Queen and Country Volume 1

“There’s a trick, they teach it to you at the School. When someone pulls a gun on you, they say, charge at him like a bloody lunatic. It’s the last thing they expect and most of them can’t hit water from a submarine anyway…and repeat to yourself over and over that you’re doing this for Queen and country.”

Tara Chase is good at what she does. She is Minder Two—an operative of Her Majesty’s Secret Intelligence Service and the central character in Greg Rucka‘s Queen and Country. I recently received Q+C Volume 1 as a present from my other half, who is well aware of my soft spot for strong female characters. I’m delighted to report, in that regard, Queen and Country doesn’t disappoint!

Volume 1 collects the first three story arcs of Q+C; Operations ‘Broken Ground’, ‘Morningstar’ and ‘Crystal Ball’. The story is immediately engaging and Rucka manages to depict the lives of these SIS agents with a real sense of authenticity—laying out every scene with an incredible eye for detail, from the tension and drama in the field to the banality of the office environment and its murky politics. Throughout it all, the character of Tara Chase draws us into the story. In the incredible opening scene of Q+C, our first view of Chase is as she prepares to assassinate a Russian mob general. Setting her character up in this way, Rucka effectively removes her from the curse of the “typical” nurturing feminine stereotype. She excels in a stressful and dangerous job but is by no means idolized; Chase is shown with her fair share of issues. She is a functioning alcoholic whose personal life appears to be a mess, but she is never depicted as weaker or more emotional than her colleagues. When she struggles in the aftermath of a difficult operation, the problem is not caused by her gender—every operative is affected by the harsh reality of the job.

Based on the gripping stories and engaging characters, Queen and Country is an unqualified success; stylishly reclaiming the spy genre from the blokey, sexist and misogynistic Bond franchise. But. (Why must there always be a ‘but’?!) My one criticism of Q+C Volume 1 is the inconsistency of the art, particularly in the third story arc, Operation Crystal Ball.

Steve Rolston illustrated the first arc, Operation Broken Ground, and although some critics complained about the “cartoony” quality of his work, I liked the simple, pared-down look. More importantly, I loved Chase’s lean, almost androgynous appearance. Rolston’s styling not only added to the credibility of the characters, but also reinforced the gender-equal tone of the story. Even when Chase is shown in her underwear, it is not sexualized, and when the character is later shown in a hopeless position, although she is vulnerable and scared, she is still depicted with strength, courage and professionalism. No damsel in distress is she (for more on that old chestnut, check out the marvelous Feminist Frequency). Incidentally, I was pleased to see this story arc breaking another exhausted trope; a female character wearing an evening gown says she is cold…and her male companion doesn’t offer his coat!

Operation Broken Ground, Art by Steve Rolston

The second story arc, Operation Morningstar, was pencilled by Brian Hurtt, and inked by Bryan Lee O’Malley and Christine Norrie. ‘Morningstar’ is introduced with another incredibly gripping opening, focused on the execution of a journalist in Taleban-controlled Afghanistan. The first thing that struck me was the complexity of the art; compared with Rolston’s run, the illustration in ‘Morningstar’ explodes with detail. Surprisingly, the page layout also appealed to me; I loved the panel structure and how the negative space was used. The characters are drawn with greater realism than previously, while retaining the credible body shapes and practical style. Fittingly, as ‘Morningstar’ sees Chase attempt to renew her faith in herself and her job, its confident storytelling and impressive artwork succeeds in reaffirming Q+C’s potential.

Operation Morningstar, Art by Brian Hurtt, Bryan Lee O’Malley and Christine Norrie

And so, to the bad news. Operation Crystal Ball, the final story of Volume 1, was illustrated by Leandro Fernandez. The style is vastly different to that of the previous two interpretations, ditching realism for grotesque caricature. Not since Astonishing X-Men: Xenogenesis have I been put off so much by a comic’s artwork. Although not helped by what I judge to be the weakest story-line in the volume—a ridiculous terror plot exacerbated by post-9/11 paranoia—I found myself constantly distracted by the artwork. Where Chase was previously depicted with a realistic body shape and style, Fernandez transformed this well-developed character into a size-zero parody of heaving bosoms and collagenated lips. It’s a shame: the combined effect of weak plot and frankly awful art is that although I continue to recommend Q+C Volume 1 to friends, I instruct them simply to skip ‘Crystal Ball’.

Operation Crystal Ball, Art by Leandro Fernandez

Overall, Queen and Country Volume 1 is one of the best comics I’ve read recently and a brilliant addition to the spy genre. Although the standard was let down by the third story arc, it didn’t stop me from buying Volume 2…but, admittedly, not before a sneaky flick through in the shop to reassure myself that the Tara Chase I know and love returns.