Aunt Agatha is in danger of losing her home, and Sawyer calls upon Asuka, the exchange rabbit to help. What could possibly go wrong?

AUNTIE AGATHA’S HOME FOR WAYWARD RABBITS #2

Writer: Keith Giffen
Artist: Benjamin Roman
Colorist: Bryan Valenza and Beyond Colorlab
Publisher: Image Comics, Inc.
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 12, 2018

Previously in Auntie Agatha’s Home for Wayward Rabbits: We meet Sawyer and a few other rabbits who seem to have some pretty serious issues (OCD, paranoia, etc.) It’s odd, but seems to be all in a day’s work for young Julie, until Naomi and Raquel show up. They are there to muscle Aunt Agatha into signing away her property. It’s up to Julie to save the day, perhaps with some help from the rabbits.

AN UNUSUAL CAST, TO SAY THE LEAST

Auntie Agatha’s Home for Wayward Rabbits #2 opens with Sawyer running up to two rabbits we haven’t met yet – Frankie and Annette (I kid you not). Sawyer wants to know if they’ve seen the exchange rabbit, the one from a rabbit island, who’s always meditating. We then go off into a couple tangents. Annette does not think she can live in a blue hutch. She also talks about how the rabbits from the island lost the war. This confuses Sawyer a bit, until Frankie explains that it was a human war, and the rabbit is from Okunoshima. Annette decides she wants the hutch painted ecru, and one of the other rabbits objects. This is where we find out that Annette has some significant anger issues. And then she tells Sawyer where the exchange rabbit, Asuka, is.

Sawyer heads off to the treehouse to find Asuka, and runs into Elliot and has an odd exchange with him, but manages to deflect him to Annette. Sawyer then does indeed find Asuka and introduces himself and talks to her long enough to find out Okunoshima is near Japan. “Great!” he says, and asks her to come with him. It soon becomes apparent that Sawyer thinks she must be an expert in martial arts. She gets through to him that she doesn’t want to fight the thugs, but he tells her Julie is in danger.

We walk in pretty much were we Julie off last issue. Agatha, communicating by computer, won’t sign the papers, and Julie is being held off at arm’s length. Sawyer interrupts, indicating that Asuka knows martial arts. Naomi and Raquel are momentarily distracted anyway – they’re more worried about getting a disease from the rabbits. Julie gets a brilliant idea (well, almost as brilliant as Sawyer’s), telling the rabbits to attack and give them rabbit AIDS.

And then Annette walks in, saying she’s solved the hutch problem. Julie says she’s kind of busy, and Raquel says it’s a legal issue and rabbits wouldn’t understand. Annette takes this as an insult. Julie explains they’re trying to steal Agatha’s land, but Naomi insists they’re paying for it. Although, when she looks at the price, even she has to concede that it is very nearly theft. Not to worry, claims Annette, as the property value will skyrocket after the hutch is painted ecru.

Then the conversation turns even more surreal as Naomi and Raquel agree with Annette about ecru and how tasteful it is. And good for the digestion, if one’s dining room is painted ecru. At least this conversation distracts the two thugs, and Julie and Agatha, followed by Sawyer, make a hasty escape.

This is still a strange story, although it certainly is entertaining. I’m not quite sure what Elliot’s little scene was all about, but then Elliot is odd, even by the standards of the rabbits here. This issue set up the ending with Annette beautifully. I like Asuka as a character, but it felt here like she was mainly being played up for the joke, which made me feel a bit uncomfortable, and I do hope there’s more to her character than just that.

SPARE AND STYLIZED

I still haven’t completely gotten used to how bug-eyed many of the characters are in this book. That said, I like how all the rabbits have their own very distinct looks that fit their characters. Annette’s ears both flop over to the same side, like a swoopy hairdo, and she has a big furry ruff at her neck. Frankie has some stripes and a V at his neck that are suggestive of his wearing a sweater. Asuka has a forelock, a sort of pink bow at her neck, and really pretty green eyes. They may not look like rabbits, but they all have a lot of personality. Granted, it’s often dysfunctional, but so far that just makes them interesting.

The backgrounds are a study in contrasts. Some of them are beautifully detailed, such as the interior of the treehouse. Asuka has some furnishings – a table, a chest of drawers, a lamp, etc. – and the trunk of the tree is decorated in strings of lights. The outer yard with its several rabbit hutches also has a lot of detail and character. But other scenes, such as the interiors of both the rabbit hutch and Agatha’s house, are very spare, with just enough scenery to get the idea of where we are.

BOTTOM LINE: NOT YOUR EVERYDAY TALKING RABBIT STORY

I have to admit I am still intrigued by Auntie Agatha’s Home for Wayward Rabbits #2. It is just such a weird story with unusual characters many of whom, by virtue of their individual pathologies, seem to contribute to the plot almost randomly. While the story of someone trying to swindle the old lady out of her home may not be new, the characters attempting to solve the problems are so troubled themselves that the story gains new and interesting tensions.