Rat Queens, Vol. 6: The Infernal Path by Kurtis J. Wiebe

Rat Queens, Vol. 6: The Infernal Path Reviews

• 
  Sean Gibson

  An almost-there return to form for the Queens after last volume’s head-scratching turn into WTFery.
  
  Notwithstanding the futuristic NEON STATIC SPECIAL (which didn’t exactly tickle my giggleberries, though others may feel differently), this is a more engaging story reminiscent of, though not on par with, the first couple of volumes. The Queens are still a delightfully ragtag mix of characters, but the past few volumes have lacked, to quote Austin Powers*, as the French say, that certain “I don’t know what.”
  
  *I’m forced to quote Austin Powers because I’m old and all of my pop culture references are, like a Marky Mark cassette single, hopelessly dated (a phrase which, incidentally, is strikingly similar to my high school nom de plume “Hopelessly Undateable”).
• 
  Misty

  It feels a little more like this series is starting to get back on track, but it still suffers from a lot of the same issues that have been plaguing it, including a tendency to be disjointed, abrupt and confusing. But I'ma stick with it for awhile yet, and hope it lives up to the potential it showed in the early days.
• 
  Rod Brown

  Didn't this used to have jokes?
  
  Wiebe wraps up his run on the series by first splitting the Rat Queens up on separate missions but then pulling them back together through a series of terrible and stupid coincidences and contrivances. It would almost be a decent series ending if it were the series ending, but a new writer (the old letterer) and artist take over next volume.
  
  Oh, and building on his new Rat Queens multiverse, Wiebe tosses in the Neon Static special wherein the Queens are reimagined in a dark sci-fi universe full of hackers and hacking. At this point in the series you'd think Wiebe would want to avoid the word "hack" as much as possible.
• 
  Tori

  I am so glad I continued with this series! The old story line and the new one are finally starting to merge together in a way that makes sense. This one really feels more like the first two volumes, and I could not be happier! Hopefully it will continue to be as good when the change in writers happens. There is a lot going on in this volume and we learn more about some of the newer characters.
• 
  Adam

  This was my fault. I came back hoping this volume would try to right-the-ship. I wanted this story to find some focus and get back on track. - There were a couple of interesting moments for like 2 characters, but for the most part if felt forced.
  It was a lot of forced dialogue, forced profanity, forced nudity, forced humor... The art here never really feels as clean and crisp as it did early on. It's all floundering and no punch. I wanted the Rat Queens of old and I should have known that book has been gone and stop hoping this will be something it just isn't anymore.
  For the interested - read Volumes 1 & 2 to be wow and 3 for some resolution with the understanding that it's going to look and feel different. By the time it's over, pack it up.
• 
  Jessica

  I love these characters and this art style but this didn't reach the mark that earlier volumes did.
• 
  Devann

  This volume is definitely a welcome return to form after the last few volumes and seems to merging the old and new story lines in an interesting way. I was worried about this series going downhill, but this volume was a lot of fun. Kind of nervous about them getting a whole new creative team for the next volume, but hopefully they will take it somewhere new while still keeping the same energy.
  
  Also can I just say that I think this is literally the first time ever that I have seen a short fat naked woman in a comic who is not drawn in a way that is obviously supposed to make you think she is sad and ugly. Seriously just look at this cutie
  
  
  
  And some other pictures under the cut because they are NSFW lol
  
  
  
  And then this image also under the cut, but because it contains plot spoilers. It just really made me laugh though.
  
  
• 
  Benji Glaab

  3.5 star though the past few volumes have been shaky this is a fairly decent arc with some big time changes coming for the cast. It's a little odd to see the creative team has handed over the reigns to a new team. The series is in a good place at the moment and am looking to see the Queens evolve in the next chapters
• 
  Jakub Kvíz

  Ježiš, tohle je zase bída! Díky bohu že Wiebe RQ předal dál a snad se novýmu kreativnímu týmu povede tuhle sérii vytáhnout ze sraček, kam po "rebootu" spadla.
  
  Příběh je "all over the place" a Wiebe neví, jestli chce psát sranda D&D dobrodrůžo nebo filozofovat, takže to spojí dohromady a je z toho totální kočkopes, kterej nedává smysl a nudí. Navrch si přidejte stále příšernou kresbu Owena Gieniho. Jediným zábleskem starejch dobrejch časů je interakce Hannah a Sadie, ale to je dohromady tak deset panelů.
  
  Zkaženou třešničkou na červivém oříšku je pak steampunkovej one-shot Neon Static, kterej dokázal přijít ještě s hnusnější kresbou a s humorem na úrovni "Honza Potměšil dělá vtipy o koronaviru".
  
