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The Tale of One Bad Rat
Posted 28 Apr 2008
Writer: Bryan Talbot
Artist: Bryan Talbot
Letters: Ellie DeVille
Colors: Bryan Talbot
Publisher: Dark Horse
5.00 out of 5 Stars
Reviewed by Kevin Agot
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In his book, The Tale of One Bad
Rat, Bryan Talbot tells a powerfully affecting story of the
impact of sexual and emotional abuse on children. The story is about a
runaway named Helen who has suffered abuse from her father and the
resultant neglect and denial of her mother. Her story is told in
flashbacks as Talbot intermittently reveals various pieces of the
puzzle that is Helen’s past. Readers also piece together what
would motivate a young girl to risk everything and strike out on her
own into a world that seeks to devour her.
“Talbot is an expert craftsman
using his skills at the top of his game to tell this tale of a
severely abused and misunderstood girl.”
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Along the way, Helen encounters a group of runaways that helps to
provide shelter and protection. A pet rat also accompanies Helen in
her journey to run away from not only her past but her pain as well.
The pet rat is more than just a companion as it parallels
Helen’s life as one who is misunderstood and rejected…a
common feeling most people have towards rats, in general.
Talbot tells this story with realistic and beautifully rendered
artwork which vividly captures the subtleties of thoughts and emotions
throughout the book. Although the artwork is realistic, it isn’t
as stiff as other photo-referenced work you see today. Talbot’s
artwork flows from panel to page and captures the power of rage and
the sensitivity of deeply buried pain. Talbot is an expert craftsman
using his skills at the top of his game to tell this tale of a
severely abused and misunderstood girl. There is a page-and-a-half
sequence where Helen, at a much younger age, is slowly awakened by the
sound of her mother crying in the kitchen. Three panels capture the
wonder and realization Helen’s face as she listens to her mother
in the darkness of her room. Helen attempts to comfort her mother by
telling her that she loves her, only to have the mother scream and
curse at her as she is sent running back to her room. The page closes
with Helen back in bed with the same illustration used when she was
initially awakened but this time with a tear streaming down her face.
One of the most unique aspects of the story is Talbot’s
reference to author and artist Beatrix Potter. As you may know,
Beatrix Potter wrote children’s books using animals to tell her
all-ages stories. Helen remembers Potter’s book from her
childhood. However, what attracted Helen to Beatrix is not only their
common love for animals but their all-too familiar desire to escape
the prisons that have held them down. Beatrix Potter serves as an
inspiration for Helen from which she can relate her pain and draw
strength from.
Author Joe Hill once wrote, “A successful story tends to move
from chaos and complication to elegance and simplicity.” The Tale of One Bad Rat is that
story. Talbot tells a mature and powerfully moving tale of abuse,
reconciliation and the superhuman ability to overcome any inner demons
or suffocating prisons by finding strength from within. This is a once
in a lifetime story that captures the human spirit that can burst
forth from the darkness and oppression of man-made cages into the
sunlight and freedom of new beginnings.
—CCdC—
Cover image used without explicit permission in accordance with the "Fair Use" provision of US copyright law.
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