Comic Review: Auntie Agatha’s Home for Wayward Rabbits #1

Auntie Agatha’s Home for Wayward Rabbits #1

Image Comics

Writer: Keith Giffen

Artist: Benjamin Roman

My First thought after four pages was:  I have no idea where this is going, but I am so down for the ride.

I’ll speak as a fanboy here first. I love Keith Giffen. Have since the days of Ambush Bug, through his stint on the failed Marvel experiment of the New Universe’s Justice, DC’s Justice League International… heck, I even bought his single issue jump on Looney Tunes. So let’s agree on this first:  I’m approaching this from love. But you should know that I’m old. I remember comics when they were a quarter. So I’m also crotchety and demanding. I go squint eye more than most, I guess. All that to tell you I’m just not tossing roses here. This is a great start from a seasoned pro who knows story craft.

One of the hallmarks of Mr. Giffen’s work is wit, terse and sharp. His dialogue is natural and flowing which usually sits counter to the unusual offering in plot and character. He mixes the two so well that you can’t help but accept what you’re being given, no matter how it might seem odd on its face. Fans of his runs on Justice League International or Ambush Bug will receive the warm and familiar while still stepping outside of the normal comic fare. New faces are in for a treat.

The cover itself tells you the tale you’re about to fall into; a beleaguered young girl surrounded by rabbits of all colours and attitudes.  And if you looked and thought, “these rabbits look … special” you would understand a little of what was coming. They are special. Everyone’s a little special here. This is Auntie Agatha’s Home for Wayward Rabbits.

Here you’ll meet Julie, the young niece of our titular Agatha, capable and honest and helping out.  Julie is at home with both being responsible for the rabbits, but also for her Aunt. Here you’ll meet Sawyer, perhaps the least dysfunctional of all the rabbits on the property but certainly the most challenging.  Sarcastic and demanding, Sawyer appears to be the rabbit that will give us the largest window in the world that Keith Giffen has created.

The Rabbits can talk, you see. As can the dog, the mice and even Aunt Agatha after a fashion, because of course they all can. And Julie is welcoming to it all. Give it the pages the book deserves and it isn’t long at all before the tone changes from fun and odd to maybe just a little sinister as we’re introduced to the danger that will occupy Julie and her ward’s attention for the run of the series.

Keith has paired himself with Artist Benjamin Roman, whom you might know from his IDW book, The Cryptics. For me, this is my first real exposure to Mr. Roman but I’m an instant fan. The character detail, panel pacing, and staging are all spot on with a wonderful eye to maintaining a sense of fleshed out realism amongst all the quirk.  There are no colour wash backgrounds or other shortcuts, Mr. Roman is putting in work.

Benjamin’s storytelling complements Keith Giffen’s offbeat writing so well that it truly feels seamless and thanks to Bryan Valenza, the colours are wonderfully muted and cheery at the same time. Everything plays so nice with each other you’d never suspect the team is so small. Some comics look like they are looking for their footing from issue one, but Wayward Rabbits is solid and marching. I’m waiting for the Netflix spin out.

I’ve seen a lot of what the comics world has to offer and I can tell you that Keith Giffen is writing about a girl and her rabbits and I couldn’t be happier. It runs for 6 issues and if the rest of the run is like this, we should read them all.