Dungeons & Dragons: Forgotten Realms #1

IDW's Dungeons & Dragons: Forgotten Realms #1 drops readers straight into the chaos of the Realms, with Tyler Walpole's cover painting a vivid scene of a mixed adventuring party — a dark-haired woman in a red corset, a feather-capped rogue, and a blond warrior with blade drawn — bracing against a press of enemies that includes a snarling yuan-ti and a robed figure, while a dragon wheels ominously through stormy skies overhead. The sheer density of threats on display makes it clear this opening issue isn't easing anyone in gently. With Ed Greenwood — the creator of the Forgotten Realms setting itself — at the helm alongside artist Lee Ferguson and inker Sal Buscema, this 2012 series carries some serious creative weight from the very first page.