Way of the Rat #9
Review by Doc Ezra
Story:
Art:

Written by Chuck Dixon
Pencils by Luke Ross
Inks by Drew Geraci
Colors by Chris Garcia
Lettered by Dave Lanphear

Published by CrossGen
Price: $2.95

My Verdict: Own it.

Having averted the danger from Bhuto Khan's army that besieged the city of Zhumar, Boon Sai Hong now claims the power of both the Ring of Staffs and the Ring of Blades, and has thus become exponentially more dangerous to the various factions vying for control of Zhumar. Invited to be a guest of Judge X'ain after his victory over the Khan, Boon and his mentor-monkey Po Po find themselves under attack due to the judge's treachery. Meanwhile, Princess Mai attempts to gain an audience with her father the Emperor, in order to bring the threat posed by the Book of the Hungry Dragons to his attention.

Said book, having been nabbed by the judge, has released the captive dragons from its surface, all of which are busy devouring each other and the judge's men down below his home, all while Boon fights his way to the exit and makes a run for it. While Judge X'ain's house collapses around them, Boon and Po Po make a mad dash for safety. The judge then confronts the awful truth of the evil Book's power: one massive dragon, having devoured all its hungry brethren, has reared in the heart of Zhumar, and who will stop it from destroying the city remains to be seen.

Way of the Rat continues to be an excellent title, and the frenetic pace of the action hasn't relented for so much as a page since the our tale opened. Dixon's story remains tight and interesting, and Ross' pencils are excellent. The pallete used by Garcia makes the action leap off the page. In all, this is the most well-rounded and consistently excellent title CrossGen is putting out to date, with the possibility that Negation gives it a run for its money.

If you've been following the exploits of Boon and Po Po, you can't afford to miss this one. If you are new to the town of Zhumar, there's still a pretty decent chance you could keep up with what was going on, though some of the characters and their relationships would likely be a little fuzzy. Not necessarily the best entry point to the series, but not the worst, either. Any kung fu theater fan is likely to be all over this like white on rice, whether or not they can keep up with all the initial plot complications. Huck your extra copy at a Jet Li fan in your immediate circle, and see if you don't end up with a new fan of the book in short order.