I started Dungeons & Dragons: Dungeon Club V01: Roll Call awhile back. I then put it aside as I was trying to read it online (and as you know, my phone is not friends with online formatting). Not only was my phone slow and dragging, but I was also not able to see the images clearly or in a larger format. Therefore, unless you have a SCREEN to view things on, then this might be best in the physical form. And the physical form is better if you need to toss it. That is not to say I was disappointed in the book at all, but if I had a physical copy, I would have tossed it to maybe shake things up. It is slowly paced. Realistically made, but slowly paced. Molly Knox Ostertag knew they were building a series and they are taking their time to build up the backstories and create the needed structure to set things up. In other words, Knox is making their book like a D&D game.
Which is a neat way to do things. I enjoyed the setting up of Jess’s point of view (one of the main characters) and how they see the world as if it is the game. Other students have Stat Cards, and Jess sees things as “heroes” and “good guys” and “curses” and “villains.” (And while we do have a game the characters play, and the format reminded me of a young Adventure Zone by McElroy, there is no fourth wall breaking.) And all the while, we know that this is not how things work in the real world as you see that with the other characters. Also, there is a diverse cast, though we are dealing with “nerds” so there are a few stereotypes there, but just stereotypes are broken. I am wondering if Jess is two-spirit/neither female-male and about Jess’s own backstory with their mom and pretty goofy, but tough, dad, so I know I must finish (as I’m only half way through).
Also, this book reminds me of Meesh the Bad Demon V01 by Michelle Lam, this is mostly due to the bubbly, boldly colored illustrations by Xanthe Bouma, but it also has the similar lightheartedness of Lam’s graphic novel. However, they are enough different (one heavy fantasy, the other realistic) that you can read both or just one.
EDIT: DECEMBER 28, 2022 I finished this graphic novel late on the 27th and felt it smoothed out by the end. I was pleasantly surprised by this, and I’m actually looking forward to the series now!
