Dragonlance - Chronicles Volume 1: Dragons Of Autumn Twilight [Paperback]

I share the opinion with many others that the Chronicles Trilogy is the defining fantasy event of the 1980's, and as such, I set about to read Devil's Due Publishing's new comic adaptation with more than a little anxiety. Does it live up to Weis and Hickman's original? Could it possibly?

Thankfully, as I sat down to read it I was able to convince myself that it couldn't possibly live up to the novel, simply due to format. A 192 page graphic novel cannot possibly contain the depth of the 400-some-odd page book. It is an impossibility. There simply isn't enough space for the trade to cover everything adequately. This realization led me to understand that I needed to approach the comic as something else entirely, as an alternate presentation of the same story rather than the exact same story. This should be your mindset as you sit down to read the comic adaptation, as the story will be enriched because of it.

Does it live up to Weis and Hickman's novel? In depth of character, no. In depth of story, no. But (I think) most importantly, does it live up to it in spirit? Absolutely.

I was thrilled to see that the spirit of the novels, the heart of the tale and the characters, remained intact. While neither the story or the characters contain the depth of the original, the adventure is still there, as is the wit, the camaraderie, and most importantly, the excitement. Chronicles was the fantasy event of the 80's, not because of stellar penmanship (although it was good), but because it is one of the most engaging reads in modern fantasy. Chronicles is a blast to experience, and so is this comic. It was fun to see all of my old favorites on the page together. I smiled as Flint dives into the water while running from the goblin horde outside Solace, I laughed when Fizban blasts their cage open with a fireball, was touched when Riverwind was brought into the temple a charred and dying mess, and was exhilarated with every word that escaped Raistlin's lips. The spirit of the tale can be felt on each and every page, and that's why it's worthy of your money.

As for the art, my only complaint is lack of consistency. Some panels look beautiful while others look rushed. I was simultaneously in awe of Raistlin's haggard appearance, and equally disgusted by the fact that he looked 100 years old in some frames. Admittedly, this actually makes a little sense considering his character, as the characters in the novels are at the same time in awe of and disgusted by him, but the inconsistencies can be said about the other characters as well. Don't get me wrong, more often than not they are painted beautifully, but there are times when certain characters look a little off. A small complaint, at best.

All in all, the adaptation is about as good as one could expect. Novel-to-comic transfers usually never work as well as one would like, but DDP did an admirable job with this, much better than their Dark Elf Trilogy. If you were a fan of Chronicles, I highly recommend this trade. It's a quick read, one that will have you turning the pages as quickly as you did with the novel. I don't think it's a worthy substitute for the books, but as a supplement, it's wonderful.

In the comic book world it is mostly superpowered characters in tights fighting the forces of evil, but now DDP gives us a breath of fresh air with Dragonlance Chronicles being adapted to comic book form. I really felt attached to the characters, and found it hard to put down. If you like fantasy, you'll like this book.

The companions faced perilous challenges like Verminaard or Ember in this Dragons of Autumn Twilight, but this adaptation also faced several difficult challenges.

First, the art. There are thousands of paintings, illustrations, drawings in the hundreds of Dragonlance RPG products (this saga was written to accompany TSR Dragonlance Advanced Dungeons & Dragons setting) that cover every location, every character and every monument. The illustrators Kurth and Raffaelle managed to bring the Dragonlance world to life, in their own style, but respecting all previous material. Obviously the "concept art" on this product isn't their merit, but they managed to make a competent adaptation. The different style of the illustrators is noticeable but both are very talented.

Andrew dab got the biggest Dragon...his challenge was to adapt the story to a different format and he done it with flair. He chose the main dialogues, the important character defining events and all the action.
Santiko opted for dark colors for the entire series, and in my humble opinion got it right. The mood is despair! Everything you knew is collapsing, monsters are running loose, cities who resist are obliterated. Fear runs the land - with Santiko's coloring we can believe the drama.

Recommended, but first read the novel.

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