5/1/2023 0 Comments Read vox machina originsConsidering Critical Role is known for dramatically ending fights with Matthew Mercer’s catchphrase “How do you want to do this?” it’s a little surprising how little fanfare there is in the victories. If there is one drawback to the fight scenes, it’s how their endings feel anticlimactic. For readers less familiar with the game, it’s just cool magic. It’s also great seeing some of the spells in action without needing them spelled out – D&D players can recognize a Spiritual Weapon, or know that when Scanlan is shouting insults at a spider he’s actually casting Vicious Mockery. The actual action is well illustrated, featuring some nicely angled shots of arrows in flight and suitably impressive monsters. When combat starts, there are some ups and downs to it. Between the dialogue and the backstory, writer Jody Houser manages to capture the voices and personalities of all the characters expertly. We got more backstory from other party members in the first “Vox Machina Origins” run, so the character focus is nice. The quieter moments give us a little character backstory, primarily for Grog, but it also connects to Pike’s. Of course, the banter is a key element to building these characters, and they’re given solid voices that bring out their personality strengths and flaws even as they chat mid-battle. Grog gets a good moment as well, when he reflects upon his father, and Pike’s introduction helps her mesh with the party nicely. Scanlan has plenty of little asides and jokes, but there are some good moments that indicate how much he does actually care for Grog (and, to a lesser extent, the rest of the party). We’re also given some good character beats along the way. Small panels of silent moments are used to provide both dramatic and comedic beats as the moment requires, adding to the timing quite nicely. The way the colors get slowly darker from panel to panel as the party moves through the woods illustrates the passage of time throughout their journey nicely. The story is well-paced, using the travel time to build on the characters. Along the way they’re joined by Pike the cleric, while learning more about the characters. With that disclaimer out of the way, the comic resumes with the party on a rescue mission for Grog. This means that this review will be from the perspective of someone who doesn’t know the ins and outs of the characters and their history, so while I might miss out on some Easter Eggs, I’ll be able to gauge how well it introduces, establishes, and builds on the characters for readers who don’t already know everything about Vox Machina. However, I still learned plenty about it from my friends in the fandom (which, I must add, has been one of the most passionate and welcoming fandoms I’ve encountered in ages, so kudos for that) so I’m not going in entirely blind. It’s strange, considering my love of Dungeons & Dragons and the respect I hold for all the actors involved, but by the time I learned about it there was already an extensive backlog I didn’t have the free time for. Giant spiders, evil skeletons, and something even more nefarious stand in the unlikely heroes’ way when they venture under the mountain to find their friend!īefore we begin, I have a confession that may revoke my D&D Nerd Card: I have not watched much Critical Role. The members of Vox Machina track the missing Grog back to his old home in Westruun, where he appears to have been drawn to the local cursed mountain.
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