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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[LuisCarlos17f]

OK, this is the cover of the novel to compare:

I don't like tielflings to be more popular than gnomes, halflings or aasimars. I imagine aasimars like the smart student with the best grades in the class but suffering tall-poppies syndrome and bulling, or the little princess from the fairy tales who suffers abuses by her evil stepmother.

With a right characters gnomes could be so popular like Tyrion Lannister.

* Have you imagined any time a new Brightright novel like a romantasy story? But I don't want the trope of the male main character "You say you hate me but in reality you desire me". My idea is the female main character is sensible but not cunning. At first, she may seem arrogant, but she's actually battling the imposter syndrome that plagues her, thanks to the toxic people around her. She is forced into a marriage alliance with the male protagonist. This person can be very clever, but sometimes he behaves like a complete idiot because he thinks he's a true leader without understanding the importance of social skills in resolving conflicts. His acenstors belonged to a secret lodge who conspired to ruin the prosperity of the female protagonist's kingdom but hidding their actions and blaming the previous royal court. The story should teach the great difference between having authority to give orders and to be a true leader who guide others.

 

[Birmy]

Here's a link to the press release from Dark Horse's own site, with some more on what it's about, some thoughts from the creators, and the alternate cover art (looks like four--count 'em, four--variants besides the regular cover).

RETURN TO THE FORGOTTEN REALMS IN "DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: THE FALLBACKS

I have the first Fallbacks novel (second one's due end of July), but I haven't read it yet. I'm on board for this, and will probably fast-track the book so I'm familiar with the characters before this series comes out. I got really into modern-era D&D comics once the publishers moved on from doing straight adaptations. I liked Jim Zub and would like to see those characters continue in some fashion, though that seems about as likely as John Rogers coming back to do more "Fell's Five" stories (the high water mark for modern D&D comics, I think). Pak and Santos are both old hands, so I'm interested to see what they do with the property; IDW had been phoning it in for quite a long time before DH got the license, and the creative teams towards the end of their tenure were definitely pretty bush league. Hope they include gameable content as part of the back matter (which the Pathfinder/Starfinder comics have done beautifully for ages, as did the recent spate of Vampire: The Masquerade comics from Vault).

 

[Misanthrope Prime]

I guess the books sold well? I checked the first audiobook from my library but didn't finish it, and I've never heard anyone talking about these characters with any excitement, like they were champing at the bit to find out what new hijinx they got up to.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I guess the books sold well? I checked the first audiobook from my library but didn't finish it, and I've never heard anyone talking about these characters with any excitement, like they were champing at the bit to find out what new hijinx they got up to.

I think the Fallbacks books are aimed at a different demographic than the typical ENWorld poster.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

One could say "voluptuous".

If you wanna sound old, I guess, but even millenials say thicc, and we’re old

except for being an elf.

Um…..wat?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I imagine aasimars like the smart student with the best grades

And you can't understand why no one wants to play one?!

 

[Zardnaar]

And you can't understand why no one wants to play one?!

They pack emo vibes. First Drow now Tieflings. And half vampires named Raven.

 

[R_Chance]

If you wanna sound old, I guess, but even millenials say thicc, and we’re old

Um…..wat?

Old? Youngsters. I guess it's all relative.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

They pack emo vibes. First Drow now Tieflings. And half vampires named Raven.

And aasimar are the opposite of that. They are about as uncool as it's possible to get. It's like turning up to the game wearing an orange ascot.

 

[Zardnaar]

And aasimar are the opposite of that. They are about as uncool as it's possible to get. It's like turning up to the game wearing an orange ascot.

Yeah goody goody two shoes angel types. Still pretty humans should have sone appeal (see elves).

I've seen a few though. Positively abundant compared with Dwarfs, Gnomes, Halflings snd Dragonborn.