Welcome to the Wellington Comic Lover’s (WCL) Guide, where we take you through the Wellington City Libraries’ comic collection. This post collects all the comics we have inspired by the premiere tabletop roleplaying game, Dungeons & Dragons!
(via GIPHY)
What Dungeons & Dragons comics are there?
Dungeons & Dragons has inspired many comics since the tabletop gaming renaissance of the 2010s. In addition to the official comics licensed by Wizards of the Coast, D&D has crossed over into other comic franchises, and “actual play” podcasts like The Adventure Zone and Critical Role have started adapting their in-game storylines into graphic novels.
If you were looking for sourcebooks and manuals to run your own campaigns, check out J’Shuall of Jackanapery’s recent post on our Dungeons & Dragons collection here!
Official Dungeons and Dragons comics
These are the official licensed Dungeons & Dragons comics we have, based on the Pathfinder system and Forgotten Realms setting.
Forgotten realms. Cutter / Salvatore, R. A.
Pathfinder. Volume one, Dark waters rising / Zubkavich, Jim
Dungeons & dragons. Infernal tides (only on Libby)
Dungeons and Dragons and Television
Dungeons & Dragons has crossed over into comic-book tie-ins of TV shows, notably Stranger Things and Rick and Morty.
Stranger things and Dungeons & Dragons / Houser, Jody
(also on Libby)
Stranger things : Erica the great / Lore, Danny
Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons and Dragons (only on Libby)
The Adventure Zone
Artist Carey Pietsch adapts the McElroy-starring live-play podcast The Adventure Zone into graphic novels, starting with the ‘Balance’ arc. The storyline follows impulsive fighter Magnus, vainglorious wizard Taako, and grumbling monk Merle as they collect magical artifacts for a secret organization called The Bureau of Balance.
The Adventure Zone [1] : here there be gerblins / McElroy, Clint (also on Libby)
The Adventure Zone [2] : murder on the Rockport Limited / McElroy, Clint (also on Libby)
The Adventure Zone [3] : petals to the metal / McElroy, Clint (also on Libby)
The Adventure Zone. 4, The crystal kingdom / McElroy, Clint
The Adventure Zone [5] : the eleventh hour / McElroy, Clint
Critical Role
Critical Role, the acclaimed live-play podcast helmed by GM Matt Mercer and a troupe of voice actors, has been adapted into comics, starting with their first campaign Vox Machina.
Critical Role – Vox Machina
Critical role : Vox Machina origins [1] / Colville, Matthew
Critical role : Vox Machina origins [2] / Mercer, Matthew
Critical role : Vox Machina origins [3] / Houser, Jody
Vox machina : kith & kin / Nijkamp, Marieke
Critical Role – Mighty Nein
Critical role : the Mighty Nein origins. Volume one
The Chronicles of Exandria : the Mighty Nein
Critical role : the Mighty Nein origins : Fjord Stone / Burke, Kevin
Critical role : Mighty Nein origins : Mollymauk Tealeaf / Houser, Jody
In addition to the comics, there are also Critical Role books about the settings, lore and history of the campaign.
The world of Critical Role : the history behind the epic fantasy / Marsham, Liz
The tales of Exandria : the Bright Queen / Poelgeest, Darcy van
DIE – a comic turned TTRPG
A darker take on the typical D&D story, DIE follows five forty-somethings who return to the tabletop fantasy world they were trapped in as teenagers. Created by Kieron Gillen (Young Avengers, The Wicked & The Divine) and artist Stephanie Hans (Angela: Asgard’s Assassin), DIE was later adapted into its own tabletop RPG.
Die. Volume 1, Fantasy heartbreaker / Gillen, Kieron (also on Libby)
Die. Volume 2, Split the party / Gillen, Kieron (also on Libby)
Die. Volume 3, The great game / Gillen, Kieron
Die. Volume 4, Bleed / Gillen, Kieron (also on Libby)
The entire DIE series is also collected in one volume as Die. [Book 1].
More tabletop gaming-themed comics
Roll for initiative / Walls, Jasmine – On the eve of their college graduation, a group of friends try to complete their unfinished campaign.
D&D Dungeon Club [1] : roll call / Ostertag, Molly – The friendship between two D&D players is tested when they open their two-person campaign to other players.
Modern fantasy [1] / Roberts, Rafer – D&D meets office culture in this comedy series drawn by Henchgirl artist Kristen Gudsnuk.
Rise of the dungeon master : Gary Gygax and the creation of D&D / Kushner, David – A biography comic about the creator of Dungeons & Dragons, Gary Gygax.
D&D inspired zines
We also have zines inspired by Dungeons & Dragons in the catalogue by local artists, including Hicksville artist Dylan Horrocks.
Darkest dungeons / Horrocks, Dylan
Choose your own D&D character. Vol. I, Class / Fey
Comics that ARE roleplaying games
We’ve covered comics based on roleplaying games, but what about a comic that is a roleplaying game? In You Are Deadpool, you play through the comic as the Merc with a Mouth, your journey through the story determined by your dice rolls.