Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins

Last updated
Vox Machina
Critical Role Vox Machina Origins Vol 1 Cover.jpg
Trade paperback cover art by Stjepan Sejic
Group publication information
Publisher Dark Horse Comics
First appearance Critical Role: Vox Machina – Origins vol. 1 #1 (September 2017)
Created by Matthew Mercer
Cast of Critical Role
In-story information
Type of organization Adventuring party
Agent(s)Vax'ildan "Vax" Vessar
Vex'ahlia "Vex" Vessar
Keyleth of the Air Ashari
Scanlan Shorthalt
Grog Strongjaw
Tiberius Stormwind
Pike Trickfoot
Percival "Percy" Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III
Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins
Series publication information
ScheduleIrregular
Format Limited series
Genre Fantasy
Dungeons & Dragons
Publication dateSeptember 2017 – present
Number of issues18
Creative team
Writer(s)Matthew Colville (vol. 1)
Jody Houser (vol. 2–4)
Artist(s)Olivia Samson (vol. 1–3)
Noah Hayes (vol. 4)
Letterer(s)Chris Northrop (vol. 1)
Ariana Maher (vol. 2–4)
Colorist(s)Chris Northrop (vol. 1)
MSASSYK (vol. 2–3)
Diana Sousa (vol. 3–4)
Creator(s)Matthew Mercer
Cast of Critical Role
Editor(s)F. Avedon-Arcadio Barrera II (vol. 1)
Rachel Roberts (vol. 1–2)
Jenny Blenk (vol. 1–2)

Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins is a comic series, published by Dark Horse Comics, based on the American Dungeons & Dragons web series Critical Role . The comics act as a prequel story and covers how the characters became the adventuring party known as Vox Machina before the events of the web series. Matthew Colville was the writer on the first volume with Jody Houser becoming the writer on the subsequent three volumes. Olivia Samson was the artist on the first three volumes with Noah Hayes becoming the artist on the fourth volume.

Contents

The first six issues were published digitally, starting in September 2017, followed by print collections of the issues released in May 2018 and October 2019. A second set of six issues followed in 2019, both digitally and in print, and was also collected into a printed volume in August 2020. A third volume, with six issues released both digitally and in print, was published in 2021 with its print collection following in November 2022. A fourth volume has been announced for release in 2024.

Plot summary

Volume 1

The half-elven rogue Vax'ildan and the ranger Vex'ahlia, his twin sister, are investigating the swamp near the city of Stilben on behalf of peasant residents who believe a curse is responsible for killing their children. After they battle shark-speakers, a squirrel reveals itself to be the half-elven druid Keyleth who then heals Vax. Keyleth is also investigating the swamp, on behalf of a sorcerer friend, to verify if the swamp is being poisoned rather than cursed. The twins return to the city to track down the alchemist who informed the peasants that the swamp was cursed. The alchemist heads to a meeting; Iselda steps out of a mirror and informs him that she'll take care of the people following him. In a nearby ally, the twins fend off an attack.

The gnome bard Scanlan and the goliath barbarian Grog, along with other mercenaries, successfully raid a fish-god temple and return to Stilben to have an alchemist identify a potion they recovered. Upon arrival to the alchemist's shop, the group is attacked and a member is killed. Later, after recounting their tale at a tavern, they are approached by the dragonborn sorcerer Tiberius who identifies the potion as a type of poison used by an assassins guild based in Wildemount and buys the vial. Keyleth and Tiberius attend a meeting where their group is given twelve hours by the Clasp, a criminal guild, to identify what is killing the peasants; Keyleth and Tiberius spilt off to investigate on their own. Each pair manages to track down the alchemist hiding in a sewer lair at the same time, leading them to attack each other before grouping together to fend off an attack from the alchemist's allies. While initially successful, the group is attacked by Iselda who ambushes them by stepping out of a mirror; she seriously damages the group before fleeing through the mirror with the alchemist. Tiberius identifies her as a member of the Myriad, a Wildemount crime syndicate.

