Written by: Mark Plemmons
Penciled and Plotted by: Brendon & Brian Fraim
Inked by: Brendon & Brian Fraim
Colored by: N/A
Lettered by: Brendon & Brian Fraim
Editors: Brian Jelke
Publisher: Kenzer And Company
I really wish that this title were regulated to bi-monthly status instead of its’ sister book, Everknights. Sadly, with Everknights’ writer Tony DiGerolamo's busy schedule writing comic reviews for “Knights Of The Dinner Table Magazine” as well as his own comic “Travelers” (and a whole lot more besides, I found out after reading his website), that seems unlikely for the moment. A real shame, because this was one of my favorite titles. At least, it was before it tried to add in some drama that was as out of place and ultimately as unwelcome as Sammy Davis Jr. at a Klan meeting.
What’s funny is that last month’s issue, centering on a “Dwarf’s Night Out”, as two of our protagonists (the mage Teflon Billy and the master thief Knuckles) went out for a night of drinking and wenching, was nearly perfect and easily captured the attitude of the early, funnier books. This issue centers upon our heroes finding a magic wishing pool as they are in pursuit of the villains and is based around a plot twist that has been overdone everywhere, especially in comics (give you a hint… think Newhart and Dallas). Most of the humor in this issue comes from forced smile jokes and stale one-liners, delivered as the serious plot unfolds.
And I feel conflicted on the plot. On the one hand, I’m glad to see that for once the tired old “it was all a dream” device is limited to one issue and was not used to string the readers out over a couple of issues. On the other hand, since the “dream” in this case involves bringing back the character whose death caused the more serious plots and lack of humor that I find so infuriating, I feel cheated that a good, logical way to bring her back from the dead in terms of the dynamics of this world was found and then we’re told “Whoops, sorry… she’s still dead and we’re still chasing after the bad guys!”
At least the artwork by Brendon & Brian Fraim is still up to its usual high quality. All the characters are easily distinguishable from one another and the sense of visual storytelling is great. Sadly, great artwork can never cover up a dull story. And while everything LOOKS exciting and wonderful, the whole thing feels a bit flat and lifeless.
Showing posts with label KODT Illustrated. Show all posts
Showing posts with label KODT Illustrated. Show all posts
Thursday, April 29, 2004
Monday, December 8, 2003
Knights Of The Dinner Table Illustrated #29 - A Review
Written by: Mark Plemmons
Penciled and Plotted by: Brendon & Brian Fraim
Inked by: Brendon & Brian Fraim
Colored by: N/A
Lettered by: Brendon & Brian Fraim
Editors: Brian Jelke & Eric Engelhard
Publisher: Kenzer And Company
Scene: Exterior, Day. A high cliff, before a vast cave in the mountains. A party of adventurers find a caged-man outside the cave, screaming about the monsters inside the cave who will eat him if he is not let free. The party leader, a warrior of high virtue, asks the party rogue to silence the caged-man before their advantage of surprise is given away. The rogue smugly replies “Your wish is my consideration,” before breaking the lock of the cage with a skillfully thrown dagger. The man jumps from the cage, cheering at his new found freedom before sadly loosing his balance and rolling off the cliff-side with an “AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGH!” The rogue, hands in his pockets, turns to the warrior and asks “Was that my fault?”
The scene above is taken from Where Shadows Fall #3; an officially endorsed Dungeons and Dragons comic released this week from Kenzer And Company, who in addition to making a number or role-playing modules and humorous games (they were responsible for the Monty Python card game “Taunt You A Second Time” a few years ago) publish the entire line of Knights of the Dinner Table comics. I make mention of this fact, because another comic they published this week was Knights of the Dinner Table Illustrated #29 and “Shadows”, despite being a serious story about adventurers trying to rescue a kidnapped woman who is not quite so unwitting a captive as her father thinks, has a lot more laughs than the comedic “Illustrated.”
