Dark Souls: The Complete Collection

This graphic novel collection by Mann (writer of the “Newbury & Hobbes” graphic novels) and Quah (illustrator of DC’s “Vampire Diaries” graphic novels) is based on the Dark Souls series of third-person, dark fantasy video games by Bandai Namco. A curse has overtaken humanity, transforming people into the undead, known as “hollows”; the darkness is spreading. The first three main stories in this volume focus on one primary character. In “The Breath of Andolus,” the knight Fira searches for three relics and makes a decision about turning back the darkness. In “Winter Spite,” a man seeks to reclaim his family’s heirloom sword and delves into the wintry land of Ambervale. In “The Age of Fire,” a once-loyal knight fighting against the darkness feels betrayed and embraces the dark instead. Among the collection’s dozen micro-stories with varying art styles, “Legends of the Flame” particularly shines; it creates focused plots and character studies without getting bogged down in Dark Souls lore. The volume also includes a brief script-to-art section (showing the process by which the action of the video game is adapted to graphic novel form) as well as descriptions of some of its monsters (such as dragons and hollows). The lore of the Dark Souls world may confuse some uninitiated readers, since this collection does not include a prologue.