The phrase, “Don’t judge a book by its cover” does not apply to the cover of Rat Queens, a new comic series by Image Comics/Shadowline. Whether they’re drunk or sober, I wouldn’t go near any one of these kick ass battle maidens for anything. They might beat you down to a pulp at the blink of an eye.

The Queens are:

• Violet – Dwarf, level-headed
• Dee – Human, cleric, atheist, healing powers, level-headed
• Hannah – Elf, mage, shows leadership, aggressive, hot-headed, full of attitude
• Betty – Hobbit with a large sexual appetite, bubbly personality

In the debut issue of this dark, supernatural comedy, the Queens were thrown in the dungeon after a brawl. In exchange for their release, they had to complete a quest, getting rid of goblins from Hindman Cave. The female mercenaries arrived at the cave and found a ninja assassin waiting for them.

After defeating a giant troll in the current issue, the Queens realized a hit had been placed on them, and the other mercenary teams. By the way, I like Brother Ponies, they all wear ponytails! Now the Queens has to venture out on a quest of their own, find the person(s) who wants them dead.

The Queens are four hipster badass women that steps down to no one. They love bar brawls, getting drunk and mushrooms. They also have different personalities, which definitely shows in the dynamic script written by Kurtis J. Wiebe.

Being a fan of dark and the supernatural, it came as no surprise that I found the artwork, by Ron Upchurch, to be awesome. I especially like the fight scenes, and the giant, nasty-looking troll. I also like the fine details of the characters, in regards to appearance, facial expressions and especially height!

I knew from its debut issue that I would continue reading this entertaining comic to see where it’s going. I am already enjoying this title. Character interactions are funny, and I love Hanna’s aggressiveness. She’s full of attitude and will probably slice you in half just for looking at her the wrong way. And I think Betty is adorable. She may be diminutive in size, and wears a pretty (and sometimes drunk) smile, but she will gouge your eyes out, just like she did to that troll. If you like booze, bar brawls, and feisty kick-ass women, then Rat Queens is definitely for you.

VERDICT (drum roll please)

I recommend this title to mature readers of dark, supernatural and mythology.