IDW Publishing 2017
Written by Jim Zub
Penciled by Netho Diaz
Inked by Glauber Matos
Coloured by Thiago Ribeiro
Lettered by Neil Uyetake
To discover the Frost Giants' evil plans, our heroes must ascend the treacherous ice-covered mountain known as 'Cold Crag' and confront its guardian, a short-tempered white dragon eager to destroy any who dare invade her sanctuary. We don't call it 'Dungeons & Dragons' for nothing, y'know!
I’m convinced the reason why Jim’s D&D stories are so gosh darn good is because he and a group of people are actually playing out these scenarios. The way the story plays out and the level of characterisation and the dialogue between the characters feels so much like real actual friends that it’s kind of uncanny. Also it’s kind of what I remember from my days gaming and it makes me think this exactly what a novelization of those adventures would be like.
That having been said I’m loving the way this story is playing out. Shandie’s ability to talk Giant comes in extremely handy as does her nature in getting the big guy to talk to them and reveal what the plans are. I have to admit that while at times I hope for a lot of fighting it’s nice that we see just as much communication as we do them being offensive. It’s a nice balance that Jim brings to the book that not many people could handle. It’s one of the series strong points that keeps me coming back time and time again.
As the group and their new friends/allies race to save the town and find themselves in way over their heads it’s a great reminder of how far from their humble beginnings they’ve come. The way the story is structured and the subtle reminders of the past and things left unanswered are nicely done.
Then there’s the interior artwork for this book. The attention to detail here is phenomenal and the linework is so clean, tight and damn near perfect. These are the kinds of interiors that I will grab up every time. It’s so strong, expressive and full of life so that the action, emotions and everything in between are easy to understand and appreciate. The way page layouts are utilised through angles, perspective and use of backgrounds is amazingly well done.
I keep saying that this series for me rivals any team book currently being made and I stick by that. The way each character has their own unique skill set and that they can work together in such a way so that as a whole they greater than their individual parts is what being part of a team is all about. The interactions between individuals both friends, allies and foes make for some of the most fun and interesting stuff on stands right now.
I was a little disappointed that this wasn’t a real ongoing series but overall that each arc seems to be it’s own finite story that ties into the larger picture really is a good way to go. IDW has a firm grip on the Dungeons & Dragons culture and what it means and I gotta say this consistently makes one of the best books I read every time it comes out.