Die is absolutely insane. Not that I expect anything less from Kieron Gillen at this point, especially after The Wicked & The Divine pretty much blew my mind a few years ago. But this is obviously a labor of love, and one that I can personally identify with. Die is the ultimate Dungeons & Dragons successor, something that even Gary Gygax would be proud of. It’s a comic, and a self-contained playable pen & paper RPG which Gillen is creating alongside the comic. But it’s not just traditional fantasy. It’s much, much more.
Die creates a world where the traditional geek fantasy of the 1980s merges with the disillusionment of Generation X becoming adults and coalesces into a seamless melding of the two. What you’re left with is a bunch of 40 somethings that literally got sucked into their D&D game as kids, came back years later, then had actual lives that were irreversibly damaged by their previous experiences. The book is gorgeous, with painted artwork by Stephanie Hans that captures the essence of classic D&D art while still feeling modern and edgy.
We pick up where the characters’ lives intersect with the game world again, sucked back into a bizarre fantasy world against their wills while in the middle of everyday life. It’s a captivating story, especially if you’re pretty much the same age as the characters and played D&D back in the day (um, yeah…I did and I am). No one wants anything to do with all the crazy shit they left behind in that world, and they still have no choice but to take up the mantles of their game roles as they’re yet again sucked back into an alternate dimension that functions on RPG rules. All of the characters are based on individual dies from the original D&D game: D4, D6, D8, D10, D12, D20. Each character is a unique character class in Gillen’s RPG extrapolated from the original D&D classes, but also something entirely new. Honestly, the whole thing made Gillen’s RPG sound absolutely fantastic, and I can’t wait to give it a try when it eventually releases.
It’s hard to discuss Die without ruining the plot, but suffice it to say the pop culture and historical references are pretty much boundless and the storyline is utterly compelling. Kieron Gillen is pretty much one of the best creative minds in comics today, and Image is lucky to have him. Die is a complex and deep look at 90s culture through the lens of socially outcast geeks and integrated into today’s society. It’s as much a philosophical book as it is a dark adventure comic, and it’s difficult not to gush too much about how excellent it is. My only gripe is that the issues are too short and the wait for each forthcoming issue too long.
Eventually, the actual RPG will also be released and it’s not a stretch to think that it might also manage to be a smash hit. If it ends up an actual publication, what I’ve seen so far might justify a revitalization of the pen & paper RPG, something that hasn’t been done in a very long time. D&D is pretty stagnant these days, and it’s difficult to even get a group of serious players together, especially in your 40s with work, kids, social obligations, functions and assorted business getting in the way constantly. But Die might make all that worthwhile. The comic certainly tells one of the more compelling stories I’ve seen in quite some time. Check it out. You definitely won’t regret it. Heck, you might even call up some of your old gaming buddies…they probably miss you.
This review is based on Die #1-3 and the information provided therein by Kieron Gillien. All artwork is directly from those issues and copyright by the owners.
Nice!