this title was archived before I could read it. however, I did enjoy it once it was released. d&d is one of my favorite things, and I felt the spirit of the game in this book.

I found this graphic novel quite bland. It did get the essence of ravenloft down, however. Overall, not much to say about it… it was boring?

3.5 stars

Did I request this book because it was D&D related? Yes, I did. And Ravenloft is an interesting gothic horror themed realm, so I was expecting dark and tragic and creepy and mysterious. I like the atmosphere of the Demiplane of Dread; it’s why I enjoy playing the campaign “Curse of Strahd” so much. When stories in Ravenloft are done well, you can just feel the gently creeping doom and gloom growing nearer and then overwhelming you. It’s great.

This story, “Orphan of Agony Isle,” definitely had the horror and mystery vibe going for it. It was clear pretty much the whole time that Dr. Viktra Mordenheim is withholding information, keeping secrets. It’s clear to us as the readers and it quickly becomes clear to Miranda as well.

What starts as unclear is how the side-stories within this tale fit into the full picture. It took until what is basically the third issue/chapter of this book for me to figure it out…which honestly felt a bit sad, because it was such a predictable path for the story to take. It was like they were trying to do a Ravenloft centered Frankenstein story. And I think it could have been great, but with only 4 issues in the full story, it feels like there wasn’t quite enough time to really build the tension and horror and creepy atmosphere the story deserved.

I can say that I was intrigued by the end, and would actually have really liked to continue the adventure, following Miranda after she managed to leave Dr. Mordenheim’s castle.

Overall, this graphic novel was underwhelming to me. Not enough to DNF it, but it still wasn’t the most compelling read I’ve picked up recently.

Reviewed for No Flying No Tights.
https://noflyingnotights.com/blog/2023/02/02/dungeons-dragons-ravenloft-orphan-of-agony-isle/

I really liked this. I was super excited to read it because I grew up with my dad playing D&D with me. And honestly, I’m trying to get my baby sibling into it (I’m almost there, wish me luck).

What really drew me in was the art. I saw it and was pulled in and it’s one of the many comics I’ve come to love because the art and story meld perfectly.

Now the story was very much a Frankenstein story and I loved that. It wasn’t bad at all. I loved the whole amnesiac damsel in distress and her overworked creator. It was very interesting to see the way their personalities butted against one another.

It was a little easy to predict the way the story was going but I didn’t mind that because the art was absolutely stunning. It really did make everything better. The atmosphere of it, the character designs, all of it was great.

Reading this on a dark night? That would be an absolute joy.

If you’re looking for a quick Dungeons and Dragons story with a Frankenstein twist? This is it. Highly recommend.

Four solid stars.

I received this eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to them and the publisher.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher IDW Publishing for this graphic novel featuring one of Dungeons & Dragons most famous adventure settings, with a mix of gothic horror to keep readers on their toes.

Back in the day my friends and I had D&D sessions on Wednesdays, a tradition I think we kept up for a few years until high school got in the way. I don't remember if it was an ad or an article in Dragon Magazine, but it was about a new module that was coming out and it featured what looked like a well dressed man on a balcony, with his head back and teeth. Sharpened teeth. When the module hit the hobby store, I think we all bought it, and began some epic campaigns from what was inside. A world where magic was different, it was always dark, and the peasants were more food than characters. I think I was not playing as much when the box sets came out, I don't have them, but I have the fiction books, and still have a very soft spot for Ravenloft and the times I adventured there. That's why this graphic novel caught my attention I wondered how Ravenloft had changed. Dungeons & Dragons: Ravenloft- Orphan of Agony Isle written by Casey Gilly and illustrated by Bayleigh Underwood is a spooky story full of corrupted science, foul magic, mad Doctors and more, and as much fun as I remember the module being.

