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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[Koloth]

I know that folks say that black haired women in the back is human, but her ear sure looks pointed in that illustration. Are pointed ears a requirement to be a party member? Maybe she got too close to a mechanical rice picker in her youth?

 

[Mournblade94]

Um…I’m pretty sure thicc is vastly more appropriate here than corpulent.

She cute, and she thicc. It’s a good thing.

except for being an elf.

 

[R_Chance]

I know that folks say that black haired women in the back is human, but her ear sure looks pointed in that illustration. Are pointed ears a requirement to be a party member? Maybe she got too close to a mechanical rice picker in her youth?

She's got some hair over part of the ear. I prefer my D&D a bit more medieval, but I know that's out of vogue right now.

 

[Richards]

They seem to be laden with magical items. A hat that he could put on over his horns would be a relatively minor one.

Johnathan

 

[JConstantine]

They seem to be laden with magical items. A hat that he could put on over his horns would be a relatively minor one.

Nah, it's just a regular hat that he casts mending on every time he tears it putting it on.

 

[dave2008]

The dwarf cleric is a deliberate provocation of old school D&D folks. I'm fine with it. But I know they were trying to trigger my reactionary soul.

How so? I ask because I am an old school D&D folk and I don't get why it would be provocative.

 

[Demetrios1453]

??
We had dwarf clerics in 1e. They were meant to be npcs per RAW, I think, but we rolled with it. Having a dwarf cleric with high Con being nearly immune to poison at the get-go was fun.

And even if that was technically "unofficial" (although, like you said, many people just ignored it), dwarf clerics were definitely official in 2e. I played a dwarf fighter/cleric in 2e and really enjoyed the character.

 

[Dire Bare]

Sigh. As expected, the negative, toxic and "clever" comments abound . . .

And add in some gross comments about the elf rogue being heavy.

If you don't care for the artwork, the characters, or the tone . . . that's fine. But the kind of comments we're seeing in this thread are the kind that makes me embarrassed of our hobby sometimes.

 

[Dire Bare]

For my own comments . . .

First, to be pedantic . . . the second Fallbacks novel, "Dealing with Dragons", doesn't actually release until later this summer on July 29. There was also a "Little Golden Book" for kids featuring the Fallbacks, "The Perfect Party", but haven't read that one . . .

The first novel, "Bound for Ruin" was . . . okay. Author Jaleigh Johnson is talented, has experience writing fun D&D novels, and I've enjoyed her work before. "Bound for Ruin" was an enjoyable, light read . . . but the heroic party, the "Fallbacks" seemed very workshopped and less organic. Every character is quirky and quippy, to an extreme as individuals, but as a group it gets too much sometimes. Which is a tone D&D, and other stories, sometimes takes, but isn't for everybody. I think this is what some previous posters are picking up on, even if I find some of the comments toxic and gross.

I enjoyed "Bound for Ruin", I'll check out "Dealing with Dragons" later this summer, and I'll also check out the upcoming comic story. But "Bound for Ruin" isn't going on my favorites list of books I'd read a second time, and I suspect the following entries in the series won't either.

 

[Weiley31]

As a cultured individual, I approve of the thicc rogue.