Showing posts with label Val Semeiks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Val Semeiks. Show all posts

2011/02/19

D&D comics history part 22 - The Legend of Drizzt (DDP)

In 2005, DDP (Devil's Due Publishing), who just acquired the D&D license, started publishing comics based on Forgotten Realms settings : The legend of Drizzt.

Book I - VII (TPB) + Book VIII first issue covers
Based on the famous novels written by the even more famous R.A.Salvatore, the comics cover entirely the 2 first trilogies (Homeland, Exile, Sojourn / The Crystal Shard, Streams of Silver, The Halfling's Gem) and partially the third one (Legacy, Starless Night) depicting the adventures of the drow hero Drizzt Do'Urden.

Due to some extremely bad financial management, DDP has been known for not paying (in time or even at all...) the authors, accumulating a debt of thousands of bucks to the creators. The publisher being unable to fix the situation, WOTC (Hasbro) decided to cancel the agreement they had with DDP in 2008.
As a result, the story ended in the mainstream, after the first issue of book VIII (issue n°22) has been released.

This is a very sad money story (pleonasm ? :P) as DDP's D&D licensed comics are just amazing. Instead of creating new stories based on D&D universe, the authors decided to adapt the most famous D&D novels ever published. As well, they will start in 2006 the adaptation of the excellent Dragonlance Chronicles.
In addition, the artists chosen are more than great.

Andrew Dabb will be in charge of the whole serie's script.
Major artist is Tim Seeley who will work on books 1,2,3,6 and 7 (in collaboration with Rob Atkins on this last volume). Books 4 and 5 will be drawn by Val Semeiks and first issue of book 8 by Juanfran Moyano.

Book II Chapter III             Book IV Chapter I             Book VI Chapter II

The whole serie is really inspired by Tim Seeley's style, which is just excellent and perfectly fitting the settings. The drows and other creatures are beautiful imo - we re far from the 90's novels covers art - the inking too is just perfect.

Plus, a bunch of artists worked on the comics covers. And DDP were releasing 2 different covers for the same issue. (I didn t get all the single comics, unwilling to give away piles of bucks... prefering to buy the TPB versions - the A & B covers arts of each issue being included in the end pages)
Each book (or TPB tho) is a compilation of 3 issues (then called chapters).
Hardcover omnibus (assembling 3 books in 1 - so 9 issues) also exist.

Notice also that this D&D comics serie is the first one ever translated into french ! (that had to be said :P). The french publisher is Milady, which is also in charge of re-editing the Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance novels (with new translations and integral text, which was not the case with the previous releases)

This serie is a must-to-have for any Drizzt or Forgotten Realms addict...
And even for those who would have no idea about who is Drizzt or even what is D&D... if you like fantasy & comics, you ll like it.