Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Issue 1 Review

This has been a batshit crazy year, gang, but if some personal good has come from it I’d have to say it would be that it’s given me the chance to bathe myself in the nerdiest waters of my life.
Be it diving head first into the vast ocean that is Star Trek more deeply than I ever imagined I would or embracing Dungeons And Dragons beyond just our occasional game on the main show, I got hardcore this year.

So much so that I started looking for D&D Podcasts to listen to.
As you heard in a recent Pimp Spot, I found the official D&D Pod, Dragon Talk, I also started listening to Brian Posehn’s Nerd Poker, and I loved both!

But I stumbled across another and, though it took me a few eps to get into due to some audio issues and the incredible amount of new voices I had to wade through and learn to distinguish, that one quickly became the favorite.
It’s fuckin’ nerds and voice actors, man!
How could I not love it!?
And one of them had been in Scooby, so I mean, that basically sealed the deal that Critical Role was for me.

Then I heard they had a series of comics that tie into the story of their campaign.
And you all know I love a good tie-in, so I had to take that dive too.
But tie-ins, especially comics, can be a bit…dodgy…
Could this thing I’ve grown to love so much fall into the disappointment pile?
Cinch up your armor, good Knights Of Nerd Blitz-Dom, it’s time we find out!

As with my novel reviews, you all get you a fancy pants ***SPOILER ALERT*** here as well.
This warning goes for the comic and the show itself!

Cover By Deborah Hauber: Damn, so eyecatching!
Dynamic & poppy with plenty of detail, but not overly detailed to the point that it feels like Hauber was trying to trace the voice actor’s & actress’s headshots, which is often a problem with covers and interiors.
They push so hard for realism and forget the warmth.
I’d definitely hang this piece on a wall, no question.

Art By Olivia Samson, Colors By Chris Northrop & Travis Ames: More streamlined than the cover, but just as poppy & dynamic.
These feel like high quality animation cels and make me hope the upcoming Animated Series looks as good.
The backgrounds, specifically, have a great depth and vibrancy.
But the designs of the characters are spot on, the sense of motion and movement is great.

Story By Matthew Colville & Matthew Mercer: Vax & Vex are investigating the swamp around Stilben due to rumors of it being cursed.
What they find on that front is far more malevolent than that, though they also encounter a certain druid future friend.

Something I find interesting about Critical Role as a whole and this issue specifically is that there is a dark side.
The opening of this book sets up the “curse” by having a dying baby thrown to the swamp in hopes to appease the curse.
What makes that interesting is that this issue dropped right around the same time as the episode of Critical Role that featured Artagan strangling Vax.
My point in telling you all of this is to let you know that no punches are pulled.
It also adds a level of realism and believability to the world, because D&D in general is set in a harsh, gritty, hard scrabble world.
Be it travel, medicine, or information, all can be hard to come by because the Dungeons And Dragons universe isn’t for the faint of heart.

Now, that’s not to say it’s all depressing, there is fun to be had!
Be it in the relationship of the twins or their reactions to the world.
There is a certain lightness to be had, particularly in Keyleth’s short cameo.
As this goes on, I can’t wait to see how the younger, more naive Keyleth interacts with this world.

Overall, I love it.
The characters look and feel right, the same goes for the world.
It actually helps me visualize some of the things I’ve listened to in the show this year.

I write this as I’m finishing the penultimate episode of their first campaign, so some of this history has kinda been hinted at during their game, but it’s nice to see an expanded and detailed telling.
And I must say, it makes me happy to be going back to the beginning just as I’m reaching their end.
Critical Critical ROLE, Critical Critical ROLE…ah yes, the adventure begins indeed!

Keep an eye out for my reviews of the next 11 issues in the months ahead over at The Nerd Blitz Patreon.

Let us know what you think of this very special comic review in the comments below or share this post on Twitter with the Hashtag #TNBBookReview.

Special thanks to @ACFerrell1976 for her continued editorial assistance.

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