The plot here is pretty dull stuff. The new Untouchable Trio Plus One (The Plus One in this case being the female warrior Thornia) has been separated, with Knuckles the Thief, Teflon Billy the Mage and Thornia going off into the mountains on a quest to recover the King’s stolen crown. El Ravager, the party muscle and heart, if not the brains (“Dude, where’s my sword?”) stays behind to act as personal bodyguard to the Princess Willow, after saving her from a gnoll attack; a task he must repeat as the issue opens. But things are, as always, not what they seem… and when the rest of the “Trio” find themselves trapped in a cave with trolls on one side, a poisonous fog on the other and lava very quickly surrounding them all, they can only conclude that they were sent into a trap.
I commented some months back about how this book had been taking a more serious turn and how a lot of the comedy was slowly disappearing from the book. I thought this had been corrected in recent months when, for the two issues following the show-stopping Issue #25, the book followed the exploits of The Black Hands.
The Black Hands are a slightly less-honorable group of adventurers than the usual heroes of the book; The Untouchable Trio Plus One. The Trio (Knuckles the Thief, Teflon Billy the Mage and El Ravager the Fighter) may be a group of uncouth morons who kill first and don’t bother to ask questions later but they do have a severe sense of loyalty to each other. The Black Hands, by contrast, hold loyalty only to their individual selves and see the rest of their party as one more sucker to fleece. Indeed, Issue #27 was purely about how Rasputin the Assassin kept finding reasons to kill the newest additions to the party and then loot the bodies for fun and profit.
Darn amusing stuff and all the more missed after reading this dull issue where the funniest scene involves El Ravager’s reasons for not drawing his sword while fighting the gnolls- he used his sword as a knife when preparing a jelly sandwich and didn’t clean it before sheathing the blade.
The art, by Brandon & Brian Fraim (who also plotted this issue in addition to doing the cover) is still up to the usual high standard. They have a sense of visual storytelling that is among the best in the business and a definite sense of motion to every panel. It only becomes dull when you read the dialogue.
Penciled and Plotted by: Brendon & Brian Fraim
Inked by: Brendon & Brian Fraim
Colored by: N/A
Lettered by: Brendon & Brian Fraim
Editors: Brian Jelke & Eric Engelhard
Publisher: Kenzer And Company
Scene: Exterior, Day. A high cliff, before a vast cave in the mountains. A party of adventurers find a caged-man outside the cave, screaming about the monsters inside the cave who will eat him if he is not let free. The party leader, a warrior of high virtue, asks the party rogue to silence the caged-man before their advantage of surprise is given away. The rogue smugly replies “Your wish is my consideration,” before breaking the lock of the cage with a skillfully thrown dagger. The man jumps from the cage, cheering at his new found freedom before sadly loosing his balance and rolling off the cliff-side with an “AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGH!” The rogue, hands in his pockets, turns to the warrior and asks “Was that my fault?”
The scene above is taken from Where Shadows Fall #3; an officially endorsed Dungeons and Dragons comic released this week from Kenzer And Company, who in addition to making a number or role-playing modules and humorous games (they were responsible for the Monty Python card game “Taunt You A Second Time” a few years ago) publish the entire line of Knights of the Dinner Table comics. I make mention of this fact, because another comic they published this week was Knights of the Dinner Table Illustrated #29 and “Shadows”, despite being a serious story about adventurers trying to rescue a kidnapped woman who is not quite so unwitting a captive as her father thinks, has a lot more laughs than the comedic “Illustrated.”
The plot here is pretty dull stuff. The new Untouchable Trio Plus One (The Plus One in this case being the female warrior Thornia) has been separated, with Knuckles the Thief, Teflon Billy the Mage and Thornia going off into the mountains on a quest to recover the King’s stolen crown. El Ravager, the party muscle and heart, if not the brains (“Dude, where’s my sword?”) stays behind to act as personal bodyguard to the Princess Willow, after saving her from a gnoll attack; a task he must repeat as the issue opens. But things are, as always, not what they seem… and when the rest of the “Trio” find themselves trapped in a cave with trolls on one side, a poisonous fog on the other and lava very quickly surrounding them all, they can only conclude that they were sent into a trap.
