Review: DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Legends of Baldur's Gate #1

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS LEGENDS OF BALDUR'S GATE #1
IDW PUBLISHING – @IDWPublishing @Wizards_DnD

WRITER: Jim Zub – @JimZub
ART:  Max Dunbar – @Max_Dunbar
COLORS: John-Paul Bove
LETTERS: Neil Uyetake
COVER: Sarah Stone
VARIANT COVERS:  Max Dunbar with John-Paul Bove; Max Dunbar with Jim Zub; Raymond Swanland; Michael Komark
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S.

Tyranny of Dragons

Writer Jim Zub sent out PDF copies for review of his latest comic book series, Dungeons & Dragons Legends of Baldur's Gate.  It is a new licensed Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) comic book series from IDW Publishing.  This series is written by Zub and drawn by Max Dunbar with colors by John-Paul Bove and letters by Neil Uyetake.

Apparently, Baldur's Gate is a fictional city in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of the D&D fantasy role-playing game (RPG).  I say “apparently” because it has been decades since I have read a D&D comic book or even played the game.

Baldur's Gate is located in the Faerûn region and is a coastal city on the north bank of the river Chiontar.  It is “a place of history and a home to legends.”  Dungeons & Dragons Legends of Baldur's Gate #1 (“Part One”) opens in the Upper City where a young female moon elf, Delina the Wild Mage, is on the run from two flying, stone gargoyles.

Her magic is not enough to stop them, but Minsc, a tall, imposing figure of a man, comes to her rescue.  He has a pet, Boo the hamster, and insists on calling Delina by the name, “Neera.”  She will accept the hamster and the new name, if Minsc can help her find her missing brother.

Simply put, Dungeons & Dragons Legends of Baldur's Gate #1 is the kickoff of a comic book adventure series.  Specifically, it is a comic book narrative structured as if it were a D&D campaign.  Writer Jim Zub grew up on D&D, as he writes in a “Welcome” essay at the end of this first issue, so the series may reflect what Zub loves about D&D.

Legends of Baldur's Gate #1 is not a great comic book, but it does have an intriguing premise.  And I have to be honest; I think I will always be interested in the idea of a D&D campaign.  In this first issue, the story is straightforward, so artist Max Dunbar is not required to convey any complex storytelling.  It is good enough and acceptable for Dunbar to draw big panels and splash pages because this story is three things:  vague introductions of characters, fights, and chase scenes, which are big panel-ready story elements.

I want to try the next one or two issues in order to see where this goes.  Right now, I'll give it a grade of “B.”  I do think that readers of D&D comic books will want to try Dungeons & Dragons Legends of Baldur's Gate.

B

www.IDWPublishing.com
DungeonsandDragons.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for syndication rights and fees.

Review: A GAME OF THRONES: The Graphic Novel, Volume 3

A GAME OF THRONES: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL, VOL. 3
BANTAM BOOKS/RANDOM HOUSE – @randomhouse
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT – @dynamitecomics

WRITER: George R.R. Martin
ADAPTATION: Daniel Abraham
ART: Tommy Patterson
COLORS: Ivan Nunes
LETTERS: Marshall Dillon
ORIGINAL SERIES COVERS: Mike S. Miller, Michael Komark
COVER: Tommy Patterson with design by Charles Brock, Faceout Studio
ISBN: 978-0-440-42323-2; hardcover (March 11, 2014)
226pp, Color, $25.00 U.S., $29.95 CAN

A Game of Thrones is a 1996 novel from science fiction and fantasy author, George R.R. Martin.  The novel is the first book in Martin’s best-selling A Song of Ice and Fire series of high fantasy novels.  The series is also the basis for the award-winning and popular HBO television series, "Game of Thrones."

