D&D comics history part 19 - The Unity of Rings

On 11/13/2003, WOTC put online, in their D&D archives, the scans of the comic :

The Unity of Rings

This issue is the missing piece in the 1996 Limited Edition serie. For some reason, this had not been released that time despite what could have been expected based on what TSR's advert was saying.

Believing what WOTC was saying on it on their website (page down since), the original pages were lost and suddenly reappeared during some office move... and they decided to put it online as the story is complete. (Without cover tho)

The Unity of Rings - First page

The WOTC archive is still online while I am writing these lines :

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/DnD_PS_Comic.asp

One thing, they inversed the second and the third page there... (-_-;)
Here's a link to a pdf of my own for a smoother reading :
The Unity of Rings.pdf

This comic is totally in the line of the limited editions. Funny (even cynical) with attractive graphics and a nice and well-constructed story.

"The story was conceived by the Planescape group -- Monte Cook (writer of "Hand of the Revenant" module), Michelle Carter, Colin McComb, Ray Vallese, and Andria Hayday -- and scripted by veteran planewalker (and experienced comic author) Jeff Grubb. It includes the art and lettering skills of Mark Heike, Brad Gorby, Chris Allen, and Bill Black (founder of AC comics), and colors by Barbara Brecker."
(dixit WOTC)

As it is online, I won t say more about the plot, you can discover it yourself.

Just it is based on Planescape. (campaign setting created in 1994 based on the concept of multiple planes of existence, in which are included the existing worlds of D&D such as Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, etc)

And well, a (loop-)story about a ring... doesn t that ring a bell ? :P

Double scanned page spread

It is just sad, for us collectors, that WOTC never released printed versions of it, even in very limited editions for some convention or else... :/

It could have been my preciouuuus... :P

D&D comics definitive list

LAST UPDATED : 2024/10/22

D&D cartoon-ads
Zenopus Castle - 8 pages (TSR, 1981-82)
Dungeon of Roakire - 4 pages (TSR, 1981-82)
Quest Through the Savage Country - 2 pages (TSR, 1982)

Dungeons & Dragons Cartoon (from the animated series)
Dragones y Mazmorras (Spain) - Issues 1-27 (Comics Forum, 1985-86)
Dungeons & Dragons Annual - 1 issue (Marvel, 1987)
Dungeons & Dragons Summer Special - 1 issue (Marvel, 1987)
Le Sourire du Dragon (France) - Issue 1 (Editions de la page blanche, 1987)
Dungeons & Dragons (Netherlands) - Issues 1-4 (Junior Press Strip, 1988)

The Dragonlance Saga
Books 1-3 (TSR, 1987-88)
Books 4-5 (TSR / DC comics, 1990-91)

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
Issues 1-36 + Annual 1990 (DC comics, 1988-90)

Dragonlance
Issues 1-34 (DC comics, 1988-91)

Forgotten Realms
Issues 1-25 + Annual 1990 (DC comics, 1989-91)

Spelljammer
Issues 1-15 (DC comics, 1990-91) 

TSR Worlds
Annual (DC comics, 1990)

War of the Gods ! Avatar
Issues 1-3 (DC comics, 1991)

Dragon Strike
Issue 1 (Marvel, 1994)

Limited Editions
AD&D - Labyrinth of Madness (TSR, 1996)
Forgotten Realms - The Grand Tour (TSR, 1996)
Dragonlance - Fifth Age (TSR, 1996)
Birthright - The Serpent's Eye (TSR, 1996)

The Bargain (Planescape - Hellbound : The Blood War)
1 issue (TSR, 1996)

Baldur's Gate
1 issue (TSR / Bioware / Interplay, 1998)

Forgotten Realms : The Forbidden Sands of Anauroch
Issues 1-2/6 (WOTC / 21st Century, 2000)

In the Shadow of Dragons
Issues 1-8 (Kenzer & Co, 2001-02)

Tempest's Gate
Issues 1-4 (Kenzer & Co, 2001-02)

Black & White
Issues 1-6 (Kenzer & Co, 2002-03)

Where Shadows Fall
Issues 1-5 (Kenzer & Co, 2003-04) 

Vecna : Hand of the Revenant
Issue 1 (Iron Hammer Graphics, 2002)

The Unity of Rings
1 issue (WOTC online comic, 2003)

D&D - Crisis in Raimiton
1 issue (WOTC free comic, 2004) 

Dragonlance - The Legend of Huma
Issues 1-6 (DDP, 2004-05) 

Forgotten Realms - The Legend of Drizzt
Book I - Homeland - Issues 1-3 (DDP, 2005)
Book II - Exile - Issues 1-3 (DDP, 2005)
Book III - Sojourn - Issues 1-3 (DDP, 2006)
Book IV - The crystal Shard - Issues 1-3 (DDP, 2006)
Book V - Streams of Silver - Issues 1-3 (DDP, 2007)
Book VI - The Halfling's Gem - Issues 1-3 (DDP, 2007)
Book VII - The Legacy - Issues 1-3 (DDP, 2008)
Book VIII - Starless Night - Issue 1 (DDP, 2008)

