Book Review: Delicious in Dungeon
By Liz Brown
This series is a collaboration between ALA’s Gaming Round Table and the Graphic Novel and Comics Round Table (GNCRT.) GNCRT members have written comics recommendations for crossover media related to gaming that GameRT members might enjoy and use in their praxis. You can find more information about the GNCRT here.
- Title: Delicious in Dungeon
- Creator: Ryoko Kui
- Translator: Taylor Engel
- Lettering: Abigail Blackman
- Publisher: Yen Press
- Publication date: May 2017
- ISBN: 9780316471855
In a fantasy world molded around a world-consuming Dungeon, a crew of adventurers has just lost a valuable party member to a dragon. Low on supplies, gold, and morale they decide to ignore the risks and brave the inner sanctum of The Dungeon without restocking on supplies. To survive the depths, they come to the realization that they must eat the monsters they slay.
This manga has wonderful world-building concepts and creative details that fans of virtual and tabletop RPGs will both enjoy. By expounding on different monsters’ anatomy and converting enemies into entrees, the manga creators play with established tropes like mimics and slimes, while also coming up with unique solutions to the question, “what’s for dinner?”- such as farming and foraging on the backs of golems. The primary plot line is kept fresh by having the characters explore different environments and introducing rivals for the protagonists’ treasures and meals. The characters’ themselves demonstrate thoughtful development and progression- not all members of the party adapt to their new diet with ease. This comic is a light-hearted, humorous tromp with plenty of adventure to go around.
The series was announced to be in development for an anime by Studio Trigger in August 2022.