The "Tale of One Bad Rat" by Bryan Talbot was written as a mini series that came out as a monthly issue in three parts. Oh man! This one got me in the feels. It is an extremely well done comic, the growth of the character as well as the use of Beatrix Potter's books was beautifully executed. The main character has trouble dealing with the sexual abuse from her father and the verbal abuse from her mother. One of her only happy memory from her childhood is Beatrix Potter's books, she relates to the author not only by sharing a similar name but also a similar life story. The novel starts out with Helen, when she is homeless and contemplating suicide. The only thing that is keeping her from acting on her impulse is her found friend a cute little pet rat. The last section of the comic is about Helen Potter visiting Beatrix Potter's home, and imagines finding a lost Potter book "The Tale of One Bad Rat". The comic changes format and style and reads as if it is a Beatrix potter book, this book within a comic story echoes Helen's own story and gives a happy ending. The end of the comic has her confronting her father and truly being free of that burden. This freedom is shown by the last scene of Helen in the countryside besides a lake drawing her own sketches.
I personally, really could relate to a lot of this comic, from the love of the unloved and powering through a sexual trauma. So I really could understand the feelings and the shame of what Helen was talking about. How one puts the blame on oneself and how hard it is to get to a place where you are comfortable within your own skin again. It also made me glad and appreciate all the help and support that I did get, from seeing how bad it could have been. The use of rats in a positive light with in the story was very refreshing. I really liked that element. I grew up with having pet rats, so that just made the comic for me. Especially because Remmy, my pet rat, looked just like the rat in the story.
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