, it's something! I also loved that this volume was even thicker than the previous one: more to read! There was a lot of action, in-depth storylines (maybe a little too in-depth because they confused me from time to time), and some raw emotions. I mean, the previous two books didn't really cover up much, but this one goes deep...

At the same time, it's fast paced and thank fuck, the humour is still in there!

RQDee

There's still a lot of swearing (though less than in the previous books) and some nudity again. No sex scenes this time, though. Just bewbs.

I already mentioned the book was lusciously thick right? This is partly due to a Braga special in the end. Braga is a one-eyed female orc warrior who's...oh, just look at her will ya...

RatQueens_Special_01-1

She's my favourite side character and this little special left me gasping and hoping there will be a sequel to it because...I need to know what the hell just happened there!

Riley

I'm pretty let down by this volume. The change in artist threw me off at first but eventually I grew to enjoy the new art style. But the plot felt strange to me and even though it mostly focused on Hannah (who is my favorite) I felt disinterested and bored. Hopefully the next volume is better

Chad

The writing is getting better with each volume. In this one, the Rat Queens go to rescue Hannah's father while we found out secrets each of the team members are keeping. It was very good until the end, when things turned really self-destructive.

Sheila

The Queens are always charming, and I liked this book, but it seemed disjointed. More than once I thought a page was missing, since changes in character/plot were so abrupt.

I'm not sure I'll read any more of the series; it depends on what happens with the artist.

Ashley DiNorcia

Betty is just too precious.

Paz R.M.

Oh god, this is the worst. It is not only that the artwork here is inferior (and freaking infuriating with all the sexualized women characters) and that the colouring sucks. It's that the writing went to shit and all of the jokes and sass disappeared from this volume. Way to fuck up the characters. The plot is boring and the characters, as well as the relationship between them, are completely different from the first two trades aaand I don't care anymore. Ugh, what a disappointment.

Jesse A

Not bad just not quite as fun as the first 2 volumes.

Dave Schaafsma

This third volume is a character-driven volume focused on Hannah and her Dad, back to Mage University. Betty, Violet and Dee are sort of bystanders here, which is just fine. The first two volumes were sassier and more action-packed, and this one is like stepping back, slowing down just a tad from all this manic bad-assed-ness. Also, a new artist, Tess Fowler, takes over. Not that much happens, really, except a little back story on Hannah. Well, we'll see if this can gear back up to its raucous roots.

Celeste

Mini-review:

I sadly didn’t enjoy this volume as much as I did volumes 1 and 2. I still enjoyed the characters and the friendships, but I didn’t like the lack of trust among the friends and what that lack led to. It was still fun and entertaining, but not as funny or engrossing as the preceding volumes. On the bright side, there’s a dragon who is obsessed with candy, which was fun. I’ll still continue with the rest of the series, but I was disappointed at the turn the plot took, as well as the turn some of the characters took. Hopefully things will improve in the next volume.

L. McCoy

description

Seriously. What. The. Hell? I loved the first 2 volumes but hate whatever s*** this is.

What’s it about?
Hannah’s dad is in trouble with a group called the council of the nine and then some hard to follow, convoluted bulls*** happens.

Pros:
The art is good. Not as good as it was in the first 2 volumes (though given circumstances I can understand why they changed the artist) but it still looks nice.
I’m not gonna lie, this volume still has some great action scenes that are very intense and bloody! I loved those!
This volume is very unpredictable.