After healing up, each pair splits up again. Vax is then kidnapped by Iselda; Vex seeks help from both Scanlan and Grog's group and Tiberius and Keyleth's group. Neither group can help, so Vex storms off but Keyleth follows after and joins Vex who retrieves her pet bear Trinket. Vex, Keyleth, Tiberius, Scanlan and Grog converge on the docks as a nearby ship explodes; Vax has managed to escape on his own. As a group, they storm the ship and discover that both a poison and a ritual spell are being used to harm the swamp the peasants depend on. After creatively diluting the spell, they are attacked by Iselda who transforms into a fiend. While almost being overwhelmed, Grog kills Iselda and the group decides to get to know one another.

Volume 2

Following another successful job in Stilben, the party celebrates in a tavern; in the middle of the night, Grog has a vision of his father and leaves. At breakfast, the group realize that Grog is missing and the twins learn from the city guard that a goliath with an ax left at dawn heading towards Westruun. They decide to go after Grog except for Tiberius who splits off to pursue research in the Ashen Gorge, the opposite direction. Their investigation in Westruun leads them to the home of the gnome cleric Pike and her great-great-grandfather Wilhand Trickfoot. Pike informs them that Grog is a childhood friend; Pike then channels her god, the Everlight, and scries on Grog. Her spell reveals that Grog is in a nearby mountain known for madness and she decides to join the group to rescue him.

On their journey, Pike tells the party that Grog protected Wilhand from a group of half-giants, including Grog's uncle, who then proceeded to beat Grog to near death. Wilhand and Pike took Grog in and nursed him back to health. Inside the mountain, the group discover a tattered shadow skeletal creature, Drath Mephrun, who has magically ensnared Grog along with a bunch of skeletons, including Grog's father. They beat the creature, rescue Grog who is left with an itchy scar, and then bury Grog's father. Back in Westruun, they look for help to heal Grog's scar; however, at the Temple Ward, they are informed Lady Kima of Vord is away on pilgrimage and at Greystone Tower, they are informed that Realmseer Eskil Ryndarien has a nine week long waitlist. Regrouping at a tavern, they are approached by Drez Vina, a representative of the Realmseer's rival, who offers them a way into his tower if the group agrees to steal an object from the tower.

After agreeing, the group infiltrate the mage tower; the group's behavior and discussion (including the decision to not steal the object) intrigue Eskil who then identifies Grog's scar as a curse that will allow Drath Mephrun to return via a makeshift lichdom ritual. Eskil can cure Grog but only if the group splits up to retrieve two components. Vex, Vax, and Grog head to the Frostweald Forest to retrieve the heart of a nymph. Overcoming basilisks, they reach the nymph's sanctuary; while the twins discuss a plan of action, Grog walks up to the nymph who then whisks him away via portal and then returns him to the sanctuary with a nymph's heart. Pike, Scanlan, and Keyleth head to the Umbra Hills to retrieve the skull of a nightmare. In Jorenn Village, their investigation leads them to a local jail where they discover gunslinger Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III. Percy was pursuing a doctor who was meeting a local cult; the cult plans on summoning a nightmare. Subsequent a jailbreak, Percy helps them fight the cult, kill the nightmare and then joins the group. Upon regrouping, Eskil begins the ritual but Grog is possessed by Drath Mephrun. The group successfully fight to keep Grog in the ritual circle until Eskil destroys the near-lich. Eskil informs them that they now owe him a favor; later in the tavern, Drez Vina informs the group that they now owe his master a favor for failing at the job.

Publication history

Creative origins

Critical Role began as a private Dungeons & Dragons game with Matthew Mercer as the Dungeon Master and creator of the Exandria setting. Each cast member created their own character to play in the campaign. When Geek & Sundry moved "the group's existing home game into its studio" as a weekly web series in 2015, the story of Vox Machina started in media res. [1] [2] Prior to the publication of Vox Machina: Origins, most information on the group's adventures pre-stream came from a short video summary. Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins is an adaptation of the group's game before the show. [1]

Volume 1

In July 2017, at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con, it was announced that a comic covering the origin of Vox Machina would be published. [3] [4] [5] It was written by Matthew Colville, drawn by Olivia Samson (a long-time member of the Critical Role community [2] ), and both colored and lettered by Chris Northrop. [6] [7] In September 2017, Geek & Sundry announced that they partnered with Dark Horse Comics to publish the comic book and that it would be available digitally beginning September 2017. [8]

