Doctor Strange Vol 1: The Way of the Weird

Title: Doctor Strange Vol 1: The Way of the Weird

ISBN: 9780785195160

Price: $24.99

Publisher/Year: Marvel, 2016

Artist: Chris Bachalo

Writer: Jason Aaron

Rating: 4/5

When Marvel relaunched Doctor Strange yet again in 2015 it was in the knowledge of  there being slightly more at stake this time. A Doctor Strange movie was due the following year, and this was the material that would be available as graphic novels for the curious who’d enjoyed the movie but possibly never encountered the character before. Let is be said The Way of the Weird is a complete head rush and a contender for the best Doctor Strange ever. Seriously.

The book opens with Strange’s origin overlaid in narrative captions on faded panels drawn by those who defined the character in the 1960s. It’s clever, sentimental and respectful, but turn the page to the sample illustration and it’s immediately apparent this is not Grandad’s Doctor Strange. Chris Bachalo leaves us in no doubt this is an otherworldy mystical realm, but after decades of Doctor Strange and a dozen first rate artists he still achieves something new and memorable. In the opening chapter there’s a scene of Strange walking home through Greenwich Village and we see the world as he perceives it with his third eye. It’s a breathtaking piece of work, helped by Bachalo choosing to color his pages, yet leaving much of this spread monochrome, a trick he repeats to good effect. The second chapter’s opening page is just Strange’s brownstone building seen from the front, a little of the surrounding area and dark skies passing above. It’s ordinary, yet excellent. It’s legitimate to ask whether a regular Doctor Strange series has ever looked better, and this is despite a platoon of inkers. Want to know how Bachalo does it? There’s a sketch section in the back.

The pictured scene is part of an exorcism, a house call Strange is making to heal a disturbed child. It instantly establishes a humanity for Strange that’s often forgotten amid the cosmic and mystical threats he sees off on a daily basis. Strange’s world as seen by outsiders is perpetuated throughout to good effect, which is just the requirement for anyone relatively new to the character. Writer Jason Aaron places wonder at the core of what we’re reading, and for someone better known for his down to earth grittiness he manages it effortlessly.

We’re past the halfway point before the main threat kicks in. This is a sort of technology based cosmic inquisition determined to root out all sorcery. The rage of the opposite is such an obvious idea – once Aaron came up with it – it beggars belief that it’s not been previously attempted. There are elements that can be quibbled with, such as the title of ‘Sorcerer Supreme’ surely indicating by definition there is only one, but overall Aaron sneaks us in through the back door toward an absolute terror. And along the way there’s a horrific revelation.

Some may feel cheated by a cliffhanger ending, but as sure as hell it’s served its purpose and is going to leave you panting for The Last Days of Magic. What an ominous title.

G.I. Joe A Real American Hero: The Silent Missions Vol. 1

Title: G.I. Joe A Real American Hero: The Silent Missions Vol. 1

ISBN: 9781534333505

Price: $16.99

Publisher/Year: Skybound, 2025

Artist: Larry Hama, Phil Hester, Dani, Dan Waters, Leonardo Romero, Andrew Krahnke, Wes Craig

Writer: Leonardo Romero, Dan Watters, Wes Craig, Andrew Krahnke, Larry Hama, Dani, Phil Hester

Rating: 4.5/5

If you are a fan of the original G.I. Joe A Real American Hero Marvel series, then you know what the "Silent Interlude" is. This groundbreaking 1984 comic features a complete, action-packed story told entirely through sequential art, without any dialogue, thought bubbles, or captions. It is a landmark in comic book history, proving that a complex narrative with action and emotion could be effectively conveyed through visual storytelling alone.

Skybound decided to not only reprint this classic issue, but expand on it in a series on one-shots that featured Beach Head, Jinx, Spirit, Roadblock and Duke.

I'll admit, this was a very quick "read" through. In all honesty, this is the first time I have read a trade and written a review on it in the same day. I wanted to make sure that my thoughts were expressed while they were still fresh in my mind.

When I was a kid, I missed out of the original silent issue, but was able to get it after I became a more avid collector and reader of the series. The story impressed me back then, and it still has that same effect on me so many years later. Here's a link to an interview with Larry Hama regarding the original Silent Interlude. 

