Dungeons and Dragons: At the Spine of the World #1 // Review
IDW delves into the Forgotten Realms of Dungeons and Dragons with a new series set in the frigid wastes of Icewind Dale. A towering barbarian encounters the sole survivor of an expedition into one of the harshest climates imaginable and quickly finds her own life in danger as writers Aimee Garcia and AJ Mendez venture into a series set At the Spine of the World. Artist Marin Coccolo and colorist Katrina Mae Hao bring the frigid, snowy adventure to life on the page. The first issue's sweeping action feels well-established, but it lacks a bit of a sense of wonder that might accompany a sweeping adventure punctuated by great magic.
Amos wasn't part of the argument. He was busy at the time. He only really noticed the argument right before it became a brawl. The fact that this was happening in a blizzard in the middle of nowhere became kind of an issue when the brawl opened-up an avalanche that killed everyone...well, almost everyone. Amos survived. He wouldn't have made it much further than the remains of his party had it not been for the sudden appearance of Runa: a second level barbarian. Lucky for Amos, she's Lawful Good. She's happy to save his life, but when a monster rolls through, she might need a little help too.
Garcia and Mendez are sharp. The first issue moves from a snowy hellscape to a tiny village to mines deep in the mountains without feeling rushed. The dialogue is quick-witted and strikingly clever in places. Aside from Amos and Runa, there are three other characters introduced in the span of 20 pages. It's a kind of a big ensemble to all cram together into a single issue, but Garcia and Mendez manage to make each character distinct and interesting in his or her own way. There's a great diversity in the ensemble as well...1/3 of the ensemble isn't human. The other 2/3 of the cast are a pretty wide variation in personalities, which always makes for a fun trip into sword and sorcery fantasy.
Coccolo brings a sharply kinetic sense of action to the page. Attacks burst across the page in appealing angles. Each of the characters is granted an appealing personality. It's interesting to measure Runa against the stats on her character sheet on the "B" cover. A Charisma of 7? No... I'm sorry...not only is she really attractive in kind of a brutally nonchalant way, but she also carries herself with appealing confidence through every panel. Some of the atmosphere feels a bit flat, though. A lot is going on in the wintry hellscape, but the snowflakes in the foreground linger about the panels in precisely the way snowflakes don't. It doesn't exactly feel cold with no clouds of condensation coming out of the characters' mouths. While the action hits the page from interesting angles, the overall setting feels a bit flat as there are only a couple of establishing shots that give the world a sense of proportion. The wonder seems a bit lacking.
All background shortcomings aside, the central story of the six characters in question feels remarkably fun, and there's enough of a contrast between each and every one of the characters to feel genuinely appealing. The fact that Garcia, Mendez, and company are able to put together as much as they are in 20 pages is quite an accomplishment.
