Dark Horse Reveals First Dungeons & Dragons Comic

Dark Horse has revealed its first Dungeons & Dragons comic, the result of a new licensing deal between the comics publisher and Wizards of the Coast. Today, The Gamer posted a preview for Dungeons and Dragons: The Fallbacks, a new comic book focused on an adventuring group of misfits. The team consists of elf ogue Tess, human fighter Anson, the tiefling bard Lark, dwarf cleric Baldric, and otyugh companion Uggie. The Fallbacks previously were featured in two novels published by Random House and also appeared in artwork in the new 2024 Core Rulebooks.

The new comics series will be written by Greg Pak, with pencils by Wilton Santos, inks by Edvan Alves, colors by Raul Angulo, and letters by Nate Piekos. The four issue miniseries will launch starting in October 2025.

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[Dire Bare]

In any event, as I said, this is not official WotC art, so it can't even be called "D&D art style".

It is official art. The comic is not being produced directly by WotC of course, but Dark Horse is licensing the D&D property and the Fallbacks characters. Dark Horse would have had to work closely with the WotC D&D team on the characters, setting, tone, and art-style to keep the Fallbacks team consistent between the comics and novels (and the kids story book, I suppose).

 

[Parmandur]

It's been a minute since I read "Bound for Ruin", the first Fallbacks story, but . . . if Tess's (Tessalynde, our elven rogue) weight/size doesn't impact her being a nimble rogue and if the character doesn't have issues with her own weight/size . . . why should the book make a big deal about it? Seems like a plus to me, making someone who's body-shape doesn't fit our stereotyped ideals be a descriptive, but not actually important, part of her character. Folks IRL can have that body-shape and do just fine, including being sneaky and nimble. Somebody upthread mentioned the martial arts star Sammo Hung, he's a good example!

Well, I don't mean that everything needed to be about her body type...but compared to the example of Chel Vanin from the Wheel of Time, who used his deceptive appearance as part of his Rogue toolkit...

I dunno, the characters just felt like they could do with more development, lots of missed opportunities to push them.

 

[Dire Bare]

Well, I don't mean that everything needed to be about her body type...but compared to the example of Chel Vanin from the Wheel of Time, who used his deceptive appearance as part of his Rogue toolkit...

I dunno, the characters just felt like they could do with more development, lots of missed opportunities to push them.

I do agree that all of the characters could use more development . . . they all felt very quirky, quippy, and diverse but on a surface level. Perhaps in the next book and in the comic we'll get deeper character development.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

One of my main criticisms of the novel, which I would categorize as "kind of fun" and "not terrible" overall...is that in the book, she could have been built like a supermodel, and it wouldn't have changed anything in the characterization?

Her appearance isn’t relevant, any more than it is for the male characters. She’s not a supermodel, she is an adventurer.

Really, it’s like being back in the 80s arguing about chainmail bikinis!

 

[macloud]

I thought IDW had the publishing rights for DnD comics?

 

[Parmandur]

Her appearance isn’t relevant, any more than it is for the male characters. She’s not a supermodel, she is an adventurer.

Really, it’s like being back in the 80s arguing about chainmail bikinis!

It's not the appearance, so much as the interesting dichotomy of a dexteritous person who is against type, snd how that could be utilized as a tool of deception. It would be like having a (relatively) short basketball player like the great Muggy Bogues and never using thst contrast in a story.

The nicle had...lots of missed opportunities, though.

 

[Parmandur]

I thought IDW had the publishing rights for DnD comics?

They lost it, Dark Horse has it now and this is the first one.

 

[JConstantine]

Really, it’s like being back in the 80s arguing about chainmail bikinis!

Chainmail bikinis are a terrible idea - they conduct heat when sunbathing!

 

[Reynard]

Chainmail bikinis are a terrible idea - they conduct heat when sunbathing!

Also, they pinch.

 

[MGibster]

Also, they pinch.

And just think what happens when you encounter someone casting Heat Metal! <shudder>