I feel that the writers from Skybound did an excellent job in their attempt to recapture the feeling that Hama brought to readers back in the 80's.

Each chapter focuses on a different Joe in a visual, cinematic style that relies solely on art and action rather than speech bubbles:

• Beach Head battles to survive in a demilitarized zone while protecting innocent war orphans.
• Jinx must fight and escape from a deadly Cobra base in a sequence of tense, real-time panels. 
• Spirit and Freedom uncover a sinister Cobra experiment amid a mysterious forest disappearance. 
• Roadblock brings overwhelming firepower to bear against a Cobra convoy. 
• Duke stalks a traitor across hostile terrain, pushing himself to the limit. 

Together these stories form a dynamic, wordless narrative experience that highlights the combat prowess, grit, and silent heroism of the G.I. Joe team, letting the art tell the story of each mission without a single line of dialogue. 

Daggerheart Corebook Set

Title: Daggerheart Corebook Set

Price: $29.99 (PDF), $59.99 (Hardcover Set)

Publisher/Year: Darrington Press, 2025

ISBN: 9798991384100

LEAD GAME DESIGNER: Spenser Starke

ADDITIONAL GAME DESIGNERS: Carlos Cisco, Rowan Hall, John Harper,

Matthew Mercer, Alex Uboldi, Mike Underwood

ADDITIONAL WRITING: Layla Adelman, Meguey Baker, Banana Chan, Chris

Davidson, Rue Dickey, Felix Isaacs, Erin Roberts, Deven Rue, Rogan Shannon,

Mark Thompson, Eugenio Vargas, Chris Willett

System: Daggerheart

DriveThruRPG Link

Rating: 3.5/5

Daggerheart is a standout tabletop roleplaying game that puts narrative, emotion, and collaboration front and center. Developed by Darrington Press, it offers a fresh fantasy experience powered by a unique system designed to create cinematic moments, meaningful choices, and shared storytelling. Everything about the game—from its mechanics to its physical components—supports dramatic, character-driven play.

At the heart of Daggerheart is its dual-dice resolution system, which uses a Hope die and a Fear die. Instead of simple pass-or-fail results, every roll creates narrative momentum. Rolling higher on Hope grants players advantages, heroic twists, or extra narrative control, while Fear introduces complications, consequences, or opportunities for the Game Master to escalate tension. This system ensures that even setbacks push the story forward in interesting ways rather than bringing play to a halt.

The boxed set includes a richly illustrated core rulebook that explains the system, setting, and play philosophy in a clear and welcoming manner. Character creation is guided and flexible, allowing players to define not just abilities but also relationships, motivations, and emotional stakes. Characters are built using modular domains and abilities, giving players room to customize without overwhelming complexity.

A major highlight of the system is its use of cards and tokens. Ability cards, domain cards, and condition trackers help keep mechanics visible and easy to manage at the table. Physical tokens represent Hope, Fear, Stress, and other narrative resources, reinforcing the game’s emotional economy and making abstract concepts feel tangible and intuitive.

The set also includes custom dice, quick-reference materials, and Game Master tools focused on scene framing, pacing, and collaborative worldbuilding. Rather than positioning the GM as an adversary, the system encourages them to act as a facilitator of drama, responding dynamically to player choices and the flow of Hope and Fear.

Overall, Daggerheart is an innovative, story-forward RPG system that excels at creating memorable moments and emotionally resonant adventures. With its elegant mechanics, strong thematic focus, and high-quality components, it’s an excellent choice for groups seeking a more narrative-driven alternative to traditional fantasy roleplaying games.

YouTube Recommendation - Pointy Hat

I don't have traditional television at home. The only reason we pay Xfinity is for internet access. Fortunately, my TV is smart and allows me to access YouTube, and this is how I am able to find and watch the great "DungeonTuber" videos of so many creators such as Pointy Hat.

Pointy Hat, and his "human familiar", are a great resource of TTRPG ideas and information. I especially enjoy his video series entitled "D&D with a Twist". These videos are always very informative, imaginative and give me ideas.

I highly recommend giving Point Hat's videos a watch. As always, like and subscribe to their channel as well. You'll be glad you did.

