Rat God #3

Rat God #3
Released by: Dark Horse Comics
Released on: April 1st, 2105.
Written And Illustrated by: Richard Corben
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Picking up where the first two issues left off, the third issue of Richard Corben's Rat God builds off of the strange events already laid down in what came before and takes things head on into territory aptly described as insane. You can kind of tell from the cover art that things are about to get pretty messed up…

When this issue begins, Clark is recuperating from the events that took place in the second issue. He wakes up, his injuries bandaged, in a decaying old building 'dreaming of horrible things.' He wakes up, startled by the presence of Gharlena strutting about wearing nothing but a smile - she reminds him again NOT to go to the graveyard.

So of course, what does Clark do? He dresses, hops out the window, and heads straight to the graveyard. Here he spies someone lingering outside dressed in a cloak and he can't help but notice that for a small town, the Lame Dog Cemetery is quite large. As Clark explores further he finds mummified corpses aplenty and then hides to watch a procession of cloaked cultists lead by a person in a rat mask in some sort of occult ceremony in which a young boy, naked and drugged, is sacrificed to some sort of dark god. This is followed by a second sacrifice and then a third - the third victim? Kito! When Clark realizes this he can't help but try to rescue her, and try he does. A big fight ensues and the identity of the cult leader is revealed but Clark is outnumbered and once the cultists overcome him, they force him to come face to face with their Rat God!

But does it really happen that way? Clark dreams… of horrible things.

Remember when Corben used to sign some of his underground work not with his proper name but with one word - 'Gore'? He could have easily brought that back for this third issue. Here what was laid out and hinted at in the first two issues comes front and center as Lovecraftian themes or ancient cults and dark gods collide with elements of Native American mythology and… gore! Gross, gooey, yucky gross stuff - and plenty of it! All rendered in Corben's trademark style with all sorts of curvaceous women and horrible monsters to keep your eyes busy set to a plot that is both intelligent and intriguing and, yes, at times quite disturbing.

This third issue is all about Clark. In the first two issues we learned of Kito and her brother and the problems that plagued their tribe, with Clark sort of serving as an outsider element but this time around he's the focus. We see his noble side emerge, no longer conflicted about how he feels for this strange woman he's drawn to but now fully and completely able to openly admit his love for her. And love makes men do strange things, brave things and… yes… stupid things. Clark does all of this here, and becomes a more interesting character for it. This one, as you'd guess, ends on a cliffhanger - let's see what sort of unfinished business he attempts to resolve in the final two issues. Until then, as we've said before, Rat God is top tier Corben and anyone with even the slightest appreciation for his work would do well to get caught up and check it out now.