Dungeon Twilight Vol. 3 The New Centurions

European Comics
Dungeon Twilight Vol. 3 The New Centurions
By Hervé St-Louis
June 6, 2010 - 12:15

NBM Publishing
Writer(s): Joann Sfar, Lewis Trondheim
Penciller(s): Kerascoet, Obion
Inker(s): Kerascoet, Obion
Colourist(s): Kerascoet, Obion
ISBN: 978-1-56163-578-8
$12.99 US

Hebert the Khan, Marvin the Red and Marvin the Dragon want to wage war against the faction led by Fayez. But to do so they fake an alliance with Fayez in order to convince Marvin’s daughter, ruler of Craftwitch to surrender her nitro technology that allows warriors to fly. But dragons, Vikings and many other factions are hard to contain and Hebert’s days on the throne may be numbered. This series is not recommended for children.

Since I haven’t read an episode of Dungeon in years, I was afraid of reading this one. Fortunately, based on the review history, I’ve read both the first and the second volume that lead to this story. But for readers thinking of jumping into the Dungeon lore, something I strongly recommend, they will find that within a few pages, they will have mapped out all the complex characters and their evolving relationships. You definitely do not need prior experience with this series to enjoy this volume. This one is actually a great jump on point.

I’ll make a bold statement. If you want to read something as engaging as Harry Potter but with even more brains and plots that just cannot be adapted simply into next year’s Hollywood blockbuster, this is the series for you. The humour and the situations in this collection collecting two separate stories are bleak and dark. Characters die as if it was ordained by Mother Nature. But the quest of the survivors to stay alive is so strong that you forget the deceased quickly. Dungeon is also a remarkable study of power politics and strategy, something close to my field of study in graduate school. Except here, it’s not a bunch of theories, it’s real acts and alliances created and broken on the go. Add a little romance here and there and misplaced judgments and boosted egos, and you’ve got a very strong looking court drama the way Louis XIV could not dream about.

People who look at this series often assume the chicken scratch drawings make this series suited for children. This is not a series for kids. But the fact that anthropomorphic characters are used make the story even more effective. The actual character features of say Hebert the Duck are part of his personality.

The second story in this volume will make you think about your regular life schedule, work, play, paying taxes, and sleep. Anarchists and libertarians will love this story. It makes Ayn Rand look pedestrian next to the simplicity of an asteroid that rotates all the time and forces its inhabitants to run counterclockwise to avoid falling in lava. How many societies are built and how each of them create a structure out of anarchy to control the chaos and weakness of the situation is fascinating. If you’ve ever dreamed of being a dictator, you might find something useful here, similar to Machiavelli’s the Prince. How can all of this be packed in a 96 page comic book with talking animals is a question I can’t answer, but I thoroughly laughed and enjoyed this book.

Rating: 10/10