The first digital issue was released on September 20, 2017 with a cover by Deborah Hauber. [9] [10] [11] On May 31, 2018, two hardcover editions collecting Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins #1–#6 were released. [12] Both editions include annotated cover process pieces, preliminary character sketches, and character descriptions with stats. The limited edition is bound in faux leather and came with a lithograph and cloth portfolio, all housed in a faux leather slipcase. [13] The limited edition is now out of print. [14] A trade paperback, Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume 1 was released on October 15, 2019. [12]

Volume 2

Following successful sales of the first mini-series, Dark Horse announced [1] on March 11, 2019 that a second volume, also of six issues, would continue the Vox Machina Origins story. [12] [15] The second volume was released as a print comic instead of a digital first comic. [1] Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume 2 was written by Jody Houser, drawn by Olivia Samson, colored by MSASSYK, lettered by Ariana Maher, and published by Dark Horse Comics. [16] In an interview, Houser said, "I have an outline from the Critical Role folks. They do give notes on each issue to make sure character voices/details and other elements such as the way spells work are consistent. It's a collaborative process. [17]

Issue one was released digitally and in print on July 10, 2019. [1] The six issues were collected as a trade paperback that released on August 12, 2020. [18] A hardcover limited edition collecting these issues was also released on August 18, 2020 with a faux-leather cover and slipcase along with a lithograph art print. [14]

On June 15, 2020, an omnibus hardcover edition collecting the first two volumes of Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins was announced. Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Library Edition Vol. 1 was published by Dark Horse Comics and released first in comic book stores on November 11, 2020, and then followed with a wide release on November 24, 2020. [19] On Women Write About Comics, reviewer Nola Pfau called the omnibus "MASSIVE. It's larger than a comic, it's larger even than a D&D book. It's 12¼” tall, 9¼” wide, and 1¼” thick, three hundred and twenty glossy, thick pages, and it weighs…look, I dunno, a ton? I feel like I could do arm curls with it to tone my biceps." [20]

Volume 3

In June 2020, ComicBook reported that on the last page of the final issue of Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume 2 there was a small textbox that promised "the adventures would continue in Vox Machina Origins Series 3." [21] In September 2020, it was announced that the creative team of the second volume – writer Houser and artist Samson – would return for the third volume and that the first issue would be released on December 9, 2020. [22] [23] However, the release was delayed and the first issue was released on February 10, 2021. [24] [25] MSASSYK returned as the colorist on the first issue with Diana Sousa as the colorist on the subsequent issues. [26]

A trade paperback, collecting the volume's six issues, was scheduled to be released on November 2, 2022. A hardcover limited edition collecting these issues was also set to be released on November 2, 2022 with a faux-leather cover and slipcase along with a lithograph art print. [27] [28] [29] It had a wide release in December 2022. [30] [31]

Volume 4

The fourth volume was announced in January 2024 – this six issue miniseries is scheduled for release beginning in May 2024. Houser, Sousa, and Maher are returning as writer, colorist and letterer, respectively, with new artist Noah Hayes. [32]

Reception

Accolades and sales

In The New York Times Best Seller list for November 2019, Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume 1 was 12th in "Graphic Books and Manga". [33] In USA Today's Best Seller list for October 24, 2019, Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume 1 was 96th. [34] In the Diamond Comic Distributors' "Best-Selling Graphic Novels" sales list, Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume 1 was 8th in October 2019 [35] and 27th in the January 2020 list; [36] in their "Top 500 Graphic Novels: Year 2019", the trade paperback was 57th "based on total unit sales of products invoiced". [37] In 2019, Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins was Dark Horse's 6th best selling title with 19,000 copies sold. [38]

In The New York Times Best Seller list for September 2020, Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume 2 was 13th in "Graphic Books and Manga". [39] In Publishers Weekly's "Best-selling Books Week Ending August 23, 2020", Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume 2 was 6th in "Trade Paperbacks". [40] [41] In USA Today's Best Seller list for August 27, 2020, Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume 2 was 109th. [42] In 2020, the first volume was Dark Horse's 7th best selling title with 18,000 copies sold and the second volume was Dark Horse's 10th best selling title with 17,000 copies sold; the library edition containing both volumes sold "around 9600 copies". [43] Brian Hibbs, in The Beat 's analysis of 2021 comics sales, commented that "the third big success for Dark Horse in licensed comics is Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins, where the big hardcover of Series 1 & 2 comes in as their #9 best-seller with almost 17k sold". [44] In December 2022, Jody Houser was 13th on NPD BookScan's "Top 20 Author Graphic Novels" for Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume 3. [45]

