Critical Role Vox Machina Origins Vol 1 Issue 4 Review

***THIS REVIEW WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON THE NERD BLITZ PATREON***

Ah, back in the comfortable embrace of Vox Machina.
I’ve finally finished all the one-shot eps with them and I gotta say, I’ve really been missing these goofy ass characters.
Let’s dive in and see how well issue 4 fills the void.

As always, this is your ***SPOILER ALERT*** so act accordingly, gang.

Cover By Tess Fowler with Tamra Bonvillain: This one sure as shit sets a mood, especially given where issue 3 left things.
Beast shaped Tiger Keyleth face to face with that mystery broad is incredibly evocative and dynamic.
Once again, I want this sumbitch on a wall!

Art By Olivia Samson: I mean, 4 issues in with the same artist, what more can be said?
Detailed yet simple, crisp yet cartoony, Samson does such a great job bringing these characters to life with expression and subtlety.

Story By Matthew Colville & Matthew Mercer: Picking up immediately after issue 3, the future members of Vox Machina are gettin’ their asses handed to them by this mystery lady.
She takes out Keyleth, stabs Vax, and is ready to beat ass on the other 4 members when the alchemist pops in and she grabs him and jumps through a mirror, making her escape.

Vex tries to follow and shatters the mirror, completely cutting them off from their quarry as Scanlan heals Vax and Keyleth.
After a bit of bickering, the 3 pairs go their separate with a couple of hearty fuck you’s.
But the mysterious woman (whom we now know is named Iselda) soon slips through another mirror and snatches Vax in hopes of drawing in the others and eliminating all resistance to her and the plans of The Myriad.

Damn son, shit is moving right along!
This issue seems to be a lot of set up for the coming mega conflict with The Myriad, but it’s done with enough forward momentum to make it not feel wheel spinny or forced at all.
Shit is allowed to breathe, but it’s not taking long, drawn out, time wasting sighs.
They’re deep, crisp breaths before diving into another conflict.
And I think that is all helped by it being a mini-series, if this were a dedicated monthly book it would definitely meander into a, though probably still enjoyable, more scenic and less targeted route.

Which that, on its own, makes me wonder how hands on Matt Mercer and the Critical Role crew are.
If I haven’t said it yet, these are the tales of Vox Machina before they started the streaming show.
So I think, in essence, these are adaptations of games the world never saw.
I wonder if, and how thoroughly, the CR Gang kept notes of those home games and also if they gave those notes to Matt Colville to sift through and make a more streamlined comic book story out of?
Curious.

Either way, the main takeaway for me is that, once again, Colville totally fuckin’ nails the tone and personality of these characters and the world they inhabit.
And I think I’ve finally figured out just what it is that I love about Critical Role, it’s Lord Of The Rings meets Family Guy, but with a dash of soap opera.
It has the high fantasy vibes you want in D&D, it has the interpersonal relationship drama of a soap opera, but it’s the filth and fun of Family Guy that makes it all come together and just fuckin’ sing!

It’s so incredible how, seemingly, well thought out this entire world is.
Mercer has spent a lot of time over the years working on it and it shows.
This is just a fun world to dip into from time to time.
I would hope by now my position is painfully clear, but just in case it isn’t, I love this series, I love these characters, and I love Critical Role.

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