  Tohle fakt nebrat a vol. 7 je opravdu, ale opravdu poslední šance, kterou týhle sérii dávám.
• 
  Kristi

  The characters keep shifting and creating nuisances, which allows for an entertaining story. The best part is the end. I didn't think there was any room for romance, but they made it!
• 
  RG

  Nearly there but not quite. Its just off those earlier volumes which were very good. The Neon static issue was not good haha. I'll still read the next.
• 
  Thomas

  This is a return to form for the Queens after a rocky start. The last few arcs have felt lackluster but this one sticks the landing and returns to the wacky, zany, D&D-fueled hijinks that made me fall in love with the Rat Queens in the first place. We visit a few gods and thwart the nefarious plans of an evil wizard, then get drunk at the local tavern. All in a days work for the Rat Queens - and along the way they affirm their friendship for each other, and the importance of family. This romp had me grinning and laughing on multiple occasions, which is what I reach for this entertainment for. A high note for Wiebe to go out on, as we look to a new chapter for the Queens with a new creative team. (I've read their lead-in one shot and it is on point, and laid to rest any concerns I had about the viability of the characters to survive the transition!)
• 
  Anne-Marie

  A fun addition with some interesting plots... but I felt like it could've been explored more deeply and there was less character development than normal in this volume. Still enjoyed the art and the use of different styles throughout.
• 
  Hannah

  That last cyberpunk issue - whhhhhhhyyyyyyyyyyy?????
  
  My interest in this series is seriously waning, but at least Orc Dave has some hope.
• 
  Lauren Stoolfire

  The characters are great, but the storyline and art styles in this volume weren't my favorite.
• 
  Alison

  Reviewed in my October Wrap Up with timestamps for titles in the description bar
  
  https://youtu.be/rk2PIboA0ek
• 
  Dan

  Like any other series, this one seems to have lost its momentum. This was okay but not as great as earlier....
• 
  Anastasia

  Much better! Honestly, this volume made much more sense than the last one and I love it. It's sad that the author is leaving this project, but it's supposed to continue and I hope we'll get more explanations. It's a crazy ride and previous two or three volumes were pretty meh. Let's all hope it only gets better!
• 
  Laura Cunha

  
  https://leiturasdelaura.blogspot.com/...
  
  http://popoca.com.br/rat-queens-vol-6/
  
  SPOILER FREE
  
  E finalmente cheguei no último volume que tenho de Rat Queens. Depois de vários altos e baixos, entendo porque as personagens fazem sucesso e têm um fandom tão grande e dedicado, mas, vou terminar a minha aventura nesse sexto volume.
  
  Nessa coletânea temos uma história que une o passado de Braga e Orc Dave, que é uma aventura interessante e com muita adrenalina. Em paralelo, uma história mais focada em Dee vai se desenvolvendo, e que tinha muito potencial. Na verdade, os dois arcos são interessantes, mas, mal explorados e trabalhados de forma corrida e superficial.
  
  Sabe aquela sensação de é só isso? Cadê o resto? Infelizmente esse é o gosto final de Rat Queens para mim.
  
  No final desse volume tem também uma história especial, totalmente a parte de todas as histórias até aqui. Numa vibe futurista, as Queens são apresentadas como personagens de um mundo repleto de realidade virtual e seus poderes e características são adaptados para isso. E o visual também é completamente diferente.
  
  Pessoalmente não me agradou. Não curti o visual, achei masculinizado demais, o que tira a graça original do grupo de RPG só de personagens femininas, voltando a ter cara de só mais um grupo de personagens guerreiros. Além disso, achei a história sem graça.
  
  Na verdade é uma pena. Um conjunto muito bom de personagens com boas ideias, mas desperdiçado. Pretendo gastar meu tempo agora com outras leituras, foi interessante enquanto durou.
• 
  Zedsdead

  I don’t know what to do with Rat Queens anymore. I continue to love the attitude, and in this volume it finally gets back to badass monster fights. So that’s something.
  
  But it keeps tripping on its own feet. Poof, Dee is a literal goddess now because of some god-rule that Wiebe just pulled out of his ass. The party oops-trips into resolving two massive unrelated plotlines that could each run for a volume or two on their own. And volume 6 has some of the worst action-art I’ve seen, just a smear and a face in an irregular panel, over and over.
  
  I badly want to love you, Rat Queens. Please try harder.
  
• 
  Asha McKay

  I adored the first volumes and stuck with it through the weird ones that followed. This is getting back on track but not quite there yet. The story was much easier to follow then the last few, but bounced back and forth a bit too much. They threw in past characters for no real reason. The ending was so sweet that it made me happy regardless 😍.
  The Neon Static special in the back was a bit weird and really could’ve been any characters, not necessarily the Rat Queens. It reminded me a bit of the graphic novel Bounty. The colouring and background art was great but also kind of hurt my eyes.
• 
  Nore

  Just when I was getting into it with Magical Goddess Dee, all that went away and we were right back to some nonsense I found uninteresting. How did this progress the overarching plot at all? It didn't, really.
  