I commented some months back about how this book had been taking a more serious turn and how a lot of the comedy was slowly disappearing from the book. I thought this had been corrected in recent months when, for the two issues following the show-stopping Issue #25, the book followed the exploits of The Black Hands.
The Black Hands are a slightly less-honorable group of adventurers than the usual heroes of the book; The Untouchable Trio Plus One. The Trio (Knuckles the Thief, Teflon Billy the Mage and El Ravager the Fighter) may be a group of uncouth morons who kill first and don’t bother to ask questions later but they do have a severe sense of loyalty to each other. The Black Hands, by contrast, hold loyalty only to their individual selves and see the rest of their party as one more sucker to fleece. Indeed, Issue #27 was purely about how Rasputin the Assassin kept finding reasons to kill the newest additions to the party and then loot the bodies for fun and profit.
Darn amusing stuff and all the more missed after reading this dull issue where the funniest scene involves El Ravager’s reasons for not drawing his sword while fighting the gnolls- he used his sword as a knife when preparing a jelly sandwich and didn’t clean it before sheathing the blade.
The art, by Brandon & Brian Fraim (who also plotted this issue in addition to doing the cover) is still up to the usual high standard. They have a sense of visual storytelling that is among the best in the business and a definite sense of motion to every panel. It only becomes dull when you read the dialogue.
Thursday, August 21, 2003
Knights Of The Dinner Table Illustrated #25 - A Review
Written by: Mark Plemmons
Penciled by: Brendon & Brian Fraim
Inked by: Brendon & Brian Fraim
Colored by: N/A
Lettered by: Brendon & Brian Fraim
Editors: Brian Jelke & Eric Engelhard
Publisher: Kenzer And Company
It seems like the same complaints keep coming up over and over as I’ve read this title these past few months. What was once a laugh-out-loud parody of fantasy role-playing and the traditional sword and sorcery comic book had become weighted down by a serious plot and an attempt to create a unifying continuity between various events in the book’s past.
And now, in this issue… it all comes together. And even as things reach the pinnacle of months of plot threads being woven together, this issue somehow manages two tricks that it has often failed in previous recent issues. First, this issue is actually accessible to new readers. Second, it is funny as all get out.
In a way it reminds a bit of Sojourn #25, which also came out this week. I’m not a regular reader of Sojourn, but the bargain hunter in me can’t resist a one-dollar comic. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the issue, despite obviously being a ending to something very big, was very easy to get into despite not having my beloved “Previously on…” page. The same can be said of KILL, which doesn’t give any background into the on-going story of this issue besides a summary of our four main characters. And even these summaries are tinged with humor, the profile of female fighter Thornia saying that there is no information about her because she just joined the book as a woman of mystery. All you need to know is “she’s human, she’s female and she’s been imprisoned by a secret society that has been manipulating the Untouchable Trio” for years.”
That does, in essence, sum up the revelation the last few months have been devoted to. This is to say, that a group of adventurers known as the Untouchable Trio (fighter El Ravenger, thief Knuckles and wizard Teflon Billy) have become the victims of a society, formed up of people the Trio have wronged in some way. This society includes a princess they rescued who was given less than royal treatment and the best friend of a randomly slain peasant. The society has been moving the trio around the world, using their innate ability to cause random destruction to further their own goals of world domination and the Trio’s eventual destruction.
All of this is conveyed in one pictorial panel by Thornia, who was freed by the society in order to lure the Trio into a trap-filled dungeon. Naturally, the Trio are ready to call forth bloody vengeance but due to a lack of magic in the world thanks to the alignment of the moons, they are not operating at full power… until Teflon Billy reveals some unusual and humorous uses for livestock.
No. Not that. You should be ashamed of yourself for even thinking it.
The art is still gorgeous as ever, and the black and white style really does suit the book well. While this book isn’t one that you typically buy purely for the artwork, the Fraim Brothers (at least I assume they are brothers and not friends with the same last name) can easily stand aside Greg Land in terms of being able to draw a fantastic fantasy scape and manage the trick of being as detail-oriented as Bryan Hitch without being quite as dirty (and managing to maintain a monthly schedule to boot!