Colorist Diana Sousa was nominated for the "Eisner Award for Best Coloring" at the 2023 Eisner Awards for her work on Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins, The Mighty Nein Origins: Yasha Nydoorin, The Mighty Nein Origins: Fjord Stone, and The Mighty Nein Origins: Caleb Widogast. [46]

Reviews

Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins (the first volume) was 8th on CBR 's "10 Best Comic Books & Graphic Novels Any D&D Player Should Read" list. [47] Steve Gustafson, for 411Mania, gave the first issue of Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume 1 an 8 out of 10 and wrote: "Samson's art is quite nice, and complements Mercer and Colville's storytelling well. The fantasy art brings to mind a cleaner, more defined tone than a book like Saga , differentiating itself nicely. [...] All in all, Vox Machina – Origins serves as an effective jumping-off point for people who want to learn what all the Critical Role fuss is about, but it also stands strong as its own thing too. There's enough here for readers to want to keep progressing". [48] In coverage of ComiXology's Bestseller List for April 21, 2018, Bleeding Cool highlighted that "Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins has been a huge digital success. Based on the popular roleplaying podcast, Critical Role, and only available digitally, this surprise hit has managed to beat Mister Miracle ". [49]

Cori McCreery, for WWAC, highlighted that Tiberius was written out of the prequel comic in the second volume. She wrote, "Part of the beauty of adaptations is that you can change things that no longer fit the story you want to tell. The Critical Role team had a falling out with the actor who played Tiberius, and the character wound up leaving the game pretty early on into the stream, and leaving a bit of a conundrum for adaptations like this and the upcoming cartoon. [...] So while I don't know if they're writing the character out in the comics earlier than he left the game, I do know that they do not plan to use him in the animated series, despite his being present for some of the adventures there. I'd be perfectly fine if this adaptation took a page from the medium it's part of and provides everyone with a retcon of the group's past". [50] Christian Hoffer of ComicBook.com gave the sixth issue of Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume 2 a rating of 4 out of 5 and wrote: "Critical Role's second miniseries ends in a bit of a rushed fashion, but it's still an enjoyable one and hints at greater adventures to come. [...] There's still tons of great character moments and most importantly the feeling that Vox Machina's adventures are just getting started." [51]

Nola Pfau of WWAC compared the work of the different creative teams in her review of the library edition which collects the first two volumes – she viewed the second volume as "stronger, be that a function of Houser's experience or the fact that she had to do less team-assembling and was more free to simply jump into a story," and attributed the second volume's more female gaze to "all of the creative duties in the second arc" being "handled by women". [20] Pfau liked Matthew Colville's "repeating motifs" and thought he did an "excellent job" at pulling "disparate stories" together; she opined that Colville's character work leaned "heavier" on Dungeons & Dragons character class archetypes than Jody Houser's. [20] She also commented that the library edition highlights the impact of "different letterers and colorists" and that "it's not that the first arc is bad in any way, it's just that it has the unfortunate luck of being paired in this single volume with another, one that reads like a masterclass in comics work". [20] Pfau wrote that Chris "Northrop's colors are brighter hued, vibrant greens and blues, whereas MSASSYK leeches that vibrancy out, giving everything a more dank, oppressive feel" and that while "Northrop's letters get the job done", Ariana "Maher's lettering work is tighter, more precise [...]. It's all subtle work but it has the same effect as MSASSYK's colors, above—it's more atmospheric, it draws the reader further into the story". [20]

Hoffer, for ComicBook, also gave the first issue of Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume 3 a rating of 4 out of 5 and wrote: "After Vox Machina spends away their latest earnings on various pleasures (the montage is one of the best parts of these comics so far and perfectly captures the personalities of the team), the group is recruited for an underground fighting ring that may be more than meets the eye. Another solid comic that only requires the scantest of information about Critical Role to enjoy. This remains one of the best fantasy comics on stands today". [25]