Cons:
The story is all over the place and barely a story. It felt less like a volume of Rat Queens and more like one of those cheesy family comedies (though this time R-rated) where a bunch of cheesy, goofy stuff happens just because.
They f***ed up the wonderful characters. Hannah’s now a b***hy embodiment of punk rock stereotypes (don’t get me wrong, I actually like some punk rock but you know those terrible stereotypes? Hannah’s those). Dee is just there for a convoluted subplot that goes nowhere. Betty just keeps f***ing things up only this time it’s not funny like it was in the first 2 volumes, it was just annoying. Violet changes one of the coolest things about her. You know that whole “f*** tradition” thing in volume 2 that she was all about? Yeah, that changed as you see from the cover which I wouldn’t mind if there was any explanation for it given how important that whole thing seemed to her character, but guess what? NO EXPLANATION! WTF? Not to mention the other characters aren’t very interesting either.
This volume isn’t very funny. That kinda saddens me. I was laughing like an idiot while reading the first 2 volumes but this- I laughed twice (I think) and that was only because they were humorous little nods to volume one. Yeah.
The ending. Oh my gosh, f*** the ending. I’m not referring to the little special at the end of the volume (though that was anything good IMO) but the ending to the main story. I haven’t been so angry at an ending since Iron Man 3! Okay, I take that back, Iron Man 3’s ending was better, I can’t even express my anger towards this f***ing ending it’s so bad!
What the hell is with all the fricking fan service? Oh my gosh! Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind a little bit, I can actually even appreciate some here and there but when it’s all over the place it gets annoying. Some random... I don’t know what the hell she was... some mysterious lady with weird powers- no clothing on her though. A nearly full frontal nudity shot of Hannah is there for no reason (which don’t get me wrong, I actually do think Hannah is really hot but that was extremely gratuitous). One character (I forget her name) wearing a robe that you can somehow see her nipples through. Let’s not forget the multiple pages of orc t*tties at the end. It got annoying.

Overall:
I’m p***ed off. Really fricking p***ed. I hear volume 4 is better so I might end up reading that at some point though not anytime soon, I sure as hell am in no mood to do that right now. I am very disappointed, angry and as stupid as it sounds, I’m even kinda sad right now because this series was so great and then this volume comes along f***ing things up so much! I’m gonna end this review by apologizing to the many, many people that I recommended Rat Queens to because if they get into it they’re probably, if they are like me, gonna love the first 2 volumes and then be crushed by the disappointment that is volume 3.

2/5 (just barely)

Mike

Good solid story weaving in more of the back-herstory of our Queens. I like getting to know these warriors and their complicated stories - the subtleties of being frail, broken humans (and other species), the joy of being weird and lustful and hedonistic and self-flagellating.

I love the art - with just a tad difference from the previous artist - that I was hoping she'd stick around.

And then the day after I read this book, I stumbled on this juicy article:

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2016/05/1...

And now I don't know what to think. The former artist was great: his replacement was pretty great too. I don't want this book to stop - in fact, I wish it'd come faster.

Yet...

What can I do in loving this book that won't eventually turn to the question of whether my support of the book is tacit support of a spouse-and-child-abuser - whether once or serially? I am disgusted by creators caught in similar scandals and I've generally put them on the never-read-let-alone-pay-them-again darklist.

There's no way I can support a creative team that not only brings this abuser back in, but also treats their second artist as poorly as it seems they've done to Fowler.

What the fuck guys? Is this something you'd be proud to tell your fans? Are you going to blithely carry on then, and hope that people forget you're both kinda scummy?

Shit. I was really looking forward to curling up with these Queens for years. Now I feel like there's little way I can justify calling myself a fan.

Guess I'll have to see what I think in a year, when the next trade eventually saunters onto the shelves.

And until then, I'll rate this volume without consideration for this shit - both to give Fowler a deserved boost, and because the story *was* damned fun.

Fuck.

Edit: as I said in my comments below, there's no telling who's a bad person here and who's a victim - which probably means they're all a little worse for wear, and we'll never know for sure who to believe. At best there's some bad feelings and controversy swirling here; most likely, there's some bad behaviour and misunderstandings among people who aren't entirely equipped to deal with the vagaries and challenges of life (and who among us is?). Ugh. Might be best to let this book fade out and out all your energies into something fresh folks. Hope all the best for those who've been touched by this mess.

Artemy

Disappointed by this volume. I didn't like the plot, which was too incoherent and lacked focus. I didn't like the new artists. I even didn't like the characters as much, and especially the way their relationships are progressing. Sigh, I have kind of lost interest in Rat Queens, to be honest. Maybe it's just me and the majority of people will find this volume as good as the previous two, but I am done. I don't think I will be coming back for more.

