Rat Queens: Braga #1 is an Underwhelming Installment in the Series

Rat Queens: Braga #1 takes a break from the ongoing narrative of the Rat Queens in order to focus on their fellow mercenary and acquaintance Braga. Braga, a massive orc warrior, was introduced in Rat Queens #1 as a member of a rival group The Peaches, but she revealed herself to be a trustworthy ally at the end of the first story arc. This one-shot by the series regular writer Kurtis Wiebe and artist Tess Fowler examines her origins as the son of an orc chieftain.

Braga's origin is very similar to that of many of the Queens. Much like Violet and Dee she left home in order to search for a role in life where she would be more comfortable as herself. Although Wiebe does specify when Braga transitioned, it is clear that she has left behind Broog, the male identity and name she was born into. There is some ambiguity regarding other's awareness of her transition, but she is clearly comfortable and accepted in the town of Palisade. This component of the story is presented in a simple, matter-of-fact manner allowing Wiebe to focus on Braga as a character and not this one aspect of her. Unfortunately, the story itself is lacking.

Wiebe's plotting in this comic is much more rote than what fans of Rat Queens have come to expect from the writer. Compared to Violet's very similar origin story found in Rat Queens #8, Braga #1 is a disappointment. It lacks the humor and vitality that allowed Violet's story to be both heartfelt and subversive. Rather than playing with fantasy tropes, Wiebe plays into them and delivers a story that reads like a rough draft. Her dramatic arc is clear within the first few pages and Wiebe never manages to deliver any surprises. Braga's relationships with her family and friends are no deeper or more complex than exactly what is presented on the page. They are caricatures from a paperback fantasy novel, denying readers the ability to care about them as individuals. Braga herself only stops to feel like a character rather than a cliché when shown in the present timeline.

Fowler's work does not help alleviate the unimaginative plotting and character work. Her colors are composed of a consistently muddy palette. Browns and reds soak the backgrounds, which are often left in a state that feels unfinished when they are drawn at all. There's nothing unique about Braga's home and her orc tribe. Instead of being detailed as part of this expansive fantasy world, their existence could be swapped with a generic barbarian or viking story without requiring any changes.

The figure work is fine, although characters sometimes appear stiff in action sequences as if they are posing with an axe rather than actually swinging it. Action sequences are most troubled by panel compositions. At their best, the sequences in Braga #1 are direct and unimaginative. At some points they almost become incoherent, breaking from recognizable characters and terrain to show sequences without meaning or placing panels in an unnatural order. The worst offender is a five-panel sequence wherein Braga meets with her father. Four panels form a circle with the fifth placed in the bottom-center and the page is left with no clear flow of events.

Rat Queens has been a breakout success at Image Comics and for good reason. It incorporates humor, action, and diverse, fully realized characters into a beautiful looking romp of a comic book. None of those elements are present in Braga #1 though. Both Wiebe and Fowler's contributions to the one-shot read as if they are unfinished turning what might have been an interesting look at a lesser known character into something unnecessary and unsatisfying.

Grade: C-