So to everyone at Kenzer and Company, please accept my apologies for my less than faithful remarks the past few months. I am glad to say to say that things are as funny as ever again, that the plot actually helps the humor this time around and that I am really looking forward to next month’s issue. Hopefully I’ll have a few more friends reading with me next time.
Penciled by: Brendon & Brian Fraim
Inked by: Brendon & Brian Fraim
Colored by: N/A
Lettered by: Brendon & Brian Fraim
Editors: Brian Jelke & Eric Engelhard
Publisher: Kenzer And Company
It seems like the same complaints keep coming up over and over as I’ve read this title these past few months. What was once a laugh-out-loud parody of fantasy role-playing and the traditional sword and sorcery comic book had become weighted down by a serious plot and an attempt to create a unifying continuity between various events in the book’s past.
And now, in this issue… it all comes together. And even as things reach the pinnacle of months of plot threads being woven together, this issue somehow manages two tricks that it has often failed in previous recent issues. First, this issue is actually accessible to new readers. Second, it is funny as all get out.
In a way it reminds a bit of Sojourn #25, which also came out this week. I’m not a regular reader of Sojourn, but the bargain hunter in me can’t resist a one-dollar comic. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the issue, despite obviously being a ending to something very big, was very easy to get into despite not having my beloved “Previously on…” page. The same can be said of KILL, which doesn’t give any background into the on-going story of this issue besides a summary of our four main characters. And even these summaries are tinged with humor, the profile of female fighter Thornia saying that there is no information about her because she just joined the book as a woman of mystery. All you need to know is “she’s human, she’s female and she’s been imprisoned by a secret society that has been manipulating the Untouchable Trio” for years.”
That does, in essence, sum up the revelation the last few months have been devoted to. This is to say, that a group of adventurers known as the Untouchable Trio (fighter El Ravenger, thief Knuckles and wizard Teflon Billy) have become the victims of a society, formed up of people the Trio have wronged in some way. This society includes a princess they rescued who was given less than royal treatment and the best friend of a randomly slain peasant. The society has been moving the trio around the world, using their innate ability to cause random destruction to further their own goals of world domination and the Trio’s eventual destruction.
All of this is conveyed in one pictorial panel by Thornia, who was freed by the society in order to lure the Trio into a trap-filled dungeon. Naturally, the Trio are ready to call forth bloody vengeance but due to a lack of magic in the world thanks to the alignment of the moons, they are not operating at full power… until Teflon Billy reveals some unusual and humorous uses for livestock.
No. Not that. You should be ashamed of yourself for even thinking it.
The art is still gorgeous as ever, and the black and white style really does suit the book well. While this book isn’t one that you typically buy purely for the artwork, the Fraim Brothers (at least I assume they are brothers and not friends with the same last name) can easily stand aside Greg Land in terms of being able to draw a fantastic fantasy scape and manage the trick of being as detail-oriented as Bryan Hitch without being quite as dirty (and managing to maintain a monthly schedule to boot!
So to everyone at Kenzer and Company, please accept my apologies for my less than faithful remarks the past few months. I am glad to say to say that things are as funny as ever again, that the plot actually helps the humor this time around and that I am really looking forward to next month’s issue. Hopefully I’ll have a few more friends reading with me next time.
Thursday, June 26, 2003
Knights Of The Dinner Table Illustrated #23 - A Review
Written by: Mark Plemmons
Penciled by: Brendon & Brian Fraim
Inked by: Brendon & Brian Fraim
Colored by: N/A
Lettered by: Brendon & Brian Fraim
Editors: Brian Jelke & Eric Engelhard
Publisher: Kenzer And Company
Two months ago in a previous review, I complained that this title was becoming too hampered with an on-going plot and that the humor was starting to fall to the wayside as an effort was made to tie together the various random unconnected events of the first few issues. After this issue, I have to wonder if any but the most marginal attempts are being made to include humor in this title at all.
