Dungeons & Dragons: Cutter #1
Written by R.A. Salvatore & Geno Salvatore
Art by David Baldeon
Color by David Garcia Cruz
Letters by Neil Uyetake
Covers by Steve Ellis, David Baldeon
IDW Publishing
Release Date: April 10, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

The hardest part about reviews for something that R.A. Salvatore has released is coming up with a new way to introduce his work. All I really want to do is grab people and shake them forcefully while screaming “Why haven’t you read him yet?” But I hear that is illegal in some places…*sigh* This go around he is writing with his son Geno Salvatore, which has yielded some excellent results in the past. Dungeons & Dragons: Cutter #1 is the first in a five-issue series that centers around a sword that has been around for a while, passing from warrior to warrior.

But Cutter is no ordinary blade, not by a long stretch (see what I did there? It’s a longsword!). It’s Drow name is Khazid’hea and its true nature is that of death and destruction. For you see, this sword is sentient in the most malevolent of ways, it’s only goal is to be wielded by the finest warrior. Having first appeared in Salvatore’s Starless Night, we have seen it alter its own appearance to entice warriors to claim it as their own. From a weapons master in the Underdark to Drizz’t Do’Urden to Cattie-Brie and so on…this sword has been seeking its perfect match. Is it finally coming to pass? Only time will tell as this miniseries breathes more life into the sword’s story and that of the Drow family that currently possesses it.

Dungeons & Dragons: Forgotten Realms, Vol. 1
Written by Ed Greenwood
Art by Lee Ferguson
Inks by Sal Buscema and Marc Deering
Colors by Len O’Grady and Dee Cunniffe
Lettering by Shawn Lee, Tom B. Long, and Neil Uyetake
Cover by Tyler Walpole
IDW Publishing
Release Date: January 15, 2013
Cover Price: $24.99

As a long time player of RPGs, I’ve borne witness to a lot of books and comics based on these games. Many are great additions to their franchise, while others are laughable and contribute nothing to the genre. IDW Publishing’s Dungeons & Dragons: Forgotten Realms is one of those that falls in between. With decent art and a mediocre story, it is entertaining but nothing remarkable when compared to others of its ilk.

The story starts off in Waterdeep, one of the dirtiest and most corrupt of all cities in the Realms. Two local thieves become involved in what appears to be a simple kidnapping but turns out to be more of a political scandal, though little is truly explained to justify the actions undertaken by the enemies of House Roaringhorn. Much magic and deceit follow closely on the heels of our two ruffians as they are forced into one calamity after another…even a rescue attempt. All in all, it’s a fun read, but definitely not memorable.

Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster’s Forgotten Realms
Hardcover
Written by Ed Greenwood and the Wizards RPG staff
Wizards of the Coast
Release Date: October 16, 2012

I remember the day the very first Forgotten Realms boxed reference set was released. It included not just game materials, but a really awesome map and a bit of background information to start your own campaigns. But never in a hundred years did I think I would ever see such an in depth look as Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster’s Forgotten Realms. It really is a masterpiece of Ed Greenwood‘s imagination.

Taken from Greenwood’s original notes from the late sixties, the Forgotten Realms were adapted in the seventies for game play with the original Dungeons & Dragons and finalized in the eighties for release with the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game books. By far the most popular and well known of all the official settings, the Realms are packed with well developed and powerful non-player characters (known as NPCs). This tome gives us a plethora of formerly unknown information, thereby not just amplifying our collective knowledge of Faerun but also expanding the possibilities in a campaign setting.

R.A. Salvatore‘s first published novel, The Crystal Shard, exploded onto the book scene in 1988 and cemented his name as one of today’s greatest fantasy authors. His first trilogy, set in the Dungeons & Dragons‘s Forgotten Realms, was such a huge hit that he was signed to write both prequels and sequels in the years following. Now, after more than twenty years and over twenty New York Times bestsellers, he continues to excite and amaze his readers with his heroic tales in his latest book, Neverwinter: Neverwinter Saga, Book II.

His most popular character, Drizzt Do’Urden, has been featured in more than two dozen books with no real ending in sight. A Drow Elf ranger is probably not the first choice most people would have picked to write about, but Salvatore did just that. I recently had the chance to sit down the author to talk about various topics, but one subject we touched upon was Drizzt and his weapon of choice, the scimitar. See here below an excerpt for our interview where Salvatore reveals why Drizzt carries scimitars.