Customer Reviews

The Return of King Doug

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I really enjoyed this book, which is a comic take on fantasy adventure classics like Lord of the Rings, and especially, Chronicles of Narnia. In this case, the hero is a reluctant slacker named Doug, who, as an eight-year-old, was prophesied to be the "Chosen One" who would save the magical kingdom of Valdonia from an evil queen. Instead, he fled, and Valdonia was enslaved. Now a dysfunctional adult, Doug is called back to Valdonia to rescue his son and fulfill his heroic destiny, kicking and screaming all the way. There is a great mixture of humor, fantasy and action here. The world of Valdonia is hilariously off kilter, with centaurs re-imagined as over-the-hill jocks, cantankerous feuding oracles, and the Munchkin-like Tum Tums, who are not quite as adorable as their name implies. The art has a bright, anime-influenced style, and the story is witty enough to please adults and yet accessible enough to engage a seven year old (mine loved it).

Imagine the Chronicles of Narnia books if they had featured real children. Real children who freak-out when the great battle between good and evil is about to go down and hightail it out of there. That's the premise of this smart and funny graphic novel. As a child, Doug was "the chosen one" and was to lead an army of good against the forces of evil in a magical land, but he chickens out and escapes back into the real world. Decades later, he is a single dad and perpetual loser who can't see anything through to the end. When his son stumbles his way into the magical kingdom, Doug is forced to go back to save him and face the people he left behind. A warped sense of humor permeates throughout this surprisingly sweet tale. The jokes are smart enough for adults, but gentle enough for kids as there is no sex or crude language. Recommended.

A young boy on the verge of manhood discovers a portal to magical land in peril, and discovers he alone holds the key to its salavation. Think you've heard this tale before? Not like this you haven't. The Return of King Doug is a (welcome) refreshing spin on a classic story that manages to do what real humor does best: pay homage and poke fun in just the right balance. Working with a storyline we all think we know, I'd imagine it would be easy to just go for the cheap laughs and move on, but the delightful appeal here is that King Doug treats the "source material" (and the reader) with the perfect mix of reverence and respect.

Easily one of the more fun and imanginative graphic novels I've read in a long time, and allows for plenty of breezy, escapist fun. Bonus points for a couple of laugh-out-loud jokes I won't spoil for you here. The friend who recommended the book to me said it was like The Princess Bride meets Scott Pilgrim, and after giving it a read, I'm happy to say I couldn't agree more. With its fast-paced storyline, stylish art, quick wit, and engaging characters who manage to surprise you with every turn of the page, its clear King Doug's creators want you to have as much fun reading it as they obviously had creating it. Their fun becomes our fun and the end result is irresistable. But perhaps The Return of King Doug's greatest gift is that it takes a familair sounding tale and manages to make it new and fresh all at the same time.

I also thought the hardback cover was a nice touch, and showed the publisher went the extra mile in making sure The Return of King Doug finds itself properly displayed on the shelf amongst the classics.

Okay, so you look at the cover and you can kind of tell what happens. A guy with a sword, monsters, a dark tower... looks cool.

What you can't tell is that it's hilarious. It does everything you want in an adventure story while making fun of itself, plus it makes you laugh retroactively at all the other adventure stories you've read.

Here's the thing - it's a comedy that's actually funny.

The Return of King Doug takes on the Fantasy/Adventure genre and gives it a refreshing twist, complete with genuine laughter for the reader. What struck me the most about this book is at its core it has a lot of heart. Never does the story or the characters lapse into the kinds of cynicism that so dominate comic books and graphic novels these days. It's smart without being obnoxious and sincere without being sappy. Because of this, King Doug is a book that is just as enjoyable for younger readers as well as old.

I actually laughed out loud while reading this book. I don't usually do reviews but I thought this graphic novel deserved one. The pacing is quick and the authors hit you with some wacky premises. Its a fantasy setting with a reality twist. The authors captured the dreams of a schoolboy and brought them to life for a grownup market. When I finished the book, the first word I thought of was refreshing. If you want a sojourn away from the dark stuff, this is the perfect read.