In a pocket universe known better as the Demiplane of Dread, a young woman returns to the conscious world, covered in wounds in a lab from a nightmare, but one she has no hope of awakening from. Her mind is slow, her memory erased, and she is strapped down with no idea of who she is, nor how she arrived here. Her name she is told is Miranda. This is told to her by the one other person present, Doctor Viktra Mordenheim, and they in her lab in Schloss Mordenheim in the Doctor's lab, safe for a time. As Miranda tried to remember what happened to her, one thing that is becoming clear is that the Doctor might not be who she pretends to be. Nor does Miranda know who might be more in need of help, Miranda or the Doctor whose moods have a habit changing at a whim. Lab papers tell of strange events happening, along with stranger creatures, but what does this have to do with Miranda? And will Miranda ever find out?

A Frankenstein-like tale that is a bit Dungeons & Dragons and a bit gothic horror. The story drops the reader right in, so it might take a few pages to see where the story is going, but the story moves along well, and is good. The story is set up with sub-plots moving to the bigger story, which is novel, and again has a Gothic feeling in the way the story is told. The characters are intriguing especially Doctor Mordenheim who I gather is a regular character in the current Ravenloft stories. The art is really good. I enjoyed both the colors and the backgrounds, which reflect the mood of the story, changing as the plot changes. The art and the writing really gel well here, and I would like to read more by this team in the future.

Recommended for Dungeons & Dragons fans without a doubt. Also for comic fans who like their horror a little more gothic, and not jump scary. A good idea, and a good story that reminded me of the fun campaigns we used to run. I look forward to more adventures in Ravenloft.

A fun read for DnD fans - the story itself is a bit of a retelling of Frankenstein and the Gothic Horror is what's getting this one four stars. Overall, there isn't a whole lot of substance here - not a lot of lore, not a lot of character development, not a lot of plot. But it's fun, and a good way to spend an hour or two.

Thanks so much NetGalley and IDW Publishing for this e-arc!!

I love horror, and so naturally I knew I would love this! The story, the art, just fantastic! I haven't read any of the other graphic novels (nor have I played D&D in a long time, ultimate sadness) but I didn't feel I needed any sort of background to understand what's going on. I'm excited to read what else there is of this series!

I received a copy of this eARC from the publisher through NetGalley.

Here is a decent return to Ravenloft, a realm I hadn't personally ventured to in a couple of decades. It was an interesting "Frankenstein"ish story set in the dark realm with great visual art. We also had some linked stories that tied in to the main drama, all touching on other facets of Ravenloft.

In the day, this was one of the great expansions to the AD&D game and it was during this time that I was an active gamer and Dungeon Master. So here is a good trip to that nostalgic time...

I am a fan of weird horror stuff with interesting art so I enjoyed this and am definitely interested in diving into this particular D&D setting more.

(I did have an issue with the digital ARC I received where it was too large for the screen and would not allow me to zoom out so did miss the bottom of the pages...)

This was a great gothic story, and I loved the artwork. Other than a few references, it didn’t really have anything to do with D&D or Ravenloft, which was a bit of a disappointment, and some of the storytelling was a little choppy and disjointed. Still a good read though

Thank you to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for the ARC of this graphic novel! 

"Dungeons & Dragons: Ravenloft--Orphan of Agony Isle" was an entertaining and spooky frankenstein-esque story. The frame story follows a young girl called Miranda covered in bandages who awakens in the lab of a Doctor Viktra Mordenheim with no memories of her past. Dreams/memories come to her as she begins to strain against the Doctor's insistence that she cannot leave the castle. I think juvenile and older readers who enjoy gothic horror and "Dungeons and Dragons" will enjoy these tales. Readers also don't necessarily need to know very much about "Dungeons and Dragons" to understand the stories. I was a bit disappointed with the open ending, so I hope another installment will be published eventually. It was a fun creepy little read.

