Dungeon Parade Vol 2: Day of the Toads

Dungeon Parade Vol 2: Day of the Toads

By Joann Sfar, Lewis Trondheim & Manu Larcenet (NBM)
ISBN: 978-1-56163-507-8

This slim tome is part of an eccentric, raucous and addictively wacky franchise that it’s best to experience rather than read about. As well as Parade, Dungeon also features in Zenith, Early Years and Twilight. There’s this magic castle, right, and it’s got a dungeon…

The inhabitants of this weirdly surreal universe include a duck with a magic sword that forces him to channel dead heroes and monsters, an ibis who knows everything, assorted talking animals, monsters, demons and smart-alecs. There’s always something happening and it’s usually quite strange…

In this volume, an invasion of vampires leads inevitably to an infestation of venomous flying toads, whilst later the castle cess-pit is jammed and our stalwarts discover that taking a school-party along when trying to dislodge decades of backed-up ordure isn’t very smart. Moreover any civilisation and eco-system that might develop in such a situation doesn’t take kindly to being flushed away…

Surreal, earthy, sharp and even poignant, this fantasy comedy is subtly addictive to read and the vibrant, wildly eccentric cartooning is an absolute marvel of wild, graphic style. Perhaps a little advanced for younger kids, Dungeon is the kind of near-the-knuckle, illicit read that older kids will love.

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