Collected editions

TitleMaterial collectedFormatPublication datePagesISBNRef
Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume 1 Standard EditionCritical Role: Vox Machina Origins #1–6HardcoverMay 31, 2018160 [52]
Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume 1 Limited EditionCritical Role: Vox Machina Origins #1–6HardcoverMay 31, 2018160 [52]
Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume 1Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins #1–6Trade paperbackOctober 15, 2019168 ISBN   9781506714813 [53]
Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume 2Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Series Two #1-6Trade paperbackAugust 12, 2020152 ISBN   9781506714493 [14] [54]
Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume 2 Limited EditionCritical Role: Vox Machina Origins Series Two #1-6HardcoverAugust 18, 2020152 [14] [55]
Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Series I & II Library EditionCritical Role: Vox Machina Origins #1-6,

Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Series Two #1-6

HardcoverNovember 11, 2020320 ISBN   9781506721736 [19] [14] [56]
Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume 3Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Series Three #1-6Trade paperbackNovember 2, 2022152 ISBN   9781506723686 [27] [57] [30]
Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume 3 Limited EditionCritical Role: Vox Machina Origins Series Three #1-6HardcoverNovember 2, 2022 ISBN 978-1-50673-427-9 [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Miller</span> American writer, artist, and film director (born 1957)

Frank Miller is an American comic book artist, comic book writer, and screenwriter known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as his run on Daredevil, for which he created the character Elektra, and subsequent Daredevil: Born Again, The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: Year One, Sin City, and 300.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dark Horse Comics</span> American comic book and manga publisher

Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, and manga publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, Oregon, comic book shops known as Pegasus Books and founded in 1980.

In comics in the United States, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually presenting either a complete miniseries, a story arc from a single title, or a series of stories with an arc or common theme.

<i>Avatar: The Last Airbender</i> (comics) American comic book series

The Avatar: The Last Airbender comics are an official continuation of the original Nickelodeon animated television series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. The series includes The Lost Adventures, published from 2005 to 2011 and set between episodes of the original series, and the graphic novel trilogies, published since 2012 and set a few years after the original series. A related comic continuation, taking place seven decades later, The Legend of Korra, began publication in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marieke Nijkamp</span> Dutch author

Marieke Nijkamp is a Dutch New York Times bestselling author of novels for young adults.

<i>Critical Role</i> American Dungeons & Dragons web series

Critical Role is an American web series in which a group of professional voice actors plays Dungeons & Dragons. The show started streaming partway through the cast's first campaign in March 2015. Campaign one ended in October 2017 after 115 episodes, and campaign two started in January 2018 and ended in June 2021 after 141 episodes. A number of one-shots were aired in the hiatus between the two campaigns. After campaign two was completed, the spin-off limited series Exandria Unlimited aired from June 2021 to August 2021. The third campaign premiered on October 21, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marc Bernardin</span> American journalist, public speaker, TV and comic book writer, and podcaster

Marc Bernardin is an American journalist, public speaker, TV and comic book writer, and podcaster. He has served as film editor for the Los Angeles Times and senior editor for The Hollywood Reporter and Entertainment Weekly. He has written for GQ, Wired, Details, Vulture, Playboy, andEmpire. He has been a staff writer for Castle Rock, Treadstone and Carnival Row, and is currently a supervising producer on Star Trek: Picard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Critical Role Productions</span> Multimedia production company

Critical Role Productions, LLC is a multimedia production company incorporated in 2015 by the members of the creator-owned streaming show Critical Role. The first two shows from the company, Critical Role and Talks Machina, originally premiered on Geek & Sundry. The company moved to their own studio space in 2018, and began putting out new shows on their own Twitch and YouTube channels. A split from Legendary Digital Networks was completed in early 2019, at which point Critical Role Productions took over production responsibility and since then has continued to launch new shows independently.

<i>Critical Role</i> (campaign two) Campaign of the web series Critical Role

The second campaign of the Dungeons & Dragons web series Critical Role premiered on January 11, 2018—four months after the conclusion of the first campaign—and concluded on June 3, 2021. The series starred Travis Willingham, Marisha Ray, Taliesin Jaffe, Ashley Johnson, Sam Riegel, Liam O'Brien, and Laura Bailey as the players with Matthew Mercer as the Dungeon Master.

