Bloody Hell, D&D's New 'The Fallbacks' Comic Sounds Like My Kind of Chaotic Adventure
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Greg Pak, the legendary writer behind *Planet Hulk*, is bringing his chaotic D&D adventures to Dark Horse with *The Fallbacks*, a new comic series launching October 15th that promises low-level heroes, morally grey situations, and a refreshing challenge to tired fantasy tropes, inspired by Pak's own tabletop mishaps.
Right then, gather 'round, mates. You know that feeling when you're deep in a D&D campaign, meticulously planning your next move, and then someone (usually the rogue, let's be fair) does something utterly bananas that blows the whole meticulously crafted plan into the next dimension? That glorious, unpredictable chaos? Well, it sounds like that very spirit is about to leap off the page and into a new Dark Horse comic series, *Dungeons & Dragons: The Fallbacks*, hitting shelves on October 15th.
And who's the digital wizard conjuring this glorious mess, you ask? None other than Greg Pak – yeah, *that* Greg Pak, the bloke who penned *Planet Hulk* and a fair few *Batman/Superman* tales. So, we're not talking about some wide-eyed newbie here. This is a seasoned storyteller, and what's got my curiosity meter blinking like a runaway magic item is that this series is apparently drenched in the kind of unpredictable antics that make real D&D games so bloody legendary.
Now, Pak's journey back to the hallowed halls of tabletop adventuring is a cracker. He first rolled dice back in middle school, then took a hiatus, only to pick it up again in 2019 with a multi-generational group of old college mates and their kids. You can just imagine the scenes, can't you? Kids asking 'But why *can't* I befriend the goblin?' while the grown-ups try to remember which spell does what. It's in these glorious, unscripted moments that the true magic of D&D lies, and it's clearly sparked something in Pak.
He tells Polygon (the chaps who snagged the exclusive preview, mind) that *The Fallbacks* was directly inspired by his own tabletop escapades. He recounted a scenario where his low-level party was wildly outmatched by some nasties lording over enslaved folk. His character, a 'chaotic good half-orc fighter,' just lost it. 'I started the fight against these ridiculously overpowered characters just because I was mad, my character was mad, and I didn’t feel like playing it smart,' Pak shared. Honestly, mate, if that isn't the most D&D thing ever, I don't know what is. We've all been there, haven't we? The moment you throw caution to the wind because your character's moral compass just went full supernova. It's the kind of decision that makes for amazing stories, even if it means a TPK.
And that's what Pak is hoping to capture in the comic – 'that sense of anything can happen that an actual D&D game has.' Fair dinkum, that's music to my ears. So often, tie-in media can feel a bit... sanitized, a bit too perfect. Like the heroes always make the optimal move, never accidentally set the tavern on fire. But the real joy of D&D is in the screw-ups, the unexpected alliances, the sheer, beautiful mess.
The comic itself, with art by Wilton Santos and Edvan Alves, follows a party that first popped up in Jaleigh Johnson's 2024 D&D novel, *The Fallbacks: Bound for Ruin*. But don't you worry your pretty little head if you haven't read the book or even played D&D. Pak's made it clear it's a jump-in-and-play sort of deal. You'll meet the titular Fallbacks as they swagger into the city of Loudwater and immediately — *immediately* — run afoul of the guards. Their crime? Refusing to help stop some kobolds from nicking food. Now, that's a brilliant hook, isn't it?
This isn't your grandad's 'kill all the green skins' fantasy. Pak is actively pushing back against those old, lazy tropes. 'I’m not a fan of narratives that paint entire peoples as one thing or another, and that kind of thing is rife in fantasy worlds where all dwarves are greedy and all orcs are evil,' he explained. He recalls the good old days (or maybe not so good) of just opening a dungeon door and immediately attacking goblins 'because goblins are evil.' But in *The Fallbacks*' world, it's not so black and white. It's a bloody breath of fresh air, honestly. The world's moved on, and it's high time fantasy narratives stopped treating entire races as one-note villains.
And get this – the Fallbacks are low-level characters. None of that busting out resurrection spells willy-nilly. Pak and the team are consciously keeping their feats, spells, and abilities within a realistic low-level range, which means they'll have to get creative, rely on their wits, and probably make some hilariously bad decisions. That, mate, is genuine tension. Not knowing if your wizard has a 'Fireball' or just a 'Minor Illusion' is half the fun!
The party itself sounds like a right motley crew. There's Tessalynde Haldendria, a rogue who's apparently a reluctant leader, a bit like Wolverine leading a Marvel team (which, let's face it, is always entertaining). Then you've got Baldric Goodhand, a 'very pragmatic cleric' who apparently negotiates with divinities for spells rather than proper worship – a brilliant bit of character quirk there. And finally, my personal favourite, a 'semi-domesticated otyugh' named Uggie. An otyugh! A big, garbage-eating monstrosity as a party member? That's peak D&D adventuring right there, I reckon. It's these kinds of choices that really show the 'anything can happen' spirit.
Naturally, being a bunch of outsiders and underdogs who won't just blindly follow authority, they end up clashing with a rival adventuring party. And guess what? This rival crew is the archetypal 'hero' group – devout cleric, wise old wizard, and an unwavering belief that kobolds are just agents of evil dragons. The contrast is brilliant, highlighting the central theme of the comic: what *is* a hero, really? Is it what those in power want, or what the downtrodden need? Or perhaps, as Pak puts it, 'what individuals who are caught in the middle of this who suddenly find themselves in a position of responsibility would call a hero.' That's a deep dive, mate, and it's one I'm genuinely excited to see explored in a D&D context.
So, if you're like me, always on the lookout for a story that embraces the glorious chaos of tabletop RPGs, challenges tired fantasy tropes, and gives a voice to the unexpected heroes, then *Dungeons & Dragons: The Fallbacks* looks like it's going to be a bloody good time. Mark your calendars for October 15th, because this could be the comic adventure we didn't know we needed. And who knows, it might even inspire your next D&D session to go delightfully, disastrously off-script. Wouldn't that be grand?
This initial glimpse into *The Fallbacks* was first brought to light through an exclusive preview shared on Polygon, courtesy of Samantha Nelson.
Tags: Dungeons & Dragons, Comics, Tabletop RPG, Fantasy, Greg Pak
Original article: Polygon