Portal 2: Lab Rat is a graphic novel released in April of 2011. A joint project between Valve and established comic book artists, such as Michael Avon Oeming and Jay Pinkerton, the comic depicts the events between the end of Portal and the beginning of Portal 2.
The comic follows Doug Rattmann, a lab worker at Aperture Science with a history of schizophrenia, who survives GLaDOS' attempt to murder every employee in the Aperture Science facility when she is first turned on. Sneaking through the facility, he watches from the shadows as Chell is tested by GLaDOS. The comic ends with the injured Ratmann crawling into a cryo-unit and putting himself to sleep.
The comic was released in two parts.
Part 1
Part 1
Cover
Cover
Page 1
Page 1
Page 2
Page 2
Page 3
Page 3
Page 4
Page 4
Page 5
Page 5
Page 6
Page 6
Page 7
Page 7
Page 8
Page 8
Page 9
Page 9
Page 10
Page 10
Page 11
Page 11
Page 12
Page 12
Page 13
Page 13
Page 14
Page 14
Part 2
Part 2
Page 15
Page 15
Page 16
Page 16
Page 17
Page 17
Page 18
Page 18
Page 19
Page 19
Page 20
Page 20
Page 21
Page 21
Page 22
Page 22
Page 23
Page 23
Page 24
Page 24
Page 25
Page 25
Page 26
Page 26
Trivia
On page 8, a book titled "Art Therapy - The Bennet Way" can be seen in during the explosion. Which explains why Doug Rattman is doing murals all over Aperture Science. It's most likely an attempt to cure his schizophrenia, following this book's therapy.
On page 13 of the comic, the Gravity Gun and Combine Health Dispenser from Half-Life 2, and the Black Mesa Health Station and H.E.V. Suit Charger from Half-Life make a cameo appearance.
In one of Rattmann's lines, he says "Both alive and dead, until someone opens the box". This is a reference to Schrodinger's Cat, a theory involving neurotoxin and a cat sealed inside a box.