<i>Critical Role</i> (campaign one) Campaign of the web series Critical Role

The first campaign of the Dungeons & Dragons web series Critical Role premiered on March 12, 2015; it consisted of 115 episodes and concluded on October 12, 2017. It followed Vox Machina, a party of seven to eight adventurers, in their travels across the continent of Tal'Dorei. Campaign one broadcast live each Thursday at 19:00 PT on Geek & Sundry's Twitch channel, with the video on demand (VOD) being available to Twitch subscribers immediately after the broadcast. On the Monday following the live stream, the VODs were made available for the public on the Geek & Sundry YouTube channel.

<i>The Legend of Vox Machina</i> 2022 fantasy animated series

The Legend of Vox Machina is an American adult animated fantasy action television series produced by Metapigeon, Titmouse, Inc., and Amazon Studios, which premiered on Amazon Prime Video on January 28, 2022. The series is based on the first campaign of the Dungeons & Dragons web series Critical Role. It stars Laura Bailey, Taliesin Jaffe, Ashley Johnson, Matthew Mercer, Liam O'Brien, Marisha Ray, Sam Riegel, and Travis Willingham, reprising their roles from the campaign.

<i>Critical Role: TalDorei Campaign Setting</i> Tabletop role-playing game supplement

Critical Role: Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting is a sourcebook that details the continent of Tal'Dorei from the Critical Role campaign setting for the 5th edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It was published by Green Ronin Publishing and released on August 17, 2017; however, it is not considered "official" Dungeons & Dragons material. A revised edition, titled Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, was published by Darrington Press and released on January 18, 2022.

Critical Role, an American web series in which a group of professional voice actors play Dungeons & Dragons, has spawned many related products, including books, comics and an animated series, which are produced by Critical Role Productions. Various third-party, licensed works have also been released since Critical Role began in 2015.

<i>Critical Role</i> (campaign three) Campaign of the web series Critical Role

The third campaign of the Dungeons & Dragons web series Critical Role premiered on October 21, 2021; it is set after the conclusion of the second campaign and Exandria Unlimited. The series stars Marisha Ray, Ashley Johnson, Laura Bailey, Travis Willingham, Liam O'Brien, Taliesin Jaffe, and Sam Riegel as the players with Matthew Mercer as the Dungeon Master. Campaign three airs each Thursday at 7 p.m. PT on Critical Role Productions' Twitch and YouTube channels except for the last Thursday of each month.

<i>Critical Role: Vox Machina – Kith & Kin</i> 2021 novel by Marieke Nijkamp

Critical Role: Vox Machina – Kith & Kin is a 2021 fantasy novel by Marieke Nijkamp. It is the first prequel novel based on the web series Critical Role; it focuses on the twins Vex'ahlia "Vex" and Vax'ildan "Vax" Vessar, from campaign one, three years before they joined the adventuring party Vox Machina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jody Houser</span> American comics writer