The basic conceit of “KILL” is that most of the “Knight: Illustrated” comics are “live” depictions of the events of the role-playing games played in “Knights of the Dinner Table”. This was quite enjoyable in the early issues when new details were added into the KILL issues through the art and dialogue. For example, consider the now famous story where the “Knights RPG group destroy a gazebo, thinking it to be some kind of monster based on the game-master’s description. This is changed to a group of adventurers destroying a gazebo after seeing a sign that says “this way to the gazebo”, noting the statues surrounding it, concluding the gazebo must be some kind of monster and “wasting it”. But lately, it seems like the past stories are being converted into new issues of KILL, but with all of the funny bits being pushed aside to make room for exposition.
After the first few issues where the greatest moments of KODT were recreated with a few new twists, things changed. We were introduced to a secret society made up of various people who had been wronged by our heroes, The Untouchable Trio, and were dedicating themselves to destroying the adventurers after using them to accomplish their own dastardly ends. We have seen this group operating for several issues now, seen the dissension within their ranks… but they just aren’t as interesting or as funny as the general mayhem caused by the Trio on their own. And the revelation that they have been secretly manipulated by this society kills a lot of the humor from the idea that these “heroes” randomly stumble into things and cause trouble.
This wouldn’t be too bad if the drama caused by this society were as engaging as the humor. Sadly, this book is very inaccessible. Sure, the four main characters are briefly introduced on the main page… but nothing is made to introduce Lord Gilead, his motivations for wanting to destroy the Untouchable Trio and what the secret society has that could buy his cooperation in letting the Trio loose from his dungeons. There’s not even so much as a footnote to explain things… like writer Mark Plemmons has just assumed that this book has no new readers or that anybody who is reading this book has already read the original KODT books upon which this story is based.
Thankfully the art is still up to snuff, but it’s not enough to save this book. When the plot is dull the exposition nonexistent and the humor absent, not even the widest of wild-eyed humorously panicked faces can help to move things along. Still, it is obvious that the book is building towards something big… but a book like this is not read for the action and plot. It is read for the laughs. And right now, I don’t see anything worth laughing at.
Penciled by: Brendon & Brian Fraim
Inked by: Brendon & Brian Fraim
Colored by: N/A
Lettered by: Brendon & Brian Fraim
Editors: Brian Jelke & Eric Engelhard
Publisher: Kenzer And Company
Two months ago in a previous review, I complained that this title was becoming too hampered with an on-going plot and that the humor was starting to fall to the wayside as an effort was made to tie together the various random unconnected events of the first few issues. After this issue, I have to wonder if any but the most marginal attempts are being made to include humor in this title at all.
The basic conceit of “KILL” is that most of the “Knight: Illustrated” comics are “live” depictions of the events of the role-playing games played in “Knights of the Dinner Table”. This was quite enjoyable in the early issues when new details were added into the KILL issues through the art and dialogue. For example, consider the now famous story where the “Knights RPG group destroy a gazebo, thinking it to be some kind of monster based on the game-master’s description. This is changed to a group of adventurers destroying a gazebo after seeing a sign that says “this way to the gazebo”, noting the statues surrounding it, concluding the gazebo must be some kind of monster and “wasting it”. But lately, it seems like the past stories are being converted into new issues of KILL, but with all of the funny bits being pushed aside to make room for exposition.
After the first few issues where the greatest moments of KODT were recreated with a few new twists, things changed. We were introduced to a secret society made up of various people who had been wronged by our heroes, The Untouchable Trio, and were dedicating themselves to destroying the adventurers after using them to accomplish their own dastardly ends. We have seen this group operating for several issues now, seen the dissension within their ranks… but they just aren’t as interesting or as funny as the general mayhem caused by the Trio on their own. And the revelation that they have been secretly manipulated by this society kills a lot of the humor from the idea that these “heroes” randomly stumble into things and cause trouble.
This wouldn’t be too bad if the drama caused by this society were as engaging as the humor. Sadly, this book is very inaccessible. Sure, the four main characters are briefly introduced on the main page… but nothing is made to introduce Lord Gilead, his motivations for wanting to destroy the Untouchable Trio and what the secret society has that could buy his cooperation in letting the Trio loose from his dungeons. There’s not even so much as a footnote to explain things… like writer Mark Plemmons has just assumed that this book has no new readers or that anybody who is reading this book has already read the original KODT books upon which this story is based.