Dynamite Entertainment is currently producing a comic book adaptation of A Game of Thrones, the novel.  The adaptation will run for 24 issues, at about 29 pages of story per issue.  The writer responsible for adapting George R.R. Martin’s prose into comics form is science fiction and fantasy novelist, Daniel Abraham (who sometimes collaborates with Martin on fiction).  The artist is Tommy Patterson, who has drawn comic books for Boom! Studios and Zenescope Entertainment.  Mike S. Miller is the series’ regular cover artist.

Bantam Books collects Dynamite’s comic book adaptation as A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel.  A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel: Volume 3 collects A Game of Thrones, issues #13 to 18.  Vol. 3 includes “The Making of A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel: Volume 3” which presents almost 40 character sketches rendered by Tommy Patterson for this series.

A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel: Volume 3 opens in the aftermath of the attack on King Robert Baratheon (Lord of the Seven Kingdoms).  Now, Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell, the Hand of King Robert and in charge of protecting the King, finds himself surrounded by enemies in King’s Landing.  Eddard’s most miserable source of irritation is the House Lannister, to which Queen Cersei belongs.  Many of his other enemies hide behind smiles, pretending to be friends.

Meanwhile, far to the north, Jon Snow, Eddard’s bastard son, is newly sworn to the Night’s Watch, though not in the position he coveted.  As he takes the first steps to his destiny, he finds two dead bodies – two strangely dead bodies.  Across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys Targaryen must finally deal with her brother, Prince Viserys, the Dragon.  Her husband, Khal Drago, Lord of the Dothraki and the father of her unborn child, makes a crucial decision.  And a character innocently reveals his tremendous male endowment.

Prior to reading A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel: Volume 1, I was not familiar with A Game of Thrones, although I had heard of the television series.  I did not even know that the novel was being adapted into comic book form until Random House sent me a review copy of the first graphic novel in early 2012.  I did not expect much from that first experience with A Game of Thrones, but I ended up thoroughly enjoying it.  Luckily, Random House also sent me A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel Volume 2 and recently sent me a copy for review of Vol. 3.

If one considers A Game of Thrones the novel to be a masterpiece, then, it only makes sense that only the best talent should try to adapt the novel into a medium.  It is debatable as to whether writer Daniel Abraham and illustrator Tommy Patterson are among the best of their chosen fields – Abraham in science fiction and fantasy fiction and Patterson in comic books.  I am not familiar with their work outside of this adaptation of A Game of Thrones (nor have I yet read the original novel).

Judging strictly by their work on A Game of Thrones the comic book, I think writer Daniel Abraham and illustrator Tommy Patterson are just super duper.  I start reading this book and I’m reading it as fast as I can, unable to read as fast as my eyes want to scan across the page.  I lose track of how fast I’m flipping pages.  Before I know it, I have finished one entire chapter/issue, and I am half-way through another.

So you can also make an argument that the best, Daniel Abraham and Tommy Patterson, were indeed chosen to adapt George R. R. Martin’s beloved fantasy classic into a graphic novel.  After reading the previous two collected volumes of the comic book, I think this is a stunning fantasy comic book series.

Abraham scripts a sumptuous character drama, in which his storytelling crawls into every character.  Patterson’s art in combination with Ivan Nunes’ luxurious colors create the graphical storytelling expression and appearance that is perfect for the kind of detailed, historical fiction and high fantasy story A Game of Thrones is.  However, this masterful comic book is more than just good fantasy comics; it’s simply superb comics.

A

www.bantamdell.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux

The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: A GAME OF THRONES: The Graphic Novel Volume 2

A GAME OF THRONES: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL, VOL. 2
BANTAM BOOKS/RANDOM HOUSE – @randomhouse
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT – @dynamitecomics

WRITER: George R.R. Martin
ADAPTATION: Daniel Abraham
ART: Tommy Patterson
COLORS: Ivan Nunes
LETTERS: Marshall Dillon
ORIGINAL SERIES COVERS: Mike S. Miller, Michael Komark
COVER: Tommy Patterson with design by Charles Brock, Faceout Studio
ISBN: 978-0-440-42322-5; hardcover (June 11, 2013)
240pp, Color, $25.00 U.S., $29.95 CAN

A Game of Thrones is the 1996 novel from science fiction and fantasy author, George R.R. Martin. The novel is the first book in Martin’s best-selling A Song of Ice and Fire series of high fantasy novels, which are the basis for the HBO television series, “Game of Thrones.”

