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I was pretty excited to see a new fantasy comic set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons, and had high hopes of seeing that world brought to life in "A Darkened Wish". There's a lot to like, but there's some issues, too.

Let's start with the positive, though! The story, as written by B. Dave Walters, certainly has an epic feel to it. We're treated to a siege scene with pretty high-stakes, and the invasion force is full of all sorts of cool looking brigands.

Helene, the main character in the story, leads a group of defenders desperately trying to hold out until reinforcements arrive. There's some neat magic, bodies fly about in the ensuing melee, and then we're flung back in time by the narrative to see how these adventurers came together.

Walters tells an engaging story of young, idealistic teens brought together by their mutual desire for adventure. We meet young Helene, her best friends Aiden and Xander; twin magic users Karrin and Kerrin, and the Dragonborn warrior Rayonde. The new party has decided to join the White Sails mercenary company, and hope for thrills and adventure.

The story can be a little hard to follow at times, which may have more to do with the layout of the pages than the actual script. There's an encounter with slavers that gets mired down with layout and pacing issues, but the story itself is fun and engaging.

The biggest stumbling point I have with A Darkened Wish is with the art, which can be wildly uneven. Tess Fowler's backgrounds are pretty bare, and some of the city scenes have some spotty proportions. Anatomy gets pretty wacky, too, with a lot of characters suffering from extraordinarily long or short limbs and torsos.

That's not to say the book doesn't work, it just lacks that sense of wonder that permeates a really good fantasy comic. There are some great panels, to be sure, but I found myself pulled out of the experience a few times when hitting a visual or thematic road-block.

Still, the story is engaging, and the art has enough pull to it to keep the reader looking for more. The color work from Jay Fotos is vibrant and fun, and the young adventurer's earnest desire for excitement is relatable.

Is Dungeons & Dragons: A Darkened Wish worth your four bucks? That depends. Younger readers will likely have a blast with it, and the characters are fun to tag along with. Fans of the Forgotten Realms will probably have a good time as well. There's definitely enough to keep a casual reader happy, and a lot of potential for great things later.

As a stand alone comic, though, A Darkened Wish had me hoping for a little more.

SUMMARY: Script: B. Dave Walters; Art: Tess Fowler; Colors: Jay Fotos; Letters: Tom B. Long; Editor: David Hedgecock; Publisher: IDW Publishing; Release Date: March 20, 2019; Cover Price: $3.99; 30 pages.

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