Dragonlance Chronicles
Dragons of Autumn Twilight - Issues 1-8 (DDP, 2005-06)
Dragons of Winter Night - Issues 1-4 (DDP, 2007)
Dragons of Spring Dawning part 1 - Issues 1-6 (DDP, 2007)
Dragons of Spring Dawning part 2 - Issues 7-12 (DDP, 2008)

Eberron - Eye of the Wolf
1 issue (DDP, 2006) 

The Worlds of Dungeons & Dragons
Issues 1-7 (DDP, 2007-08)

Dragonlance Legends
Time of the Twins - Issues 1-3 (DDP, 2008) 

Dungeons & Dragons - Fell's Five
Issues 0-15 (IDW, 2010-12)

Dark Sun - Ianto's Tomb
Issues 0-5 (IDW, 2011)

The Legend of Drizzt - Neverwinter Tales
Issues 1-5 (IDW, 2011-12)

Forgotten Realms
Issues 1-5 (IDW, 2012)

Eberron - Abraxis Wren
Infestation 2 Dungeons & Dragons - Issues 1-2 (IDW, 2012)
Annual 2012 - 1 issue (IDW, 2012) 

Forgotten Realms - Cutter
Issues 1-5 (IDW, 2013)

Tyranny of Dragons
10 Pages (D&D Online comic, 2014-15)

Heroes of Baldur's Gate
Legends of Baldur's Gate - Issues 1-5 (IDW, 2014-15)
Shadows of the Vampire - Issues 1-5 (IDW, 2016)
Frost Giant's Fury - Issues 1-5 (IDW, 2017)
Evil at Baldur's Gate - Issues 1-5 (IDW, 2018)
Infernal Tides - Issues 1-5 (IDW, 2019-20)

Mindbreaker - Issues 1-5 (IDW, 2021-22)

Rick & Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons
Chapter I - Issues 1-4 (IDW & OniPress, 2018-19)
Chapter II : Painscape - Issues 1-4 (IDW & OniPress, 2019)

The Meeseeks Adventure - 1 issue (IDW & OniPress, 2022)

Forgotten Realms - A Darkened Wish
Issues 1-5 (IDW, 2019-20)

Stranger Things and Dungeons & Dragons
Issues 1-4 (IDW & Dark Horse, 2020-21)

At the Spine of the World
Issues 1-4 (IDW, 2020-21)

Ravenloft - Orphan of Agony Isle
Issues 1-4 (IDW, 2022) 

 

Dungeons & Dragons Annual (Lost & Found / Something for Everyone)

1 issue (IDW, 2022)

 

Honor Among Thieves - The Fist of the Moon
1 issue (IDW, 2023)

D&D - Dungeon Club
Roll Call - 1 issue (HarperAlley, 2023)

Time to Party - 1 issue (HarperAlley, 2024)

 

Dungeons & Dragons - Saturday Morning Adventures

Saturday Morning Adventures - Issues 1-4 (IDW, 2023)

Saturday Morning Adventures - Endless Summer - 1 issue (IDW, 2023)

Saturday Morning Adventures II - Issues 1-4 (IDW, 2024)

 

Fortune Finder

Issues 1-5 (IDW, 2023-24)

 

The Thief of Many Things
1 issue (IDW, 2024)

Ravenloft - Caravan of Curses

1 issue (IDW, 2024)

 

Brie and the Borrowed Blade 

1 issue (Webtoon digital comic, 2024) [upcoming release]

 
Reprints, Collection & Omnibus :
Forgotten Realms Classics - Issues 1-4 (IDW, 2011-12) 
Dungeons & Dragons Classics - Issues 1-4 (IDW, 2011-13)
Dragonlance Classics - Issues 1-3 (IDW, 2015-16)
The Legend of Drizzt Omnibus - Issues 1-2 (IDW, 2011-12)
The Legend of Drizzt - Issues 1-6 (IDW, 2015-17)
Dungeons & Dragons 100-page spectacular - 1 issue (IDW, 2012)
Forgotten Realms 100-page spectacular 2012 - 1 issue (IDW, 2012)
Forgotten Realms Omnibus (IDW, 2015)
Abraxis Wren of Eberron (IDW, 2015)
Dragonlance Chronicles - Issues 1-3 (IDW, 2015-16)
Dragonlance Legends - Time of the Twins (IDW, 2016)
The Legend of Huma (IDW, 2017)
100 Pages of Dungeons & Dragons - Baldur's Gate (IDW, 2019)
Days of Endless Adventure (IDW, 2019)

The Best of Minsc & Boo (IDW, 2022)

Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons & Dragons - The Complete Adventures (IDW, 2022)

Dungeons & Dragons Library Collection, Vol. 1 & 2 (IDW, 2023-24)