QUESTED VOL. 1 / Script by MICHAEL CALERO & THOMAS PARSON / Art by KIT WALLIS / Story Collection Design by TREVOR RICHARDSON & MICHAEL CALERO / Published by MASSIVE PUBLISHING

Jinx, Son of Lothar, was the last in a long line of Questers. To Jinx, however, risking life and limb for fortune and glory was a mug’s game. Better to run quick cons on the surrounding nobles with his crew, to stock the magical pawn shop he runs, selling his ill-gotten gains to other adventurers.

It worked well… right up until one of the aspiring evildoers Jinx was working with in secret double-crossed him and kidnapped a real princess rather than the decoy Jinx had setup. Also, he killed Jinx. But that’s the least of his problems right now.

It turns out Jinx’s murderer is a rogue Ferrymen: one of the beings meant to guard the boundaries between life and death. The good news is Jinx has been given a second chance at life. The bad news is that if he doesn’t use it to become a real hero, real fast, all of reality could collapse.

Also, for extra added incentive, Jinx will go to a particularly nasty Hell if he doesn’t do the right thing for the first time in his life, er existence. Still, with the help of his partners in crime, the muscular Hamo and the faux princess Lithia, Jinx can’t help but come out on top in the end… right? Perhaps. If only Jinx’s greed and short attention span don’t get him killed. Again.

Quested is a humorous take on the fantasy genre. The script by Michael Calero and Thomas Parson takes aim at multiple targets, from The Legend of Zelda to classic sword-and-sorcery. It is not subtle, but the comedy is well-executed. This is fortunate, because the actual plot meanders a bit. Thankfully, most readers will be laughing too hard to care.

The artwork by Kit Wallis aids in selling the script. Wallis’ animated style suits the slapstick humor perfectly. Yet the action, when it comes, flows as freely as the blood in a standard Conan comic I also appreciated Wallis’ subtle use of color, like the one splash page that is rendered like a classic fantasy black-light poster.

Quested is an uproarious send-up of the fantasy genre. It may not be everyone’s flagon of mead, but it will appeal to fans of Critical Role and The Princess Bride. However, I think it will also please anyone who enjoys a good laugh or tales of anti-heroes with their backs to the wall.

Quested Vol. 1 TP is now available in comic shops everywhere.