Writers: Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing
Penciler: Ibraim Roberson
Inker: Arabson Oliveira
Colorist: Dan Brown
Letterer: Haley Rose-Lyon
Cover artist: Esad Ribic
Thanks to Dark Horse Comics for the review copy!
The highly anticipated Dungeons & Dragons #1 is here! The comic was published on November 4th, 2026, and features a romp through the Forgotten Realms with a magic-drained Mordenkainen on a quest to reclaim his wizardry.
I got a chance to talk with the writers, Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly (aka Hivemind), at Dragon Con 2026 ahead of the release date, and got the inside scoop on issue #1 way early! So I knew what to expect, though I was no less excited, when they revealed one of the most iconic characters of the Forgotten Realms towards the end of the issue. Beware the SPOILERS tag below!
Familiar Territory for D&D Fans
The comic is set in the Forgotten Realms in the current day along with existing lore, and features a ton of familiar names for fans who have spent any amount of time reading or playing in this setting. And, as mentioned, our main character is Mordenkainen, and we follow him on a brand new adventure. Hear it straight from Jackson Lanzing in this clip of my interview with him and Collin Kelly at Dragon Con 2026.
https://www.tiktok.com/@thetenaciousdm/video/7694283484671593759
An Incredibly Familiar Name for True D&D Fans
(SPOILERS) It’s Drizzt Do’Urden! Lanzing and Kelly were brimming over with excitement holding onto the secret of securing approval to write this incredibly storied Drow into Dungeons & Dragons #1. Their excitement got me excited!
https://www.tiktok.com/@thetenaciousdm/video/7696532073615461662
Of course, Drizzt is the fourth member of this crew, which also features Volothamp Geddar (Volo), and Tasha (of Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything). Familiar names continue to be found throughout, not to mention that this story will certainly have plenty to do with the dragon god, Bahamut, who drained Mordenkainen of his magic in the first place.
Okay, But Is the Comic Any Good?
Yes! I will admit a bit of familiarity to the IP is almost certainly biasing my impression of the comic, but there is a lot to love in the art and the story to be found in Dungeons & Dragons #1. Lanzing and Kelly have a classic style that is well-adapted to this fantastical setting, and utilize a number of fun comic tricks to add flair to spellcasting and action sequences in particular.
This issue also does a great job at stringing up some threads for us to unravel later while setting up an intriguing premise to explore later in the run. I particularly enjoyed the decision to have Tasha send along a ‘sliver’ of herself, reminiscent of the times that Mordenkainen spent adventuring with her long ago. The relationship, both romantic and otherwise, between these two characters is compelling to this reader and I can’t wait to see how Mordenkainen reflects on himself through the lens of this facsimile of Tasha.
So yeah! Go read it! I’m very excited to follow this romp through the Forgotten Realms with these iconic characters. Lanzing and Kelly both remarked on how they wanted to create a bridge between comic and D&D fans through this work, and as someone who spends far more time playing TTRPGs than reading comics, having a new comic to be excited about is a very welcome feeling.
Dungeons & Dragons #1 was released on November 4th, 2026, and is now available wherever you get your comics.
Are you going to pick up the comic? Feel free to leave a comment below or chat with us on Threads at @theconventioncollective, or Bluesky at @theconcollective.bsky.social
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