We’ve reached the end of this first series from Critical Role‘s latest comics foray, and with it coming to a close, we get a full view of a beautiful story and of the incredible environment that is Exandria and the Kryn Dynasty. With Leylas Kryn, the Bright Queen of the Kryn Dynasty and her partner Quana dealing with the consequences of their journey, it will be up to them to figure out what to do when their child goes through a dangerous transformation.
With the series closing, there is so much to talk about. While the events of Critical Role‘s second campaign focused a lot on the Kryn and even Leyas themselves, this series does what so many do from this franchise: build out the lore, give us a deeper look at characters that we’ve come to know and love, and explore more of the fantastic world that was originally built by Dungeon Master and series co-creator Matthew Mercer. During this exploration of Exandria, we get to see so much more of this strange and beautiful land as we follow Leylas and Quana on their quest to gather a piece of the Luxon, a holy relic. Getting to explore more of Exandria is incredible, as this is a gorgeous but unusual place, especially for those fans of the show and previous series, where the focus was much more on large, metropolitan cities than the lands that lay within the vision of the Kryn Dynasty.
While the second campaign focused more of the Nein and their interactions within the Dynsaty, here we get much more from those who are a part of it, and getting to explore that more has been a delight. There is so much to be fascinated by in the culture, lore, and history of the Kryn, and each foray has given the reader more and more to love.
Mercer and Darcy Van Poelgeest are an excellent team, telling this wonderful and bittersweet story between Leylas and Quana. Their history together has lasted several lifetimes, and bringing that into the story was done so well. Their familiarity and love for each other throughout time is apparent, and the way they work together is something truly special.
Bringing this kind of world to life is no small task, but CoupleOfKooks, who handled art duties on this series, did a truly excellent job. With work by colorist Cris Peter and letterer Ariana Maher, this is a beautiful book that really captures the landscape of Exandria in a way that helps to bridge the imagination of what was visualized in the second campaign and the way is was meant to be seen.
It’s been interesting to get more content from the world within the second campaign, and this was an excellent series from start to finish. Bringing in more from the Bright Queen and the story of the Luxon is so engrossing, and with a series this lovely, there will hopefully be much more from the Dynasty and Exandria in the following entries.
Creative Team: Matthew Mercer, Darcy Van Poelgeest (writers), CoupleOfKooks (artist), Cris Peter (colorist), Ariana Maher (letters)
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
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