Dynamite Entertainment is producing a comic book adaptation of A Game of Thrones. The comic book adaptation of the novel is expected to run over 24 issues of about 29 pages per issue. The writer responsible for adapting George R.R. Martin’s prose into comics form is science fiction and fantasy novelist, Daniel Abraham (who sometimes collaborates with Martin on fiction). The artist is Tommy Patterson, who has drawn comic books for Boom! Studios and Zenescope Entertainment. Mike S. Miller has provided the cover art for most issues of A Game of Thrones the comic book.

Bantam Books is collecting the comic book adaptation as A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel. A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel: Volume 2, to be released shortly (as of this writing), will collect A Game of Thrones, issues 7 to 12. The book also contains some back matter. “The Making of A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel: Volume 2” illustrates how a section of Martin’s novel is transformed into 5 pages of A Game of Thrones #9.

In A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel: Volume 2, the action takes place in the icy north of The Wall, the valley of the Eyrie, the decadent south and the capital city of King’s Landing, and the Dothraki’s sacred Vaes Dothrak. Much is happening. Lord Eddard Stark, the King’s Hand, continues to investigate the death of Jon Arryn, the previous Hand. Stark’s wife, Lady Catelyn Stark, accuses the dwarf Tyrion Lannister of trying to kill her son, Brandon (“Bran”), and of another possible murder.

In the barbarian lands, the young princess, Daenerys Targaryen, has found the unexpected in her marriage to Dothraki warlord, Khal Drogo. Meanwhile, her petulant brother, Prince Viserys (who calls himself “The Dragon”), continues to demand that the Dothraki help him reclaim his inheritance as Lord of the Seven Kingdoms from King Robert Baratheon. Meanwhile, the Lannisters continue to plot against everyone.

When I first read A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel: Volume 1, I was not familiar with anything related to A Game of Thrones, except that I’d heard of the television series. I did not know that the novel was being adapted into comic book form until Random House sent me a review copy of the first graphic novel in early 2012.

I did not expect much from that first experience, but I ended up thoroughly enjoying it. Thus, I have been anticipating Random House sending me the second collection of A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel for several weeks now, and they have sent it.

Based only on my readings of the comic book, I see A Game of Thrones as a great big character drama and an epic soap opera, told as historical fiction. The comic book, as written by Daniel Abraham, captures the epic scope of A Game of Thrones – the large cast and the expansive setting and background – by giving the reader an intimate view of all the major players. Abraham also focuses closely on bit players in the moments they make a direct impact on the narrative. Abraham engages the readers by narrowing the focus on character conflicts, motivations, and relationships.

In Vol. 1, I thought Tommy Patterson was a good artist, but I found his storytelling to be inconsistent. Now, the awkwardness I noticed in some scenes is gone. Patterson’s style is consistent and his compositions results in clear storytelling. Patterson captures everything that is big, grand, and expansive about A Game of Thrones, but his pencil has a laser focus on detailing the characters, both their physicality and personality. Graphically, visually, and pictorially, Patterson brings the characters to life with the skill of someone doing this much longer than he has.

The result of Abraham and Patterson’s efforts is one especially good comic book. Yes, you can call it a “good read,” but add “x 2” to that. As for the back matter: this book offers five pages from A Game of Thrones the novel. Then, the editors show how those pages of prose become a script, thumbnails, pencil art, lettered art, colored art, and finally 5 pages of A Game of Thrones #9.

Fans of all things A Game of Thrones will want A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel, so will readers looking for a good fantasy comic book.

A

www.bantamdell.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux