Reading this first volume was also my first experience with graphic novel. I always loved comic, I always loved comic's art. So there was no problem like: I don't know, maybe this read is not my cup of tea. 
 But... there was: it's okay, but! 
 Okay, first of all let's start with the style. I'm not some kind of art's expert, but I have my preference and I loved the way this story was draw. Faces are good, movements, actions, atmosphere, the gore.... I liked it a lot. Really, a lot. Everything was quite full of details. 
 The plot was the problem. I know that this volume collect onely the first five issue of the series, but I totally felt like that I was more: let's introduce the characters, cast shaodws here and here, and.... what can we do with all this pages? Oh, well. Blood! Battles! Badass girls! 
 That's all. 
 I liked the character, I liked their diversity but: where are you informations? 
 Why are they called Rat Queens? 
 In which world they live? 
 How they ended up there? 
 Okay, I admit that the last question can require more time to develop its answer, becasue rushing is never a good thing, but I totally felt that the story needed more closure. And the fat that it's comic, graphic novel or whatever else is not an excuse. 
 So, another thing that left a bit off. The four protagonists display a good amount of diversity - race, skin color, attitude, body type, sexual horientation - and that's incredibily good. They have also a strong and sicure idea of themself and them being woman. They dress how they like. That's amazing too. 
 But they went to battle without anything. Okay, one of them wear an armour - that can be not useful if you're hit in certain parts, but it's an armour - but the other don't- Magic or not, battle skills or not, something to protect the body is useful, if not necessary. 
 I don't know if it was a choice to do not change the outfit, or something like: hey, they are so cool figthing without anything, but it's still a silly choice.