Die Vol. 4: Bleed (2021) by Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans (Image)

I absolutely loved this series. The art didn’t immediately speak to me, but (like the characters) it all quickly came together and I would come to enjoy everything about it (her covers were amazing). Whether it’s described as “Goth Jumanji” or “D&D Jumanji”, the premise is simple, but the story and characters are fun and complex. It is a very smart and well conceived project. Anyone who has ever taken their RPGs a little seriously, should appreciate the effort into this work. I shared this series with all of my old role-playing buddies. I thought Gillen's RPG history lessons/interviews in the back of the TPBs were very interesting.

The series was well received. It was nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award for "Best Graphic Novel & Comics" in 2019. It was nominated for the British Fantasy Awards for "Best Comic / Graphic Novel" in 2020, 2021, and 2022 (winning in 2020 and 2021). It was also nominated for the Hugo Award for "Best Graphic Story or Comic" in 2021, 2021, and 2022. Volume 4 received a 4.1 on Goodreads, 4.7 on Amazon, and 9.5 Critic Review on Comic Book Round Up.

The series wrapped up with issue #20 in September 2021. It was finally collected into a one volume hardcover in November 2022. I am on my first re-read of the series and the fourth volume sticks the landing, which reminds me of the following quote:

"What good is a story you only want to read once?" - Bill Willingham