There’s a deluge of comics releasing each week, and it’s often hard to discover some of the cooler series available online and on retail shelves. To help you out, here are some recommendations for excellent recently-released comics.
Rat Queens #13
Kurtis Wiebe’s Rat Queens started a brand new arc only a few issues ago with Tess Fowler taking over as the main artist. Wiebe’s writing and Fowler’s art mesh beautifully, carrying the wacky and complex tone that makes Rat Queens so unique.
A bit of familial intrigue on Hannah’s part has brought her back to Mage U, her old magic studies alma mater. Confronted by familiar faces from her past, we learn a lot about Hannah Vizari’s background in this arc. Particularly in this issue, as we get closer glimpses of Hannah’s relationship with her mother and father.
Issue #13 is unique in that it divides Hannah, Violet, Dee, and Betty and follows them individually as they explore the campus and surrounding area of Mage U. It’s in this division that we witness some of the personal motivations and interests of each character; Hannah’s tough-but-cool exterior, Dee’s fascination with books, Violet’s trepidation toward magical objects, and Betty’s newfound attraction to steampunk wares.
There wasn’t a ton of plot development in issue #13, but it was nice to calm things down and witness little character vignettes before he arc really starts taking off.
I Hate Fairyland #2
I Hate Fairyland is a deliciously over-the-top book, and I love it for that. It creates its own demented tone by mixing innocence with comically grotesque violence, soaking a sugary, Disney-ish magic world with gallons of blood and entrails. It’s a comic that even Deadpool might raise an eyebrow to.
Picking up where issue #1 left off, Fairyland #2 continues to follow Gertrude, the once-adorable little girl who was whisked away to Fairyland and—thirty-seven years later—continues to search for the key she needs to return home.
Almost four decades is a long time to search for anything, and the continued search has left Gertrude in a not-so-great state of mind. Over the years, she’s turned murderous, quick to pull a razor-sharp weapon and dismember anyone who stands in her way.
Issue #2 shows us more character development, but it doesn’t move the plot along until the last few pages of the issue. Still, we’re treated to a lot of great character moments between Gertrude and her bargain bin Jiminy Cricket companion. While at a bar, Gertrude’s wish of not looking like a pre-teen girl comes true with horrifying results. We see her consorting with the severed head of one of her foes, the two of them arguing about her drinking habits, and Gertrude’s mass slaughter of an army of zombie satyrs.
Looking like an alternate reality Disney film with Quentin Tarantino-esque amounts of comedic brutality, I Hate Fairyland is becoming a madcap and bizarrely charming series. Add to that unique touches like Skottie Young’s amazingly detailed and hyperactive art and a score of fake swears maintaining the hilarious guise of a children’s fairytale, and I Hate Fairyland #2 is one muffin fluffer of a comic.
