Reading For When You’re Not Rolling

I have had the pleasure of introducing a few of the comics I really enjoy to the people I play with on a weekly basis and this has been something I have been wanting to share on here for a long time, so it is a little overdue. These comics have a roleplaying game feel, whether by being set in a fantasy world or just capturing the group dynamics of an adventuring party (along with the shenanigans that often ensues).

RAT QUEENS
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Without a doubt my favorite comic right now. It is almost criminal how little people talk about this series. It has everything: well-written and fascinating characters, awesome art that is both clean and extremely expressive, all the fantasy tropes you can hope for and laughs for each one. It almost deserves its own blog post it is so good, but for now, if you have any interest in tabletop roleplaying AND comics, this is the book for you!
Jumping on point: A deluxe edition compiling volumes 1 & 2 came out in December and volume 3 is set to come out in April.

AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER
avatar5This may seem like an odd choice for this list, but if you liked the television series then stay with me. The series takes up mere months after the conclusion of the final season, filling in some of the gaps between The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra. The way it is written and the art style are incredibly true to the show, completing the immersion and rapt in the story. The most rewarding thing about the series thus far is slowly seeing the characters grow into their adult roles, and it does a great job of focusing chiefly on characters in the show and now on introducing new ones.
Jumping on point: Three volumes have been published compiling the first storylines (The Promise, The Search, and The Rift).

RED SONJA
TNRSvol304CovCRareSauvageVirgAway with the chainmail bikini. The current run of Red Sonja with Marguerite Bennett and Aneke explores the role of the sellsword after a hard-won peace and having made a difficult decision. It is very early in the series, but hints that not all as well beneath the surface and a darker, deeper story to come. The artwork has very neat, delineated style that makes the action easy to follow panel to panel. This is the first Red Sonja book I ever picked up, and if you have likewise been put off in the past, you should too!
Jumping on point: Issues 1-2 are on stands now (with issue 3 coming out later this week), although it can be difficult to find with concurrent Red Sonja titles.

PATHFINDER
Some may cry foul for including tie-in-fiction from D&D’s competition but, like roleplaying game that it is based on, it builds on the foundation laid by its predecessor to make something new. In many ways, it improves on the formula by not focusing one particular character (Drizzt) or tying together an in-game storyline (Legends of Baldur’s Gate), Pathfinder instead gives character to Pathfinder’s iconics and explores the setting with its own story, which is really starting to hit its stride with the Hollow Mountain. Although you may appreciate it more if you are familiar with Pathfinder and the previous stories, the current run is enjoyable on its own terms.
Jumping on point: Issues 1-3 are currently on shelves, but a better way to pick it up is the Humble Bundle currently going. Even better, hard copies of the comic also includes a short statted-out encounter in the back with a mini battle map that pulls free of the book to use with it!

image2-1024x520WEIRDWORLD
Like Conan? Like Planescape? Well, Arkon is a planeswalking barbarian just trying to get home. The artwork, in a word is: gorgeous! Colorful, evocative, yet it does not overwhelm the eye and making it very easy to read and follow. If you like weird without wacky along with a lot of action, this is the book for you. One of the biggest reasons it does not make it further up on the list is that I have never seen a physical copy of the book on shelves.
Jumping On Point: If you are lucky enough to find a hard copy, issues 1-5 have been released. Otherwise, digital copies are for sale as single issues or as part of Marvel Unlimited.

3 thoughts on “Reading For When You’re Not Rolling

  1. Man, I keep hearing about Rat Queens and know I should give it a read but then I have a pile of other this I’ve told myself to read before I buy anything new.

    You have a really fun and informative blog here btw. Do you ever post to other platforms? Shoot me an email because I’d like to chat to you about that. 😀

    Bridget – bridget.case@creators.co

    Like

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