Dungeons & Dragons – Starter Set: Heroes of the Borderlands

Title: Dungeons & Dragons – Starter Set: Heroes of the Borderlands

Price: $49.99 (Boxed Set) / $19.99 (Digital)

Publisher/Year: Wizards of the Coast, 2025

System: Dungeons & Dragons 5E

Rating: 4/5

Dungeons & Dragons – Starter Set: Heroes of the Borderlands is a fantastic entry point into tabletop roleplaying, offering everything you need to start playing with confidence and excitement. Designed with new players and first-time Dungeon Masters in mind, this set delivers a polished, welcoming introduction to the world of D&D while still being engaging for more experienced fans.

Inside the box is a clearly written, beginner-friendly rulebook that walks players through the core mechanics of the game step by step. It explains character actions, combat, spellcasting, and roleplaying in a way that feels approachable without sacrificing the depth that makes D&D so rewarding. The included adventure book provides a complete, story-driven campaign set in the classic Borderlands, filled with exploration, memorable NPCs, and exciting encounters that naturally teach the flow of the game as you play.

The set also includes a collection of pre-generated character sheets, allowing players to jump right into the adventure without the complexity of building characters from scratch. Each character is distinct, flavorful, and well-suited to help players learn different playstyles. A full set of polyhedral dice is included as well, so there’s no need to purchase anything extra to get started.

Additional components, such as maps, reference materials, and helpful player and Dungeon Master aids, make running the game smooth and intuitive. These tools do a great job of reducing setup time and helping new groups stay focused on storytelling and fun rather than rules lookups.

Overall, Heroes of the Borderlands succeeds brilliantly at what a starter set should do: lower the barrier to entry while capturing the magic of Dungeons & Dragons. It’s an inviting, well-designed box that encourages creativity, teamwork, and adventure, making it an excellent choice for families, friends, or anyone curious about stepping into the world of D&D for the first time.

Stranger Things: Welcome to the Hellfire Club

Title: Stranger Things: Welcome to the Hellfire Club

Price: $49.99 (Boxed Set) / $19.99 (Digital)

Publisher/Year: Wizards of the Coast, 2025

Designer: Justice Ramin Arman

System: Dungeons & Dragons 5E

Rating: 4.5/5

Stranger Things: Welcome to the Hellfire Club is an absolute delight, perfectly capturing the spirit of both Dungeons & Dragons and the beloved Netflix series. From the moment you open the box, it feels like you’re stepping into Mike’s basement alongside the Hawkins crew, ready to roll dice and face down dark forces from the shadows.

What really elevates this boxed set is how complete and inviting it is right out of the box. Inside, you’ll find a streamlined rulebook that introduces the core mechanics of D&D in an easy-to-understand way, making it perfect for new players. The set includes a ready-to-play adventure inspired by the Hellfire Club’s style of high-stakes storytelling, along with pre-generated character sheets so players can jump straight into the action without any prep.

The box also comes with a full set of polyhedral dice, sturdy reference cards to help guide gameplay, and high-quality handouts that enhance immersion and keep the game moving smoothly. The artwork and layout throughout the materials are packed with Stranger Things flavor, striking a great balance between nostalgic ’80s vibes and classic fantasy adventure.

The adventure itself is engaging and flavorful, blending classic D&D tropes with the tone and themes that Stranger Things fans will instantly recognize. The characters, story hooks, and encounters feel authentic, as if they were lifted straight from the show’s universe.

Overall, Welcome to the Hellfire Club is a fun, approachable, and charming boxed set that truly earns its place at the table. Whether you’re a longtime Dungeon Master, a curious beginner, or a fan of the Hellfire Club itself, this set is a critical hit and an excellent way to start—or relive—your D&D journey.

Expedition to Castle Ravenloft

Title: Expedition to Castle Ravenloft

Price: $19.99 (PDF), $32.99 (Standard Hardcover)

Publisher/Year: Wizards of the Coast, 2006

Author(s): Bruce R. Cordell, James Wyatt

System: Dungeons & Dragons 3.5

DriveThruRPG Link

Rating: 3.5/5

Near the end of the life cycle of D&D 3.5 people were beginning to suspect that a new edition was on the way. They were not wrong, but before that happened we saw some changes in the adventure format from Wizards of the Coast. Certainly a trend to more tactical maps. These last few adventures were all mostly re-visions of some of the classic adventures of old. Castle Greyhawk, Queen of the Demonweb Pits, Undermountain, and of course, Castle Ravenloft.

