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A review by redrosesrot
Dungeons & Dragons: Ravenloft–Orphan of Agony Isle by Casey Gilly
5.0
4.5/5 stars, with disclosure that I've read this before as individual issues on Comixology. I just bought the tradeback today, so new review time.
Ravenloft is my all-time favorite D&D settings, and the 5e revival has been so thrilling. In particular, the new/revitalized character of Dr. Viktra Mordenheim in the land of Lamordia was an instant favorite, so when I found out that there existed a brand new comic book based around her and the setting, I was thrilled! I immediately sunk my teeth into the issues, and I waited for months for the tradeback to be released so I could read it again.
The story is split between a recurring, long-form A plot and four separate anthology-style B plot stories that do, eventually, relate back to the central plot, to not put too fine a point on it. The A plot is centered around Dr. Mordenheim and a mysterious, amnesia-riddled young girl she names Miranda; the B plots take place over the wider Ravenloft/Domains of Dread settings, each a spot of dread and heartbreak to showcase different flavors of horror and portions of the setting.
I never have very high hopes when it comes to a lot of these D&D or western issue-style comics; the pacing and flow often leaves something to be desired, as too often does the art. So when I say I came away from the reading of Orphan of Agony Isle, I was simply stunned by the beauty and the brilliance of it! The horror is felt, the heartbreak and despair is oozes in the pages, and the art--both inks and brilliant colors--really helps to hammer the horror home. (I'd also like to give a very special shoutout to the art of the short story "Making Friends in Falkovnia"--that art style is absolutely to die for.)
I do wish that this story had been given a proper Graphic Novel treatment--I think the pacing is fine for what it is, but a story like this benefits from room to breathe, which is not alloted to it by the tight constrictions of comic issue page limits. Especially given the nature of the horror on display--there is body horror, to be sure, but more than that, the moody gothic horror that permeates the story could have benefited more from slower pacing, especially some of the interactions between Miranda and Mordenheim, and the ending which seems a little abrupt for what it is.
My *real* gripe isn't about the story at all, but rather the marketing--or specifically, the lack thereof. I follow a lot of D&D's social media profiles rather closely; it is a signifcant hobby for me and has been for over a decade of my life. Ravenloft is a special interest of mine, and with the release of Van Richten's Guide a couple of years ago, the interest in Ravenloft as a property has been fairly high! But I never saw an ounce of advertisement or marketing for this comic. I found it on *accident* while looking up the Ravenloft miniatures on Amazon; never once on twitter, nor an article... It was just sort of. Thrust out there, Hope For The Best, and given how hard I've seen them push some of their Markedly Worse comic adaptations, I think it's a shame.
I want this comic to do well, both because I think it's a good comic, but also because I want to see more Ravenloft adaptations in the D&D media zeitgeist, especially more comics. If you're interested in short Frankenstein-esque stories of gothic horror, Ravenloft, or D&D comics as a whole, I think this little comic is more than worth your while.
Ravenloft is my all-time favorite D&D settings, and the 5e revival has been so thrilling. In particular, the new/revitalized character of Dr. Viktra Mordenheim in the land of Lamordia was an instant favorite, so when I found out that there existed a brand new comic book based around her and the setting, I was thrilled! I immediately sunk my teeth into the issues, and I waited for months for the tradeback to be released so I could read it again.
The story is split between a recurring, long-form A plot and four separate anthology-style B plot stories that do, eventually, relate back to the central plot, to not put too fine a point on it. The A plot is centered around Dr. Mordenheim and a mysterious, amnesia-riddled young girl she names Miranda; the B plots take place over the wider Ravenloft/Domains of Dread settings, each a spot of dread and heartbreak to showcase different flavors of horror and portions of the setting.
I never have very high hopes when it comes to a lot of these D&D or western issue-style comics; the pacing and flow often leaves something to be desired, as too often does the art. So when I say I came away from the reading of Orphan of Agony Isle, I was simply stunned by the beauty and the brilliance of it! The horror is felt, the heartbreak and despair is oozes in the pages, and the art--both inks and brilliant colors--really helps to hammer the horror home. (I'd also like to give a very special shoutout to the art of the short story "Making Friends in Falkovnia"--that art style is absolutely to die for.)
I do wish that this story had been given a proper Graphic Novel treatment--I think the pacing is fine for what it is, but a story like this benefits from room to breathe, which is not alloted to it by the tight constrictions of comic issue page limits. Especially given the nature of the horror on display--there is body horror, to be sure, but more than that, the moody gothic horror that permeates the story could have benefited more from slower pacing, especially some of the interactions between Miranda and Mordenheim, and the ending which seems a little abrupt for what it is.
My *real* gripe isn't about the story at all, but rather the marketing--or specifically, the lack thereof. I follow a lot of D&D's social media profiles rather closely; it is a signifcant hobby for me and has been for over a decade of my life. Ravenloft is a special interest of mine, and with the release of Van Richten's Guide a couple of years ago, the interest in Ravenloft as a property has been fairly high! But I never saw an ounce of advertisement or marketing for this comic. I found it on *accident* while looking up the Ravenloft miniatures on Amazon; never once on twitter, nor an article... It was just sort of. Thrust out there, Hope For The Best, and given how hard I've seen them push some of their Markedly Worse comic adaptations, I think it's a shame.
I want this comic to do well, both because I think it's a good comic, but also because I want to see more Ravenloft adaptations in the D&D media zeitgeist, especially more comics. If you're interested in short Frankenstein-esque stories of gothic horror, Ravenloft, or D&D comics as a whole, I think this little comic is more than worth your while.