  Rat Queens, you continue to disappoint me.
• 
  Myk Pilgrim

  Ecstatic to report that Rat Queens is back on form!
  This has been by far my favourite arc since the first two volumes.
  It's got all the bad language, dungeon-crawling, name-calling, and most importantly the love of a chosen family.
  This makes me happy, really, really happy.
• 
  Charlos

  I think this is the last one for me. This was the 4th season of Community for me.
• 
  Ma'Belle

  Based on the numbering of chapters, the first three volumes of Rat Queens comprises version 1, and volume 6 wraps up the subsequent version's long arc. And it's an Orc Arc! I don't want to spoil anything, but I think the Real Fans of this fucking fantastic comic will be pleased with how things are tied up.
  
  Instead of a special issue telling the backstory of another character like we got in vols. 3 (Braga) and 5 (Dave), this one ends with a really boring alternate reality "Neon" story that directly lifts lines and scenes from The Matrix. Not sure what prompted this Matrix parody that no one asked for (among the readership at least), but I didn't care for it. I guess it's an indication that we haven't seen the last of that wily illusion-making fish-god Castiwyr.
  
  I haven't checked on the current/ongoing status of Rat Queens, but I for one am still 100% on board as a die-hard fan. I love the dialogue, the jokes, the heart, the sluttiness, the casual subversion of gender norms, and the fact that the moral center of the group is a drug-and-candy-addicted smidgen.
• 
  Katie K

  I kind of forgot what happened in the prior comics due to release dates, but it seems like lots of stuff is coming together. Hints to godhood and whatnot. Oh yes, speaking of, I really appreciated the look into gods becoming forgotten. Also made me think of my D&D games. Basically this comic is like Dungeons and Dragons XD
  
  As a D&D player I really appreciated the unique look at orcs in this compilation. In games or novels they’re always seen as the villian. But that’s not always the case. Look at Dave or Bragga. Hells, in my own D&D game one of my favorite companions was an orc adventurer. Anyways, appreciated that lots.
  
  Also enjoyed the consequences to actions. More often than not heroes don’t get that.
  
  Have to say though, didn’t care for the “Neon Static Special” at the end. It’s cool and all to try characters in a new world and styles. I get that they have different artists per issue...but I wasn’t feeling it. I like my Queens as adventurers in a fantasy realm ^^
• 
  Z książką po mojemu

  Są to takie 3.5⭐ Tom 6 powraca na tory z pierwszego i drugiego tomu. W końcu jest spójna akcja, czego całkowicie zabrakło w tomie 4 i po części w tomie 5 też. Fabuła jest dynamiczna, jest na nią pomysł, dzieją się ciekawe rzeczy. Naprawdę czytało się to z zainteresowaniem. To co mi się nie podobało to dodatek, który nie wiem po co powstał. Kompletnie nie czuję tego klimatu i sama historia była po prostu nic nie wnosząca. Poza tym nadal brak wyjaśnienia wydarzeń z 5 tomu. Tzn. padają pewne kwestie, które mają tłumaczyć akcję 5 tomu, ale po zaserwowanym chaosie potrzebowałbym czegoś więcej. Motyw, który wykorzystała autorka w formie komiksu jest zbyt skomplikowany i bez jasnego wytłumaczenia, co jest co, co się dzieje, trudno nadążyć za kolejnymi wydarzeniami.
• 
  K

  Another solid saga to the unfolding journeys of the Rat Queens. These are fun, irreverent, and action-packed D&Desque romps with some unique characters. I love that it's an all-woman cast (ok, a couple of dudes sometimes come along, but this is about the ladies)...and it isn't a *thing* that they're all women. No one really gives a shit that they are women adventurers. At the end of the day, it's all about the body count.
  
  Braga has to go up against a long-lost brother, Dee ascends to pseudo-godhood & has to heal rifts between a couple of deities, Violet has to help Dave rescue his son, and Sadie returns to the group.
• 
  Danielle Messier

  I waited to read vol 5 because I heard lots of shit things about it. I read it... it was pretty average. Lots of time hopping that didn't make much sense and I felt disconnected the entire time.
  
  Volume 6 focused more on evil orcs, Braga and Orc Dave. Orc Dave I could live without but I fucking lovvee Braga. A lot. So I really enjoyed learning more about her character.
  
  Oh also all the shit that happens in vol 4 and 5 isn't really addressed in this one either. So if you're looking for closure you won't find it
• 
  Josh

  Still as mature and ridiculous as ever, Volume 6 continues to struggle from some of the disjointed and confusing storytelling that has been a problem in recent volumes, but it feels like it is on the way back to a more straightforward adventure along the lines of the early installments of the series. The characters remain strong, and the tone is always entertaining, so the series has enough merits to make it worth sticking with. I'm hoping it continues to build on the momentum it's gaining here.