Maybe you’re a Dungeon Master looking for ideas for your next epic campaign, or maybe you’re a player in search of inspiration for the backstory of your next character. Well, look no further! The comic book world is filled with tales of sword-brandishing warriors, mysterious sorcerers, and dungeon-dwelling monsters that will surely ignite your imagination and bring epicness to your table.
Whether they are stories of lone swordsmen, bands of brother-like warriors, warring clans, or worlds twisted by dark magic, there’s always a comic that will match the tone of your fantasy setting. So, put on your armor, prepare your spells, and let us set out on our quest to find some of the best comic books to inspire your Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you decide to make a purchase through these links, we will earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
1. Demon Knights
Writer: Paul Cornell
Artist: Bernard Chang
Taking place during the Dark Ages of the DC Universe, Demon Knights follows our beloved rhyme-speaking demon Etrigan and the powerful Madame Xanadu as they form a team with Al Jabr, Vandal Savage, the Shining Knight, and more in order to fight off the invading forces of the terrible Questing Queen and Mordru the Merciless.
Get ready for bloody combats, amazons, giants, savages, sea monsters, and a lot of magic as the Demon Knights attempt to protect Camelot from dark forces that wish to bring it to ruin. Did we mention Lucifer is in this?
2. Conan The Barbarian
Writer: Kurt Busiek
Artist: Cary Nord, Thomas Yeates, Joseph Michael Linsner
This series, published by Dark Horse Comics (and Marvel, depending on the volume), is perhaps the embodiment of the thirst for adventure that exists in the hearts of every fantasy enthusiast. Based on the famous barbarian created by Robert E. Howard, Conan introduces us to the titular character as he grows tired of his homeland of Cimmeria and sets out to explore the world and revel in all the treasures, battles, mead, and wonders the Hyborian Age has to offer.
Not only does Kurt Busiek adapt some of Howard’s most famous tales such as The Frost-Giant’s Daughter, The Tower of the Elephant, and Rogues in the House, but he also weaves all-new stories that will bring out the wanderlust in you.
3. The Worlds Of Dungeons & Dragons
Writer: Various
Artist: Various
We can’t talk about comics to inspire your D&D campaign without talking about D&D comics, can we? The Worlds of Dungeons & Dragons is an anthological miniseries that features standalone tales across the many settings of the game. It adapts previously published stories into the comic book format with great art that brings some of your favorite Dungeons & Dragons characters to life.
Taking you on a tour through the worlds of Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, Dark Sun, Ravenloft, and Eberron, this series is packed with the thrill of a tabletop session. Goblins, wizard competitions, tavern games, teleportation rings, evil sorcerers, demon lords…this comic book has it all.
4. The Last God, aka The Fellspyre Chronicles
Writer: Phillip Kennedy Johnson
Artist: Riccardo Federici
The world of Cain Anuun was besieged by the twisted Plague of Flowers, a pestilence that turned the living into undead abominations of vines and rotten flesh. A group of heroes who would be known as the Godslayers traveled to the infamous Black Stairs where dwelled the fell god responsible for the horror. With the entity defeated, peace returned to the land.
Now, thirty years later, the Plague of Flowers is once again spreading its tendrils across the kingdoms. A new fellowship of heroes band together to find the Black Stairs and kill the last god properly this time. But, as they go on their perilous journey, dark secrets about the past are revealed.
The Last God is an epic dark fantasy comic that simultaneously follows both the original and the new heroes through their thirty-year-apart journey to defeat the pestilence. Dark magic , desolate landscapes, different races, twisted monstrosities, and a lot of worldbuilding are just the tip of what you’ll find here.
Get The Fellspyre Chronicles, Volume 1 on Bookshop
5. Weirdworld
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Mike del Mundo
The Weirdworld is a planet that exists in a dimension of fantasy in the Marvel Universe. It was first introduced in 1974, but became part of Doctor Doom’s Battleworld during the Secret Wars event in 2015, getting its own tie-in series. Here, the warrior Arkon the Magnificent finds himself lost across the ever-changing landscape of the Weirdworld while looking to return to his own. Chaos ensues as Arkon faces ogres, lava men, dragons, and the evil witch queen Morgan Le Fay.
While not set in your average fantasy world, Weirdworld hearkens back to pulp sword & sorcery stories and it’s a must-read if you’re looking to give your RPG sessions a unique flavor. The series is followed by a second Weirdworld title in 2016.
6. Conan The Barbarian
Writer: Jason Aaron
Artist: Mahmud Asrar
An anthology with an overarching story, Conan the Barbarian (2019) presents us with a treasury of original tales set across different ages of Conan’s life, being a rich source of ideas for your campaign. See the sullen-eyed barbarian set aside his difference with the savage Picts to fight off the dangerous ghost snakes; see Conan return to his village in Cimmeria only to find his people enthralled by dark sorcery; and witness the moment the barbarian comes face-to-face with the god Crom himself.
7. Dungeons & Dragons: In The Shadow of Dragons
Writer: Jay Donovan
Artist: Tyler Walpole
Set in the world of Greyhawk, Dungeons & Dragons: In The Shadow of Dragons show us the city of Rel Astra being threatened by the blue dragon Blackwing and his siblings who arrive seeking a mysterious artifact. The problem? No one seems to know what the artifact is, let alone where it could be.
Now, in hopes of finding a way to ward off the creatures, a wizard apprentice is sent out to find a fabled wizard said to have the power to defeat dragons. He isn’t going alone, however, as he is protected by his companions, which includes a paladin, a bodyguard, a rogue, and more adventurers they recruit along the way. Troglodytes, hags, gnolls, bugbears, and a plethora of other classic D&D monsters are waiting to face their doom at the hands of our heroes in this eight-issue series.
Comic Book Club Live Info:
Discover more from Comic Book Club
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.