“Rat God”

24+22+24+22+28 pgs. Appeared first time [COLOR] in Rat God #1 to #5 (2015) [VERS.1]. Reprinted in Rat God [HB] (2015) [VERS.2].
Story/Art: Richard Corben (no signature). Color: Richard Corben, Beth Corben Reed. Lettering: Nate Piekos of Blambot®.

No known translation.

Style: Full color on black line. Genre: Horror. Time Span: Past. Nudity: Full frontal.
Keywords: Mag the Hag. Indians. Totem. Brother. Sister. Sign Language. Escape. Corpses. Arrows. Fight. Killing. Bridge. Car. Hitchhike. Gas. Memories. Snow. Panther. Rat God. College. Dating. Snow. Shooting. Modeling. Nude. Beating. Village. Cemetery. Masks. Sacrifice. Underground. Dream. Drug. Vomit. Hat. Gun. Dance. Eating. Ring.
Original Art Plate: 27,9 x 43,1 cm [Source: Angoulême, 2019].
Synopsis: Terrible things stalk the forests outside Arkham in this chilling original tale. An arrogant city slicker on a quest to uncover the background of a young woman from the backwoods finds horrors beyond imagining, in a story that combines Lovecraftian mutations with Native American legends.
Comment: The artwork is a top notch quality. Pages are full of tall narrow frames, all memory parts have rounded frame.
Version, [VERS.2]: On page 6 part 2, Kito is posing for nude for art class. In second frame teacher’s stick is pointing the way you can see Kito’s vulva; then again in [VERS.2] his hand is in a new position that you cannot see it anymore. Later on the same page, last frame you can see Kito’s naked breasts flobbing around while she’s running; then again in [VERS.2] the flobbing is less visible. According Dark Horse, the changes were done by Richard Corben. On part 4, the first frame was the logo, “The Rat God”, but in the collection version there exists an usual text box with additional text.

Rat God languages (from English to Native American, Haida or Tlingit):

Book 5, page 21
2) INDIAN 1 (translate to real Indian language): “The rat god is dead!”

Panel 2
3) INDIAN 2: “The old man is dead too. What do we do now?”

Panel 3
4) INDIAN OP: “The girl Kito lives. Should we take her?”

Panel 4
5) INDIAN 2: “No! It is good that she killed the old man. He was an evil tyrant. We should thank her.”

Panel 5
6) INDIAN 2: “Come! We must confer with the others now.”

Page 22
2) GHARLENA (she speaks to Kito in her native language): “He won’t die. He is strong.”

Panel 3
3) KITO: “The fungus powder?”

Panel 4
4) GHARLENA: “We must not wait here. I stole a truck.”

Panel 5
5) GHARLENA: “He will be well soon.”

Panel 6
6) KITO: “Wait. Who is that?”

Page 25
6) KITO (translate to Native American): “Was the story true?”
7) GHARLENA: “We must decide.”

Page 26
2) GHARLENA (translate to Native American): “He rejects us now. What should we do?”