Dungeons & Dragons: A Darkened Wish #1by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Publisher
Credits Grade: 8 Helene leaves home rather than take on the family heritage. Her two best friends go with her the join the White Sails; along the way they make a few more friends, and all survive being duped by slavers. In the present day, the group has fragmented, with one main section and their army fighting the army of a former friend.I adore this misfit-inclusive group! I love that we get to see how they met and how easily they bonded. I love how physically close the group is without any hindrance from toxic masculinity. It is beyond refreshing! It is wonderful and beautiful and made me smile. I love how the crow character speaks by mimicking phrases others have said, and that this is used to save everyone! The twins finishing each other's sentences or talking in unison is a bit trite, but it's handled well here, not overused. I also love that they are androgenous, dark-skinned with light kinky hair, and have pointy ears. Them having healing and attack magic is a wonderful bonus. I love Dragonborn, so I'm obviously glad there's one included. Helene reminds me of Disney's Merida, from her wild red hair to her stubborn will to follow her sense of adventure rather than what her mother expects of her. Fire magic is unsurprising. That being said, I still like her. Her two male friends (one human, one not) round out the group and provide instant allies for Helene, but they are ... not as good as Helene in a fight, and that's about all we know about them. The cover, which very nicely shows both past and present day versions of the characters, includes an additional cat character in the present-day group, who I look forward to learning about. I love that the flashback history of this group meeting and surviving an encounter with slavers is bookended by the present-day storyline. It makes the reveal of who's fighting who even more enjoyable and piques my interest. I'm excited that the main storyline will be older, experienced characters rather than newbies, though I wouldn't mind more flashbacks to help build their characters / relationships. The art is fantastic! Character designs, action, pacing, layout, and coloring are all top-notch. It's detail-rich, too, so it's visually energetic, which is perfect for D&D. This is a strong first issue, though there's not a lot of plot here. It's further bookended with character sheets, which is a nice touch (the opening is the younger Xander, and the end is the older). I can't wait to read more. Written: June 9, 2019
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