Dungeons & Dragons Volume 2: First Encounters (Dungeons & Dragons (Idw Hardcover)) [Hardcover]

For any fans of fast paced action and dialogue, compelling arch type characters that do the unexpected, and flat out fantasy, this book is for you. I bought the previous hardcover volume and the quality is outstanding. The art is visually appealing and the writing is sharp. You don't have to be a D&D fan to love this book, but if you are, you should love it all the more. The book pays homage to its origins without being restricted by it.

I highly recommend this volume. I'm already looking forward to volume 3!

I enjoyed reading this as a graphic novel more than when it was as a comic, as the included artwork between chapters, the few extra variants and sketches of covers was great to see.

The story is good, not fantastic, mind-bending or incredible but good. Too often it is called cliche' but considering how every story can be similar in many ways, it does not always make it cliche'd. I feel that the subtlety of racial variants in the D&D world could be better explained through the dialogue. Dwarves are known to be gruff, foul mouthed, hearty non-charismatic beings but we are given a dwarven paladin, to oppose all those sterotypes. That is fun and inventive but the other NPCs and PC don't seem to really care, except that they manage to get by a fight with a Dryad. Barely a thanks or a "where did you learn about poetry" something that would make them have a little more depth. There are interesting characters here but they get a little lost in the whole story and that dropped it at one star because of it.

The presentation and materials used are great! Having a hardbound book, as opposed to a soft covered graphic novel, gives it a more professional look and feel. Colors and artwork were well done and I do see some inconsistencies or rather laziness in some parts, where detail is not needed but should be included. The tavern scene, only the main characters and a few details of the bar stand out or are well done, everything else seems like a mere sketch in comparison. NOW this is excellent if used as a style for certain scenes or blocks of scenes but the artists do not consistently use it to make it a style.

Cost...totally depends on what you paid, if anything (as a gift) but I enjoyed it at what I paid, which was close to the MSRP.

Extras: As mentioned before, the art work was great, sketches in between and at the end of each comic, was great. I really enjoyed the adventure that was included which I am unsure was in the comics or not. It has full details on how to use the areas and people presented in the Feywild along with full stat blocks at the end, separate from the adventure itself. Short and adjustable, so DMs can have fun with it, populate it with other creatures to up the difficulty. All in all, a great effort in design, presentation and execution.

To introduce someone new or perhaps a younger audience, it does its job. As an old school D&D player, (almost 40) I liked it and have shown it to friends who do and do not play. I think I would enjoy this over its comic iteration, that is not to say to skip the comic version.

A childhood playing D&D and a love of comics made me curious about the official D&D comic book. I read others in the past namely the Forgotten Realms and Dragon Lance and enjoyed them but found them of varying consistency, and the same could be said for this volume.

The cover art (the color one featuring the elf and the woman), was quite well done. I did find the interior artwork inconsistent. At times the dialog felt too modern and Monty Python for me "I am being disemboweled Horribly" er...right. And at times the main character (the warrior), talked in a modern tone which pulled me from the story.

The story seems to follow a group of adventurers as they enter a cursed city and encounter some transformed drow. Many of the group die in a confrontation with warped elves, but a small group manage to survive including an elven princess, a dwarf with a brogue, a shady wizard and a Legolas clone.

Critique:

· I found the pencils inconsistent. At times the characters are stylistically, and in other panels the art is more realistic. I prefer a consistent set of pencils throughout the book.

· The characters were stereotypical and flat. You get the obnoxious LG paladin, the elven princess, the elven archer, the acerbic dwarf etc. I'd like to see classic archetypes mixed up, a bit. Not all paladins should be zealots. Not all princesses should be beautiful elves etc.

· Storyline a bit difficult to follow. It would be nice to know a bit more about the characters and their mission.

· Some characters were difficult to like

· I'd be curious to know how the drow managed to become even more cursed than they already are!

PROS:

· Even though the art is inconsistent it is still decent in most scenes.

· The story will appeal to those who wish to see a d&d dungeon crawl on paper.

· The cover art was eye catching.

Final thoughts: Overall, I thought this was pretty average to somewhat disappointing. I have read better D&D comics. I think it would've been improved with more thought to character development and more attention to artistic consistency and less stereotypical characters.

Review Copy Courtesy of NetGalley.