Jody Houser is an American professional comics writer known for her work on adaptations and licensed properties. She was nominated for the Eisner Award in 2017 for her writing in the comic series Faith (2016). Additionally, she was the writer on the second volume of Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins, which became a New York Times best-seller in September 2020.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Hoffer, Christian (July 10, 2019). "Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins II #1 Review: Capturing the Spirit of the Beloved D&D Web Series". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on 2020-06-26. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
  2. 1 2 Hoffer, Christian (February 8, 2018). "Everything You Need to Know About 'Critical Role'". Comicbook.com. Archived from the original on 2021-01-26. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
  3. ↑ Matt Mercer On The Official Critical Role Comic Book (YouTube video). Dungeon Life. July 22, 2017. Event occurs at 00:08. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Just announced! An official #CriticalRole comic book written by @mattcolville is coming later this year! #TalksMachina #SDCC". Twitter . Geek & Sundry. July 22, 2017. Archived from the original on July 23, 2017. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
  5. ↑ Colville, Matthew (July 22, 2017). "So this first storyline is not only pre-stream, it's actually pre-game!". Twitter . Archived from the original on October 14, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
  6. ↑ Colville, Matthew (July 22, 2017). "Drawn by @fireStash! Colored and lettered by @chris_northrop!". Twitter . Archived from the original on October 14, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
  7. ↑ Kenreck, Todd (July 24, 2017). "Critical Role To Get An Official Comic Book Written By Matthew Colville". Forbes . Archived from the original on July 24, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Cover Reveal & Release Date: Critical Role from Dark Horse Comics". Geek & Sundry. September 6, 2017. Archived from the original on September 23, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Critical Role #1". Dark Horse Comics. September 20, 2017. Archived from the original on September 23, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
  10. ↑ Johnston, Rich (September 20, 2017). "Critical Role Gets A Comic Book Origin For The Vox Machina, Out Now". Bleeding Cool . Archived from the original on September 23, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
  11. ↑ Knox, Kelly (September 20, 2017). "Get a Peek Into 'Vox Machina: Origins' Issue 1". Geek & Sundry. Archived from the original on September 23, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
  12. 1 2 3 Romero, Rachel (March 11, 2019). "HYPE: Dark Horse Comic Series Updates & The Mighty Nein Art Book". Critical Role. Archived from the original on March 14, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
  13. ↑ "'Critical Role - Vox Machina: Origins' Hardback Edition". GeekDad. 2018-06-02. Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 "Your Guide to Critical Role and Dark Horse's Comic and Art Books". Critical Role. 2020-06-15. Archived from the original on 2020-09-26. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
  15. ↑ Thomas, Jeremy (March 11, 2019). "Critical Role Partners With Dark Horse For Vox Machina Origins Comic Series II, The Mighty Nein Art Book". 411MANIA. Archived from the original on 2020-08-08. Retrieved 2020-09-03.
  16. ↑ Johnston, Rich (2019-03-11). "Jody Houser to Write New Critical Role Comic, From Dark Horse". Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. Archived from the original on 2020-11-07. Retrieved 2020-09-03.
  17. ↑ McMillan, Graeme (July 8, 2019). "'Critical Role': Inside the Comic Spinoff 'Vox Machina Origins II'". Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2020-06-26. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
  18. ↑ "Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume 2 TPB :: Profile :: Dark Horse Comics". www.darkhorse.com. Archived from the original on 2020-06-27. Retrieved 2020-09-03.
  19. 1 2 McMillan, Graeme (June 15, 2020). "Dark Horse to Release 'Critical Role' Hardcover Omnibus | Hollywood Reporter". Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 2021-02-02. Retrieved 2020-09-03.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 Pfau, Nola (December 11, 2020). "REVIEW: Critical Role's Vox Machina Origins Library Edition Is A Satisfying Tome". WWAC. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  21. ↑ Hoffer, Christian (June 3, 2020). "Critical Role Confirms New Volume of Vox Machina Origins Comic is Coming". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on 2020-06-18. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
  22. ↑ Schedeen, Jesse (September 17, 2020). "Critical Role: Dark Horse Reveals New Comic Book Prequel to Popular Role-Playing Web Series". IGN . Archived from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  23. ↑ Hoffer, Christian (September 17, 2020). "New Critical Role Comic Hits Shelves in December". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on 2020-09-20. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
  24. ↑ "Exclusive Preview: Critical Role Vox Machina Origins III First Issue". ScreenRant. 2021-01-19. Archived from the original on 2021-01-28. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  25. 1 2 Hoffer, Christian (February 10, 2021). "Comic Book Reviews for This Week: 2/10/2021". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on 2021-02-10. Retrieved 2021-02-10.
  26. ↑ As seen in individual issue credits:
