Dungeon

Bedecked with skulls and wielding a gigantic pike, Marvin is a principal guardian of a huge castle of monsters. Ababakar Octoflea is the fearless barbarian sent on a mission to thwart disaster.

Marvin is an alligator. Ababakar is a duck Dungeon #1 from NBM Pub-lishing ($2.95, 23 pages) is a first class piece of comic book fantasy.

Dungeon is a great deal like Groo The Wanderer, except that it isn't. Both are drawn in a style close to a doodle, but Dungeon is a bit more detailed and imaginative in the depiction of its monsters. Both parody the barbarian sub genre made famous by Robert E. Howard's Conan, the Barbarian. But Dungeon is also a parody of the entire genre of heroic fantasy. Both titles are also well written, but Dungeon lacks the formulistic plots that weaken Groo.

The strength of both series lies in characterization.

The characters as written by Lewis Trondeim and drawn by Joann Sfar in this title are fully fleshed out and intriguing, often playing visual stereotypes against character traits that are very human.

A visual eyesore in the tradition of fantasy monsters, Marvin the alligator is levelheaded, slow to anger, dependable, and heroic. The gigantic quest initiated by Marvin's master will surely meet with success only by the hand, er, claw of Marvin.

The hero apparent of Dungeon, however, is a lying, sniveling coward of a duck thrown into this adventure by his own deceit and ineptness.

And, ah, what a thrilling adventure with swords, sorcerers, hooded threats and peril behind every stone. Bizarre creatures and talking belt-buckles. Is it any wonder that Dungeon is highly recommended for readers who love fantasy? MV

MINIVIEW: The Stuff of Dreams [Fantagraphics] Waldo is back! This nihilistic, hedonistic homage to comics' cats Krazy and Felix turns a trip to a flea market into a wild dream of island shipwreck peppered with profanity, nudity and blasphemy. Well drawn.

MV

Shudder at Vance's Light's End horror short stories narrated by actor William Windom at www.plan9.org.
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