Jenbebookish

This is quickly becoming my favorite graphic novel series. AND, that's saying a lot considering it's a series about 4 FEMALE rat queens...& anyone who knows me, knows all about my preference for MALE leads. But, this is all about 4 sexy bad ass bitches, who couldn't be any more different from one another but who are close as close can be. And they all totally kick ass, and do it all while being hilarious and hot, and oh did I mention one of the girls has got a beard? #beardporn

I've loved every single volume of this so far, but the art work in this one happens to especially suit my fancies. Colorful, whimsical, almost astrological. I LOVED every second of it. And that's just the art work, I also totally love the story line and the dialogue AND pretty much every single character too! There's even some sexy men, tho in this volume we see less of them, but there's plenty of goblins and orcs and monsters and dragons for any fantasy lover to get their fill.

5 stars, through and through.

REREAD: 03.21.2020 (())

Everything I said up there 👆🏼 still stands. Whereas vol 2 took a slight hit and was a 4 star for me, vol 3 was back at a 5 star read for me. I now know that the reason for the change in artwork is because the former illustrator was arrested for domestic abuse, and so was replaced. So the Queens look slightly different, & while off-putting initially just because it was different and not what I was used to, I very quickly adapted and decided I like these Queens just as much! I absolutely adore this colorful, beautiful art, I love the art just as much as I love the characters, and all that with a super great plot/storyline to boot! While this series is just the tits! I’ve reached the point that I reached before in my reading so from here on out it will be entirely new stuff and I am more than a little stoked to continue with this series!

In this volume, the storyline centers mostly around Hannah. Her origins and childhood are front and center so we get a little backstory on who she is and where she came from and what (where) exactly her necromancer power comes from. We see that the pain and chip on her shoulder that came with thinking her father betrayed or, was all false and in reality his entire existence had revolved around paving a path for Hannah where she could live in relative safety. She gets some sort of spirit communication with her dead mother who reveals the true story of her death and Step Father (who Hannah repeatedly insists is simply her father minus the step title.) Hannah leaves on a mission to go save her father, and the Queens who had until now been mostly left out of the whole thing are forced to confront Hannah and inquire as to what exactly is her situation and how much of the stories they’ve been hearing are true. Dee’s brother shows up with all kinds of claims about Hannah’s history, but the Queens in true Queen fashion stick together. Onlyyyy Hannah, worked up in a state of anger and shame, assumes are turning against her and when the council shows up to take her away Hannah is left to believe the Queens set her up. We tho happen to see that Dee’s brother was under the influence of a demon and it was in fact him that turned Hannah in and set off that whole chain of events, but being as the demon throws him off a cliff to his death, his story and involvement with Hannah’s capturing is a story that will not be revealed to the Queens anytime soon.

Oh, and at the end there’s a little Braga chapter! Where we get to see a little of her backstory as well. Braga apparently was the heir to the Orc throne, but because his (her? The orca people refer to her as a “him” but he has boobs and is sleeping with one of the Daves. So that leads me to believe that Braga has female parts too 🤫) father’s choices, Braga walks away. She does not want to lead a people who live for war, despite her being a total badass warrior who’s built for battle. When her BFF is murdered by her brother (who’s got his eye on the thrown ) Braga rises to the occasion and wipes his whole crew out, then leaves again, shook with disappointment and sadness. So that’s her story. Secretly Orc royalty who gave up her role because of a disagreement in politics and morals and visions for the future.

I loved it! It’s soooo good! Can’t wait for the next volume!! I’m going to eat up the next 5 volumes, & be soooo sad when it’s all done. This is my age old problem with reading unfinished series! The wait is just SoOOOoooo annoying!

Erin Dunn

Reviews for Rat Queens 1-3 & Outcast Vol. 1 here on my blog-
http://angelerin.blogspot.com/2016/05...