It is not a new edition of D&D unless we have new take on the classic Ravenloft. This adventure sees Ravenloft back in it's original home; not just in terms of the adventure published by Wizards of the Coast after Sword & Sorcery Studios license, but Castle Ravenloft, divorced from the Demi-Plane of Dread. This is the 3.5 revision of the original adventure.

Like the original I6 Ravenloft adventure, this adventure plunges players into the cursed land of Barovia, a realm dominated by a bleak atmosphere and ruled by the vampire lord Strahd von Zarovich. Adventurers take on the daunting mission of navigating Castle Ravenloft, confronting Strahd, and ending his sinister reign over Barovia once and for all.

The revamped (heh) Expedition to Castle Ravenloft expands on the original with enhanced encounters, new rules, and a more comprehensive campaign that immerses players in Strahd’s haunting domain. The new encounter system of 3.5 takes up the later half of the book, but makes it easy for DMs to plan out how they want to do their encounters. Given we are on the eve of 4e, this means which minis to grab and which maps to use.

The adventure is expanded into a mini-campaign of sorts. And really, that has always been one of the strengths of this adventure; its ability to do more. The adventure can cover 20 sessions, raising characters from 6th level to 10th or broken up into smaller sessions. It can even be run exactly like the original adventure as a straight forward 1 or 2 sessions of "Find the vampire and kill it."

While that is a great bit of flexibility for the adventure, I already did that back in the 1980s. It would be a shame not to use all the new great material here that Cordell and Wyatt (two excellent designers) have done here. There are new antagonists and new locations to explore. 

Barovia itself is a character in this module: a mist-laden, gloomy land filled with mystery, danger, and spectral beauty. Players are encouraged to explore its towns, ruined abbeys, and dense forests, meeting unique NPCs who add depth and lore to the journey. The encounters are varied and challenging, balancing tense dungeon crawls with narrative-driven encounters that test both the characters' skills and the players' wits. And then finally getting to Castle Ravenloft itself. A locale that has lost none of its "charm" over the years. 

We still have the Fortunes of Ravenloft here, among other classic notes expanded for this new adventure. And like the original, Count Strahd von Zarovich is front and center. Not just in the adventure but in the book as well. 

I have played and run the original Ravenloft many, many times. I honestly think this version is rather fun. It stays true to the original while updating the adventure is good AND providing more adventure as well. It is rare when a "remake" can improve, but this one does.

Even if I were to run Ravenloft again under the 1st or 2nd Ed of AD&D, I would still import ideas from this version to those, especially all the locales around the castle and in Barovia. The original adventure kinda just drops you in (not a big deal, works fine) but this one gives you more land to explore, more people to interact with. 

Strahd is still awful, tragic, powerful and one of the more interesting villains in D&D. Castle Ravenloft is still wonderful to explore filled with dangers both obvious and hidden. 

The art is amazing, and really the views of Castle Ravenloft alone in both art and maps makes this must have for any fan of the adventure. 

The adventure/book is divided into five major sections, four chapters and an Appendix.

• Chapter 1 covers Adventures in Ravenloft. An overview of what one should expect to see (or do since this is a Dungeon Masters' book) in the area. While the demi-plane of Ravenloft is not used here, there are area affects due to Strahd and his evil.  This also features our first encounter areas.
• Chapter 2 the Village of Barovia covers D&D's own "Hammer Hamlet." 
• Chapter 3 details the Lands of Barovia. We have more encounter areas here and our "Fortunes of Ravenloft" options.
• Chapter 4 is Castle Ravenloft itself.
• The Appendix details some new feats, a new spell, and various magical items.

Of all the Print on Demand products I have bought, this one might be one of the very best. It is the "Hardcover, Standard Color Book" option and it compares very well to the off-set printing ones of the same era. 

I am pretty sure the idea to divorce Ravenloft: The Adventure from Ravenloft: The Demi Plane was a.) to get a new generation into the adventure in it's "original" form, and b.) maybe part of their larger plans for it moving away from 3.x to 4e. But I have nothing to back that up.

This is a great adventure by all accounts for D&D 3.x. It has everything the original AD&D adventure had and more.Maybe it is my "nostalgia goggles" (as my son would say) but I still prefer I6 Ravenloft.