IDW's Dungeon & Dragons

[Web.Metz]

Issue One of IDW's Dungeon & Dragon's just came out. Has anyone taken a look at it yet?

I took a look at the script for the promotional issue and it looks good.
http://wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4news/idw#71824
http://wizards.com/dnd/files/DNDScript.pdf

[Gaumer]

I bought it, Metzy but I've been busy and haven't gotten to it yet.

I read the issue 0 and it was good. Not sure if I'm getting the Dark Sun title that's coming out though.

I'll post here with my thoughts after I get through it.


Sidenote: You want some good action in the neighborhood of DnD, try Skull-kickers. It's awesome.

[Gaumer]

Finally got to this, and it was really good. Art was great and although the story seemed to be heavy in putting the spice of DnD into the writing (showing characters' dwarf and tiefling and class knowledge for example) that felt a little forced and brought the story down just a bit, I understand that this comic is more of a commercial for another thing, and it was ok.

Stephen gave it 5 out of 5 on the main page, but, as a comic and not a commercial for DnD, I'd give it only 4 out of 5. Still worth getting but I'd say DnD lovers will like it more than comic lovers. And that's just fine considering the presumed target audience.

[Navarre]

I haven't read it yet but I saw Stephen's review. It sounds like something worth checking out.

I hope they break some of the stereotypes associated with the classes and races and group dynamic. Even though one could make an argument for giving readers what they expect or to maintain the stereotypes for those new to D&D, I would like to see a story that takes a different perspective on all of that.

[Gaumer]

I don't have enough to go on with only 1 issue (1 and a halk with the 0 issue) to know if they are hitting stereotypes. Plus, its 4th edition stereotypes if they did do that, and I don't have near enough experience with 4E to know for certain. Crit. Hit and a few PbP is all the 4E know. I have.

They do have a dwarf paladin of Moradin (sic) who seemed kind of stereotypical. A halfling thief that "no one trusts" and that seemed like I had seen that just about everywhere

The book did put a character sheets for a party member, and I think they will continue to do that, and I thought that was pretty cool.

Again, it seemed more like a commercial for DnD. Nothing wrong with that, but I felt like the things they did to push the other brand took away from story-telling elements that are usually present in comics.

[Navarre]

Wizards of the Coast is kind of like Disney in that everything it does is designed as marketing for consumers to buy more of their product. That's sort of how business is so that's fine although Disney and WotC are really obvious about it.

I think it's a balancing act. If the comic provides me with a story I enjoy and characters I care about, I am okay with their marketing attempts.

If every issue somehow seems to highlight whatever shelf product WotC has come out with that month then I'll pass.

The character sheets sound cool though.

[Web.Metz]

I have ordered directly from IDW, since I don't have a comic shop nearby, only a Game/card/DND shop

[Gaumer]

I have ordered directly from IDW, since I don't have a comic shop nearby, only a Game/card/DND shop

There's a Dark Sun comic coming out as well. Just throwing that out there.

[@lantis]

They do have a dwarf paladin of Moradin (sic) who seemed kind of stereotypical. A halfling thief that "no one trusts" and that seemed like I had seen that just about everywhere

The dwarf was a paladin?  I got the impression from the 0 issue that he was a cleric, which is far more stereotypical.

[Navarre]

I am sure dwarves make good Fighters or Clerics and halflings make good Rogues and so on. But, other than introducing readers to stereotypes with which they are comfortable, it would be so much more fun to see a break from these roles.

In my current Play-by-Post D&D game (found at a Major Spoilers Forum site near you) I have a player who had never played D&D before. He didn't own dice, had never looked through a rule book, simply a blank slate of playing experience except for what he may know from movies like Lord of the Rings and such.

After he looked through the Player's Handbook a bit, he wanted to play a Monk... a neutral good gnome Monk.

Monks are supposed to be lawful under the rules but he had a backstory to support his alignment (and why he was evicted from his temple) so I allowed it. I pointed out the difficulties in playing a gnome when so much of the Monk's abilities count on applying physical damage, tripping opponents, and so on. But that's what he wanted t play.

That character has been one of the most interesting player characters I've had in a game, partly due to how breaking with the expected opens up a new experience in knowing a Monk character. I'd like to see a comic book, novel, or movie do the same.

[Gaumer]

A gnome monk? That's a weird as a dwarf ranger

[Navarre]

A dwarf Ranger??  Bwua-Ha-Ha-Ha-Haaaaaa!!! 

Who in the hell would ever play a dwarf ranger? A character like that would probably end up stuck in a human city for half the campaign, saying things no one could understand.

[Web.Metz]

Look at the top of the list:
http://community.wizards.com/wotc_bart/blog/2010/12/03/website_news#72208

Win!

[Slappy]

A dwarf Ranger??  Bwua-Ha-Ha-Ha-Haaaaaa!!! 

Who in the hell would ever play a dwarf ranger? A character like that would probably end up stuck in a human city for half the campaign, saying things no one could understand.

How about a halfling ranger?

[Web.Metz]

in the most recent issue some lines stand out

"Dwarves love sayin' the obvious."

Tiefling: "My people made their bargain paladin, we wear a devil's face as our price."


I really think those phrases will stand out in my mind whenever I play D&D.
The combat banter was funny too.