So Rat Queens Vol. 3 was not quite as good as the first two volumes. Keep in mind with all of the crazy artist changes this has obviously affected the writing. It just felt like something vital was missing in this one. Volume three was not as funny or as good as the first two volumes, but it wasn't horrible either.
#MissingSomething

Overall since this series was so well done for volumes one and two I will continue and see how volume four of Rat Queens is. I am hoping that the artist they have now will stay on and there won't be any more artwork changes. If that's the case then I think the story will improve in the next volume. I can't wait for volume four to see what Hannah, Dee, Violet, and Betty will be up to next.
#INeedMore

I recommend all of the Rat Queens series to all fantasy fans looking for something with a group of kick ass chicks that is fresh, sassy, and hilarious.
#FreshAndSassy

Greyson | Use Your Words

Rat Queens Series Ratings:

Rat Queens, Vol. 1: Sass & Sorcery: ★★★★★

Rat Queens, Vol. 2: The Far Reaching Tentacles of N'rygoth: ★★★★★

Rat Queens, Vol. 3: Demons: ★★★★

Rat Queens, Vol. 4: High Fantasies: ★★★★

Rat Queens Vol. 5: The Colossal Magic Nothing: TBR
—
I read this book as part of my 2018 Library Love binge, where I read as many library books as possible to take advantage of my great local library network before I move interstate!
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Vanessa

I really wasn't sure about this volume at first - the introduction is very muddled and all over the place, and it took me a while to realise that this volume didn't pick up immediately where the last one left off (unlike before)! However, once the main storyline for this volume started to come into play, I was hooked.

I really liked the direction this volume took - we get to hear a lot more about both Betty and Hannah's characters and back stories, and in particular Hannah goes through a lot of changes. I'm really eager to see what unfolds in volume 4!

Amy | littledevonnook

Didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the second volume.

I was a little underwhelmed by this one and to be completely honest I'm sat here racking my brains trying to remember what actually happened - so it didn't leave much of an impression!

I still really love this series as a whole - I thought the last volume was awesome, so I will be continuing on once volume four is out.

Michelle Morrell

I'm so conflicted! I love the Rat Queens so much, I consider their stories one of the best things I found last year. They are vibrant, flawed, complex and real. But I just didn't feel it this time.

I know there were some issues with the creative team and they have a new illustrator. So there was a bit of a curve as I tried to adjust to the new style. I feel that some of their charm is gone, as the drawings became more cartoony and cheesecake. Cartoons and cheesecake are fine and great, but this choice removed some of the sass and personality from each of them.

Still, I'm resistant to change, and I'll definitely give it a chance. The story bounced around all scattered, sometimes jumping to new locations suddenly and jarringly, it didn't feel it was crafted as carefully. But something bigger was wrong. Their bond is damaged as they follow Hannah to Mage University and everyone makes mistakes and hurts each other, acting like jerks and not friends. The soul of the story is their connection, and that's missing.

I understand that it's darkest before the dawn. I absolutely will continue reading (and buying). I still dream of cosplaying Hannah someday, but it's gonna be rockabilly Hannah and not

2.5 stars, rounded up decidedly because of Braga's story at the end.

Sesana

The plot, such as it is, is stretched out way too much for what it is. I can see that there's something being set up here, but it honestly didn't need this much set up. Still, I like the characters, and I like the new art. And I really liked the bonus Braga comic.

Vanessa (Wanderness)

Here's how to destroy a great series.

Victoria

I was really loving how the story was going for this but sucks the next volume'll be the soft reboot...so much is unresolved!

Austra

Kaut kā man te pietrūka, viens stāsts aizņem par daudz vietas, citi - par maz.

Title	:	Rat Queens, Vol. 3: Demons
Author	:	Kurtis J. Wiebe
Rating	:
ISBN	:	1632157357
ISBN-10	:	9781632157355
Language	:	English
Format Type	:	Paperback
Number of Pages	:	160
Publication	:	First published April 13, 2016
Awards	:	Goodreads Choice Award Graphic Novels & Comics (2016)

Rat Queens, Vol. 3: Demons by Kurtis J. Wiebe

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Rat Queens, Vol. 3: Demons Reviews

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