One of the things that I love about DnD is the chaos of playing with other people. Every game I have ever played includes the line "can I lick it". Or some variation of that. Then everyone is yelling at said player that they absolutely should not touch, lick, or flirt with said item. This energy is rarely caught in books. Orphan of Agony Isle has that energy. I found myself actually saying outloud not to touch something. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed this book more than I expected.

Story is about a girl who wakes up in a creepy house with a creepy caretaker. She is being kept for her safety. So yeah, she probably shouldn't touch that.

4 stars

This was an interesting comic. It has a few very short stories split throughout with an overarching story sort of tying it all together. The art was very cool and nice to look at. I liked the color scheme of blues greens and reds. My favorite story was the first short story of the mother and her child. While it didn't have a good ending (none of these stories end happily) it has stuck with me for several days. While it isn't the greatest DnD comic I've seen its worth your time if you're into DnD.

I’m familiar with both the Ravenloft setting and have played in and run more than a few games of D&D. This was a solid Frankenstein story, the art wasn’t perhaps my favorite but the story entertained me! If you like the Ravenloft setting or just fantasy/horror comics this one would be a good one.

I love all things d&d (dungeons and dragons) but this one was a bit disconnected for me. Maybe I haven't played the particular campaign this graphic novel is based off or maybe I didn't quite understand the little side quests (disconnected chapters) well enough. But it didn't feel d&d enough to me. I did enjoy the Gothic vibes and the literary allusions though!

The main premise: an evil scientist goes a bit Frankenstein in her lab and cooks up various monsters and people from discarded corpses. Miranda, one of her latest creations, is on the mend, but is struggling with her new identity, restrictions within the castle and a growing need to be outside the confines of the castle.

What I loved: the dark color tones which contrasts with Miranda's seemingly innocent nature, the unilateral focus of both the doctor and her creation

I had nothing but trouble with this file, even after I reported the initial problems with it not downloading and the publisher presumably uploading a newer version. I always liked the Ravenloft aspect of D&D so I was looking forward to this, but even the second version that I was finally able to open in Adobe Digital Edition wasn't fully readable. For some reason it was sized too large for the screen without the ability to adjust it to something smaller. Thus, I was only able to read the top half of the pages, which made it impossible to fully understand the story. And the font they used in the text, while I'm sure was intended to seem "gothic" wasn't the easiest to read. I hope in the future the publisher will do a better job of making sure its reviewers can easily and adequately access the files they provide.

This is a Frankenstein-like story set in the world of Dungeon and Dragons, and more spesificly, at Castle Ravenloft.

I love Dungeons & Dragons, and Curse of Strahd is one of my favorite campaigns, so naturally I was looking forward to reading this one.

It has some elements of D&D, but it was lacking a little and I wish there were more. But the story in itself was allright. It felt like a classic, gothic horror story, where a lot of stories come together to a spooky conclusion.

All in all I think people who like reading horror comics might like this one a lot!

Thank you Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable read if you’re someone who appreciates an engaging, quick paced story built around Dungeons and Dragons. I’m familiar with D&D, but not the Ravenloft setting and this was an enjoyable introduction! I’m excited to see a second instalment and follow Miranda as she becomes an adventurer all her own!

4stars for fantastic art and a page turner of a story!

Very Frankenstein! If you like Frankenstein, Dungeons & Dragons, or M is for Monster by Talia Dutton, you are sure to like this!

Miranda wakes up in a Gothic castle with no memory of who she is or what happened to get her there. Viktra is the doctor who claims to have healed her, and promises to care for her until she is fully healed. She has conditions however: Miranda must not try to regain her memories, and she ABSOLUTELY must not look under her bandages.

Viktra makes for a good example of a classic abuser. She keeps Miranda confined and in the dark all in the name of protecting her, and when Miranda becomes curious and starts asking questions, Viktra manipulates Miranda into feeling guilty for not appreciating the care and protection Viktra gives her. It's very very yucky to see.

I'm very interested in the mysterious Elise and very much look forward to seeing her in the future.