Thankfully the art is still up to snuff, but it’s not enough to save this book. When the plot is dull the exposition nonexistent and the humor absent, not even the widest of wild-eyed humorously panicked faces can help to move things along. Still, it is obvious that the book is building towards something big… but a book like this is not read for the action and plot. It is read for the laughs. And right now, I don’t see anything worth laughing at.
Monday, May 5, 2003
Knights Of The Dinner Table Illustrated #21 - A Review
Written by: Mark Plemmons
Penciled by: Brendon & Brian Fraim
Inked by: Brendon & Brian Fraim
Colored by: N/A
Lettered by: Brendon & Brian Fraim
Editor: Brian Jelke & Eric Engelhard
Publisher: Kenzer And Company
Okay. So you’ve heard of Knights of The Dinner Table, the comic about the inherit humor of roleplaying, right? So how does Knights of the Dinner Table Illustrated (also known as K.ILL.) differ from K.O.D.T, you ask? Surely both books are illustrated, being comic books, right?
Yes, they are. The difference is that while K.O.D.T. shows ordinary people sitting around the table acting out their adventures, KILL actually shows the game characters as if they were real crossbow-shooting, fireball tossing adventurers. The artwork by Brendon & Brian Fraim does a good job of depicting the high fantasy adventure in glorious black and white, while still being cartoony enough to express the few humorous moments.
Did I just say few humorous moments? I’m afraid so. For while KODT and KILL usually put the comic in “comic books”, the last few issues (and this one in particular) have been hampered with plot details, exposition and past issue references. Too much time has been spent discussing the machinations of a secret society, the revelation of how they have been using the adventuring party of The Untouchable Trio Plus One for their own means and their killing of the party’s most level headed member Zayre. To say nothing of mystery woman Thornia, held by the same society, and now apparently a pawn of the Society to avenge themselves upon the rest of the Trio.
Confused? I’m not surprised. In all honesty, I can’t recommend this issue as one to check out. I can highly recommend the book, however and would advise any fans of fantasy or fantasy parody to take a look at this. You might want to wait until next month or look for the KILL: Overkill Trade Paperback, but this book is typically one of the highlights of my month.
Penciled by: Brendon & Brian Fraim
Inked by: Brendon & Brian Fraim
Colored by: N/A
Lettered by: Brendon & Brian Fraim
Editor: Brian Jelke & Eric Engelhard
Publisher: Kenzer And Company
Okay. So you’ve heard of Knights of The Dinner Table, the comic about the inherit humor of roleplaying, right? So how does Knights of the Dinner Table Illustrated (also known as K.ILL.) differ from K.O.D.T, you ask? Surely both books are illustrated, being comic books, right?
Yes, they are. The difference is that while K.O.D.T. shows ordinary people sitting around the table acting out their adventures, KILL actually shows the game characters as if they were real crossbow-shooting, fireball tossing adventurers. The artwork by Brendon & Brian Fraim does a good job of depicting the high fantasy adventure in glorious black and white, while still being cartoony enough to express the few humorous moments.
Did I just say few humorous moments? I’m afraid so. For while KODT and KILL usually put the comic in “comic books”, the last few issues (and this one in particular) have been hampered with plot details, exposition and past issue references. Too much time has been spent discussing the machinations of a secret society, the revelation of how they have been using the adventuring party of The Untouchable Trio Plus One for their own means and their killing of the party’s most level headed member Zayre. To say nothing of mystery woman Thornia, held by the same society, and now apparently a pawn of the Society to avenge themselves upon the rest of the Trio.
Confused? I’m not surprised. In all honesty, I can’t recommend this issue as one to check out. I can highly recommend the book, however and would advise any fans of fantasy or fantasy parody to take a look at this. You might want to wait until next month or look for the KILL: Overkill Trade Paperback, but this book is typically one of the highlights of my month.
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