  27. 1 2 3 "Introducing Two Limited-Edition Critical Role Comics Exclusives". Critical Role (Press release). October 19, 2022. Archived from the original on October 22, 2022. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  28. ↑ "CRITICAL ROLE Reveals Special Limited Edition Comic Collections For The Holidays". GeekTyrant. October 24, 2022. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  29. ↑ Zambrano, J. R. (2022-10-27). "'Critical Role' Announces Dark Horse Special Edition Comic Collections". Bell of Lost Souls. Archived from the original on 2022-10-31. Retrieved 2022-10-31.
  30. 1 2 "Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume III by Jody Houser: 9781506723686 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books". PenguinRandomhouse.com. Archived from the original on May 15, 2022. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  31. ↑ "Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume III". Dark Horse Digital Comics. Archived from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  32. ↑ Polo, Susana (January 18, 2024). "Vox Machina's prequel comic series continues this May". Polygon. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  33. ↑ Valdez, Nick (November 12, 2019). "My Hero Academia Ranks High on New York Times' Graphic Novel Rankings". Comicbook.com. Archived from the original on 2020-10-25. Retrieved 2020-09-03.
  34. ↑ "Critical Role Vox Machina: Origins Volume 1". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2020-09-03.
  35. ↑ "Top 100 Graphic Novels: October 2019". www.diamondcomics.com. Archived from the original on 2021-04-17. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
  36. ↑ "Top 50 Best-Selling Graphic Novels for January 2020". www.diamondbookshelf.com. Archived from the original on 2020-09-30. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
  37. ↑ "Top 500 Graphic Novels: Year 2019". www.diamondcomics.com. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
  38. ↑ Hibbs, Brian (2020-07-07). "Tilting at Windmills #281 – Looking at BookScan: 2019". The Beat. Archived from the original on 2020-11-23. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
  39. ↑ "Graphic Books and Manga - Best Sellers - Books - Sept. 6, 2020". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2022-02-10. Retrieved 2022-02-10.
  40. ↑ Associated Press (August 27, 2020). "PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST-SELLERS". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2020-09-03.
  41. ↑ "Bestselling books for the week that ended Aug. 23". STLtoday.com. August 28, 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-08-29. Retrieved 2020-09-03.
  42. ↑ "Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume II - USA TODAY's". booklist.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2022-11-04.
  43. ↑ "Tilting at Windmills #285: Looking at NPD BookScan: 2020". The Beat. August 18, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  44. ↑ "Tilting at Windmills #289: Looking at NPD BookScan: 2021 – and it's a doozy". The Beat. April 6, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  45. ↑ "December 2022 NPD BookScan - Top 20 Author, Manga, Superhero Graphic Novels". ICv2 . January 12, 2023. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  46. ↑ MacDonald, Heidi (2023-05-17). "2023 Eisner Awards Nominations announced; Thorogood, Woodruff and King lead". The Beat. Archived from the original on 2023-06-03. Retrieved 2023-05-17.
  47. ↑ Natividad, Sid (2020-06-03). "10 Best Comic Books/Graphic Novels Any D&D Player Should Read". CBR. Archived from the original on 2020-09-17. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
  48. ↑ Gustafson, Steve (September 21, 2017). "411's Comic Reviews: Batman #31, Ben Reilly: The Scarlet Spider #7, More". 411MANIA. Archived from the original on 2020-08-12. Retrieved 2020-09-03.
  49. ↑ Johnston, Rich (2018-04-21). "ComiXology Bestseller List, 04/21/18: When My Little Pony Beats Up Weapon H". Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. Archived from the original on 2021-01-26. Retrieved 2020-09-03.
  50. ↑ "Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins is a Critical Success". WWAC. 2019-07-10. Archived from the original on 2021-12-01. Retrieved 2021-05-01.
  51. ↑ Hoffer, Christian (June 3, 2020). "Comic Book Reviews for This Week: 6/3/2020". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on 2020-10-22. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
  52. 1 2 "Vox Machina: Origins Hardcover On-Sale Info". Critical Role. 2018-05-17. Archived from the original on 2020-09-23. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
  53. ↑ "Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume 1 TPB :: Profile :: Dark Horse Comics". www.darkhorse.com. Archived from the original on 2021-01-31. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  54. ↑ "Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume 2 TPB :: Profile :: Dark Horse Comics". www.darkhorse.com. Archived from the original on 2020-06-27. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  55. ↑ "Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume 2 Limited Edition Hardcover". Critical Role - Void Tech Industries, LLC. Archived from the original on 2021-02-26. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  56. ↑ "Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Series I and II Library Edition HC :: Profile :: Dark Horse Comics". www.darkhorse.com. Archived from the original on 2021-01-26. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  57. ↑ "Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Volume 3 TPB :: Profile :: Dark Horse Comics". www.darkhorse.com. Archived from the original on May 15, 2022. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.