Any good Fantasy out now?

[hoth rebel]

I'm looking for something like world of warcraft.
Thanks.

[WeirdSpace]

Forgotten Realms/Dragon Lance/Ravenloft series from IDW. So far I have enjoyed them. There was also a Dark Sun mini-series some years ago, but I found it boring.

[TotalSnorefest]

Maybe Autumnlands or possibly Birthright? I also love ODY-C but that's definitely more of a sci-fi thing.

If you can stand some super vague storytelling, From Under Mountains is a personal favourite - but it's not very accessible.

EDIT: you could also look into some of the Magnetic Press stuff, like Luminae or especially Brigada which releases soon. Feel like that might be pretty close to Warcraft?

[hoth rebel]

Forgotten Realms/Dragon Lance/Ravenloft series from IDW. So far I have enjoyed them. There was also a Dark Sun mini-series some years ago, but I found it boring.

Where should I start not knowing a thing about these?
The very beginning?
Have they been collected in tpb's.
Thanks.

[armlessphelan]

It's unfinished and possibly canceled, but Top Cow's Ravine (created, written, and drawn by Stjepan Sejic) is aces.

*edited to add that Ron Marz is scripting on the books.

[WeirdSpace]

Where should I start not knowing a thing about these?
The very beginning?
Have they been collected in tpb's.
Thanks.

I think everything but the current mini-series is collected in trades. The first Dragon Lance series was 16 issues (I think) so that will be in several trades. Otherwise you should be able to read the trades/mini-series without bothering with reading order.

[Mormegil]

I'm looking for something like world of warcraft.
Thanks.

I would agree that IDW's Dungeon and Dragons comics would be as close as you could get to Warcraft in comics. Two series that don't need any prior knowledge would be Legend of Drizzt Volume 1 or 2. With Drizzt you could actually start with volume 1 or 2 and be fine with either.

Volume 1 is an origin story for the character and a good chunk of the book takes place underground. Volume 2 is much more standard fantasy and you might want to read that one first. These comics are based on novels and the volume 2 novels were written first and then the author went back and did the origin story.

A newer series would be Baldur's Gate by Jim Zub. As far as i know that only has 1 TP out right now.

He also has a Pathfinder series out that is very similar to Dungeons and Dragons. And a violent/comedy series called Skullkickers that i really like, but it gets some mixed reviews so take that as you will.

[hoth rebel]

Thanks folks.
I will check into those.

[codystarbuck]

You mean aside from Trump's campaign?

[alton]

You mean aside from Trump's campaign?

Now you're talking horror not fantasy. Get your genres straight already! I was trying to behave and not comment but you sucked me back in. Dammit!

[alton]

I'm looking for something like world of warcraft.
Thanks.

I second the previous suggestiion of Pathfinder. I don't even game but some of the best in comic fantasy I've found spin directly off the gaming storylines. Check out Vol.1 and the mini Pathfinder Goblins. There are at least 3 Vols. in trade already at decent prices. Not in the World of Warcraft vein but Jet City comics just did Muirwood The Lost Abbey which I thought was very good and I'm hoping for more. Jet City seems to be building a roster adapted from existing web or book series. Also Boom Studios recent Elric with a Moorcock approved new story not a reprint. This is in trade I believe. Don't forget the recent trade release of the original 70's Weirdworld not the current title from Marvel. Last but not least Dark Horses' adaptations of Solomon Kane which are more horror than Fantasy but manage to mix elements of both. They did a great job expanding on some unfinished Howard as well as original spins.Enjoy!

[codystarbuck]

There's also Walt Simonson's Ragnarok, which is mythological fantasy.

If you want to try some past stuff, check out Mike Grell's Warlord, which is excellent stuff, mostly in the vein of Edgar Rice Burroughs. There's a bit of Moorccock in there, too. P. Craig Russells opera adaptations are filled with fantasy stories, as were the operas themselves. He and Michael T Gilbert also produced some great Elric adaptations, at Epic, Pacific, and First, as well as DC. Howard Chaykin and Mike Mignola did a great Fafhrd and Gray Mouser adaptation, for Epic, which was collected by Dark Horse. It captures Leiber's stories well. Chayin and Denny O'Neil (as well as Walt Simonson and Jim Starlin) adapted some of the stories earlier, at DC, in Sword & Sorcery. Those have not been collected.

Also try Thorgal, a French fantasy series, reprinted in English by Cinebook. It had been previously published by NBM, though Cinebook has more volumes available. NBM also previously published The Mercenary, by Spanish artist Vincent Segrelles (some were published in Heavy Metal).

You can't beat Fantagraphics Prince Valiant reprints, for Arthurian fantasy. The first decade is breathtaking.

[MRP]

Have you read the actual World of Warcraft comics and graphic novels put out by Wildstorm/DC...?



there was a 25 issue series that ran from 2008-2010 the aforementioned Walt Simonson contributed to some of these)

a 4 issue Ashbringer mini series

a five issue Curse of Worgen mini series

(all the above is collected in trades too)

a couple of OGN such as Bloodsworn...(circa 2013/2014)



and...

Dark Riders
Pearl of Panderia and a few others I think


as well as a Warcraft manga from Tokyopop


I can't speak to the quality of them (I checked out a few because of Simonosn and my wife read a bit of the manga, but for the most part I haven't read this stuff, but if you are looking for Warcraft like-stuff, you might as well start with the Warcraft based comics if you haven't read them already. Personally I prefer the stuff codystarbuck recommended, but I am not a huge fan of Warcraft to begin with, so tastes will vary.

-M

[Cap10nate]

It's not a new publication, but I just finished reading Busiek's run on Conan the Barbarian with Cary Nord on art. It was very engaging and now I am going back and reading the old Savage Sword of Conan books that Thomas wrote back in the 70s I believe.

[codystarbuck]

It's not a new publication, but I just finished reading Busiek's run on Conan the Barbarian with Cary Nord on art. It was very engaging and now I am going back and reading the old Savage Sword of Conan books that Thomas wrote back in the 70s I believe.

Mostly, yeah. The Savage Sword stuff (the B & W magazine) got away with more than the regular Conan series, since it competed with Warren, rather than Superman. Lot of great stuff from some less heralded artists, especially the Filipino artists.

Frank Thorne's Ghita of Alizarr is an interesting take on the barbarian genre, showing how Red Sonja might have been, if he had been unrestrained, at Marvel.

You might also check out some of Gold Key's old fantasy series. The art is a bit more restrained, though not all of it. They had Brothers of the Spear, Dagar, Turock, Son of Stone, Tragg and the Sky Gods and Mighty Samson. Dagar was more pure fantasy, while Brothers of the Spear was adventure, set in Africa. Tragg mixed prehistoric humans and aliens. Turok was a lost world series, with a pair of Native Americans, fighting dinosaurs and cave men. Mighty Samson was a post-apocalyptic world, with art from Frank Thorne, Jack Sparling, Jose Delbo, and Jack Abel. Dagar is my second favorite, of those books, after Turock. Turock was more imaginative; but, Dagar was more pure fantasy adventure, along the lines of Burroughs and RE Howard. Turock was aided by having writing from the great Gaylord Dubois, though Dagar and Tragg featured writing from Donald F Glut (who wrote the Empire Strikes Back novelization, episodes of Land of the lost, Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle; Transformers, GI Joe, Super Powers: Galactic Guardians. He also wrote some Kull and Solomon Kane stories at Marvel and some stuff for Warren).

Warren has some good fantasy, in Creepy and Eerie, from time to time.

Also, there is Heavy Metal, with stuff like Arzach, Richard Corben's Den, and many others.