Dungeon: Monstres - Vol. 2: The Dark Lord

by Joann Sfar, Lewis Trondheim (Illustrator)

Overview

Terra Amata has exploded into many little floating islands and Herbert has become a very dark and very powerful lord. In both stories in this volume, the key is to find the map to the new world and great forces are in the way.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781561635405
Publisher:	N B M Publishing Company
Publication date:	10/01/2008
Series:	Dungeon Monstres , #2
Pages:	94
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	16 - 18 Years

Editorial Reviews

This latest collection of the French heroic fantasy spoof finds the cast dealing with Terra Amata, the landscape where the series takes place, exploding into a myriad of floating islands that resemble a cartoon version of a Roger Dean Yes album cover. In "The Great Map," Marvin the Red, a fanged rabbit hero in a suit of armor, must find the map of the just-exploded realm, while in "The Dark Lord," the Grand Khan, a powerful dark lord who also happens to be a duck, renounces his baleful powers, an act that causes the sundering of the world. There's a lot going on in both stories, all of it quite entertaining and very well illustrated. The guest artists acquit themselves nicely-Andreas's work brings to mind Sergio Aragones or Stan Sakai, while Stephane Blanquet's highly appealing style looks like a fusion of Charles Burns and Gabor Czupo. Great fun, although the curious are advised to pick up the previous volumes. (Nov.)

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Publishers Weekly

Gr 10 Up

Monstres retells tales of minor characters in "Dungeon," a 15-volume (so far) comic series. This book offers two perspectives on the same end-of-world scenario. In "The Great Map," Marvin the Red, a rabbit with an Iron Man-like suit, has been instructed to transport the women of his land to a safe location. An explosion turns the world into a series of floating islands, however, and Marvin has a new task: find the new map of the world and deliver it to the Dust King. After some mishaps and a fight with the Grand Khan, Marvin finds himself enamored with the Khan's daughter. An encounter with monks desperate to give up their vows of celibacy lends this chapter a Monty Python quality. "The Dark Lord" takes the perspective of the Grand Khan, a duck anxious to rid himself of the evil spirit that, along with nine objects of destiny, keeps the planet from blowing to bits. Without the spirit, the Khan can neither hold the planet together nor keep his enemies from trying to kill him. Khan flees his castle in search of the same map Marvin was tasked with finding in the first story. At first glance, the Grand Khan's appearance brings up memories of the 1990s "Darkwing Duck" cartoon series, and the color artwork is similar to that in Sfar's Vampire Loves (Roaring Brook, 2006). Dungeon pokes fun at Dungeons & Dragons, as well as any number of "hero worship" comic titles.-Sarah Krygier, Solano County Library, Fairfield, CA

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