Review by C.J. Bunce
The Forgotten Realms have never been more fun, as the familiar setting continues to expand and flesh out fun characters like warrior Minsc and miniature giant space hamster Boo, half-elf/thief/poet Krydle, cleric Nerys Kathon, halfling rogue Shandie Freefoot, and Delina, the young moon elf wild magesorcerer, all in the pages of IDW comics. Writer Jim Zub is back partnering with artist Max Dunbar in Dungeons & Dragons: Infernal Tides. IDW Publishing and Wizards of the Coast have brought forward the best from the D&D game books and card games, and combined good fantasy storytelling with classic artwork like you’d find in D&D manuals and great humor fantasy like Mike Wieringo’s Tellos. It’s also the closest thing to Don Bluth’s video game Dragon’s Lair since Dragon’s Lair. The latest D&D graphic novel and next adventure in Baldur’s Gate arrives in comic shops and online stores this week.
Haruman, the ugly knight, is the dark villain in this story, as henchman for an even darker evil, as the journey takes readers along for the ride, leaning heavy on the early battles behind Tolkien’s Fellowship of the Ring. He’s after a mysterious puzzle box with seemingly indecipherable lettering inscribed on it. Fortunately Minsc is on the case. Minsc, a crazy mix of Chris Hemsworth’s brand of Thor and Guardians of the Galaxy’s Drax, is as entertaining as any hero in comics, as he and his band try to rescue a local girl’s abducted father, all tied to the mystery. Unfortunately, Haruman may have infiltrated the Heroes of Baldur’s Gate in a surprising form.
Readers are introduced to Candlekeep, the sprawling, impressive library and home to D&D’s next volume of adventures arriving next month, discussed earlier here at borg. The band of characters on their latest quest visibly recalls the trials of the likes of Conan the Barbarian and Red Sonja. Will the Heroes get a new member, and what will it cost them to save the day?
Dungeons & Dragons: Infernal Tides includes the artwork behind all five of Max Dunbar and Sebastian Cheng’s five covers to last year’s monthly series, plus the character sheet covers.
Courtesy of IDW Publishing, here is a preview of Dungeons & Dragons: Infernal Tides:
Great fantasy storytelling in fun, adventure-packed artwork worthy of the D&D characters, Dungeons & Dragons: Infernal Tides arrives in comic book stores this week. Order it from Elite Comics, your comic book shop, or here at Amazon.
