Dungeon: Parade - Vol. 1: A Dungeon Too Many (v. 1) [Paperback]

Joann Sfar (Author), Lewis Trondheim (Author), Manu Larcenet (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Dungeon | Publication Date: April 1, 2007

The Parade branch of this great saga happens between the 1st and 2nd volumes of Zenith and presents light humorous stories of the adventures of Marvin the vegetarian dragon warrior and Herbert the Timorous. In this volume, the ultimate horror: Dungeon has competition! Special lower price! Great entry point to this vast fantasy spoof world.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up—Set in the already absurd Dungeon universe, this book collects two humorous stories that exist without any additional contribution to the overall saga, making it a great stand-alone volume but not the best introduction to the series. The first tale concerns a theme-park dungeon being built next to the eponymous setting, and the competition that arises between the real thing and its family-friendly knockoff. The second story involves the last wish of a genie's lamp, time travel, and fart jokes, as well as the interesting speciesism that crops up in a world populated by anthropomorphic animals. Both tales involve the fabulously macabre sense of humor that characterizes the series, with a childlike fascination with displays of gore and social commentary. The line work is raw and energetic, and may not appeal to those used to the clean compositions of American and Japanese comics, but after the initial immersion, there is much to like here. The character design is grossly comic, and the level of variety and detail that goes into populating the world with bizarre monsters is both endearing and fascinating.—Benjamin Russell, Belmont High School, NH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

In a tale from the halcyon days of Dungeon, business is booming, with the dungeon fulfilling the adventuring needs of all comers and all of its employees happy and content. Not all remains peaceful when a new and different sort of dungeon springs up next door. Its papier-mache walls, cotton candy, and on-the-hour puppet shows constitute a special sort of competition for the Keeper. Herbert the Duck, Marvin the Dragon, the Keeper, and the gang eventually sort things out and, in trueDungeon style, cast off on a tangent when they end up with a magic lamp with one wish left and must seek the sage, Matthias, about what to wish for. As usual, half the fun lies in how the story careers off in new directions. Sfar and coauthor Lewis Trondheim have never met a tangent they didn't like. Trondheim's art, with its nonsensical flourishes of cartoon violence, portrays the action and characterization that keep the Dungeon series entertaining. Plundering has never been so much fun! Tina Coleman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: NBM Publishing (April 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561634956
• ISBN-13: 978-1561634958
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #752,795 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #94 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Graphic Novels > Horror

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars TWO MASTERS AT WORK!, May 5, 2007

By 

Tim Janson (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Dungeon: Parade - Vol. 1: A Dungeon Too Many (v. 1) (Paperback)

If you've never read Dungeon before you're seriously missing out one one of the most clever and humorous series around. Created, written, and drawn by legendary French Cartoonists Joann Sfar and Lewis Trondheim. The series was originally published in France and has been translated and released in the United States by NBM publishing. The series is a parody of fantasy fiction heavily influenced by the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. The setting is the Dungeon of the title and is a place that caters to adventurers looking for a good time...and treasure, though most rarely survive to make it out.

Running the operation is a chicken in a top hat, Hyacinthe de Cavallere (aka the Dungeon Master). The DM is bossy and greedy (hence the reason most adventurers don't make it out with their spoils) but in generally a pretty good guy. He understands business and knows that sometime you've got to let warriors make it out with a few treasures because, after all, if you kill them all, then you're getting rid of all your customers!

Helping the Dungeon Master run things are Herbert the Duck and Marvin the Dragon. Herbert's a bit lazy, feigning death to get out of work. Marvin is a vegetarian red dragon who is Herbert's protector and a pleasant chap.

In Dungeon Parade, Volume 1, A Dungeon too Many, a lizard man arrives to apply for a job as an intern at the Dungeon. He's given the nickel tour and sent on his way...only to open up a rival dungeon, right across the...uhhh...street, for lack of a better word. Customers are streaming from all over the lands to visit Lilsnaught's new dungeon and seem to be having one heck of a great time. Dungeon Masters sends Marvin and Herbert over to investigate and they never return...Seems Lilsnaught has decided to pay them more to come and work for him! But Lilsnaught's dungeon is actually more of a theme park with rides and cotton candy...and he's making money hand over fist! The Dungeon Master is losing all of his business and is in danger of having to shut down!

This series is a true delight. Whether you're a Dungeons & Dragons fan or not, you can't help but be amused by the clever cartooning and the wittiness of the script. You'll never look at hordes of monsters the same way again. Great Fun!

REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun, lively story evolves., June 9, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dungeon: Parade - Vol. 1: A Dungeon Too Many (v. 1) (Paperback)

French humor artist Manu Larcenet illustrates a fine new adventure in the popular fantasy-comedy Dungeon series: this revolving around a vegetarian dragon and a self-centered duck who must defend the castle - however reluctantly. Here Herbert acquires a magical lamp with one wish left - and the Keeper of the castle sends Herbert and Marvin to a dying sage to decide what wish would be best. A fun, lively story evolves.