Zenith: The Barbarian Princess

The story of the for profit dungeon continues in this second volume where the need for a new dungeon attraction, and a new dragon drive the action. Well thought out, although pretty silly at times, this is a nice spoof of a lot of fantasy literature.

Maybe it's because this series was originally published in French, and the Europeans generally take graphic fiction more seriously than Americans do, but this is one of the most enjoyable I've read in some time. No superhero art, no big effects, just a well-thought-out, well-executed story of the operators of a quest-for-profit dungeon trying to lower expenses and increase profits. The place is run (more or less) by the Keeper, whose son, Herbert, a sort-of hero, frequently gets himself into the sticky parts, his uncooperative magic sword notwithstanding. And there's Marvin, a red dragon and very efficient fire-breathing warrior with a well-developed sense of loyalty, and Alcibiades, who's the technical expert of the dungeon. But the plot actually revolves around a runaway princess (with a jealous brother) who takes a fancy to Herbert, and her father's efforts to get her back, and Herbert's and Marvin's efforts to stay alive. The dialogue is droll and there's a lot of story to enjoy. I'll be searching out this team's other efforts.