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Order of Tales #1-3
Order of Tales
Order of Tales is an atmospheric fantasy adventure comic. Koark, the last member of a society of story-collectors, has been given the task of finding one story whose importance surpasses all others. In seeking the Account of the Ascent of the Bone Ziggurat, Koark finds instead a strange being made of glass, and becomes pulled into a secret conflict involving a mysterious Machine Man, blackbird warriors, and thousands of years of violent history. This book contains the entire comic as originally published online, and an extensive world-internal appendix.
792 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2012
3 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
About the author
Evan Dahm
36 books90 followersEvan Dahm is an artist who is currently living in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 11, 2020
Koark is a Teller; the last survivor of a lost society of story collectors. After thousands of years of stories were destroyed in a single raid, Koark was given the task to find a new story to surpass the importance of all that were lost; a story that holds the key to stopping war from spreading across the land and the rise of a long-forgotten being of darkness that could pose a threat to the entire world of Overside if he were to be resurrected. During his search for the story, he encounters a woman with the body of a glass bottle, all-the-while getting wrapped up in an ancient conflict that involves a centuries-old Machine Man, a Black-bird warrior, and thousands of years of violent history.
Order of Tales is the epitome of classic fantasy. It has the fetch-quest in a lore-rich world structure of Lord of the Rings, the band of diverse adventurers coming together to stop a dark lord, the alluringly gloomy atmosphere of a Michael Moorcock series with a splash of Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms RPG style storytelling. It's straightforward epic fantasy in simple yet charming comic style. The characters are familiar and the story is certainly predictable do to its formulaic nature, but it plays its strengths well and it's a great read if you want to experience that nostalgic classic fantasy vibe without the incredibly long time commitment. It does in three short volumes what many old-school fantasy series can only do in epics that sprawl across thousands of pages.
***
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Order of Tales is the epitome of classic fantasy. It has the fetch-quest in a lore-rich world structure of Lord of the Rings, the band of diverse adventurers coming together to stop a dark lord, the alluringly gloomy atmosphere of a Michael Moorcock series with a splash of Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms RPG style storytelling. It's straightforward epic fantasy in simple yet charming comic style. The characters are familiar and the story is certainly predictable do to its formulaic nature, but it plays its strengths well and it's a great read if you want to experience that nostalgic classic fantasy vibe without the incredibly long time commitment. It does in three short volumes what many old-school fantasy series can only do in epics that sprawl across thousands of pages.
***
My Social Media
My YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
My Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/michael_sor...
My Wattpad Account: https://www.wattpad.com/user/Michael-...
My Twitter Account: https://twitter.com/SorbelloHorror
My Facebook Account: https://www.facebook.com/michael.sorb...
April 25, 2014
This collection contains the entire sixteen chapter run of the Order of Tales webcomic.
This is the second webcomic set in Evam Dahm's Overside (after Rice Boy). They take place centuries apart however and are quite different. While there are some common references nothing is lost by starting with Order of Tales.
Order of Tales follows the tremulous journey of teller Koark, last of a line of collectors and protectors of Overside's stories and legends. Tasked to find a legendary lost story of vast import, Koark will travel far beyond the protected lands of his youth and encounter creatures and power beyond imagination.
If my premise summary sounds cliche (and it does), it's because Dahm draws on classic elements and structure for his epic tale. As with any great adventure it's the uniqueness and depth of the characters and details that make it compelling and worth experiencing.
Order of Tales does have a rather slow and uneven start. It's nice that Dahm is willing to take the time to set up his story properly, but what feels essentially like three or so chapters of deliberately paced prologue before the adventure begins in earnest is a lot to ask. Still, it's all important information, well told overall, and the comic really hits its stride in the middle chapters and never lets up from there on.
There's a small central cast dealing with shifting threats in a tightly plotted adventure that still manages to feel grand and epic. Koark is a different kind of protagonist, and a very interesting one. The bigger picture gradually forms in a logical and organic way, with some great and the careful layers Dahm built through the stories in Koark's custody pay off brilliantly.
To compare to the other Overside comics: I read Rice Boy first, and have not read Vattu yet. Rice Boy is much more accessible to start and is more about the world Rice Boy is drawn into. The coloring strongly highlights the fantastical environments and creatures he encounters. Order of Tales' stark and simple black and white art is much more subdued, placing the weight of the story firmly on Koark. While Rice Boy also has a strong, dramatic story I do think Order's is tighter overall (and thus rated it slightly higher). They are both wonderful, yet diverse, comics.
Overall Koark's is a long journey, but one that's dangerous, wondrous, and well worth taking.
4/25/14
This is the second webcomic set in Evam Dahm's Overside (after Rice Boy). They take place centuries apart however and are quite different. While there are some common references nothing is lost by starting with Order of Tales.
Order of Tales follows the tremulous journey of teller Koark, last of a line of collectors and protectors of Overside's stories and legends. Tasked to find a legendary lost story of vast import, Koark will travel far beyond the protected lands of his youth and encounter creatures and power beyond imagination.
If my premise summary sounds cliche (and it does), it's because Dahm draws on classic elements and structure for his epic tale. As with any great adventure it's the uniqueness and depth of the characters and details that make it compelling and worth experiencing.
Order of Tales does have a rather slow and uneven start. It's nice that Dahm is willing to take the time to set up his story properly, but what feels essentially like three or so chapters of deliberately paced prologue before the adventure begins in earnest is a lot to ask. Still, it's all important information, well told overall, and the comic really hits its stride in the middle chapters and never lets up from there on.
There's a small central cast dealing with shifting threats in a tightly plotted adventure that still manages to feel grand and epic. Koark is a different kind of protagonist, and a very interesting one. The bigger picture gradually forms in a logical and organic way, with some great and the careful layers Dahm built through the stories in Koark's custody pay off brilliantly.
To compare to the other Overside comics: I read Rice Boy first, and have not read Vattu yet. Rice Boy is much more accessible to start and is more about the world Rice Boy is drawn into. The coloring strongly highlights the fantastical environments and creatures he encounters. Order of Tales' stark and simple black and white art is much more subdued, placing the weight of the story firmly on Koark. While Rice Boy also has a strong, dramatic story I do think Order's is tighter overall (and thus rated it slightly higher). They are both wonderful, yet diverse, comics.
Overall Koark's is a long journey, but one that's dangerous, wondrous, and well worth taking.
4/25/14
September 6, 2016
Having absolutely loved Dahm's other completed comic, Rice Boy, I decided to give this other completed story a try. While I wasn't as enraptured with the storyline as I was with Rice Boy, the story telling is still gorgeous and simple. The art is all in black and white, and while I enjoyed the color scheme of Rice Boy and thought that it added dimension to the story, the black and white is still just as powerful. There was also something about Bottle Woman that was made even more captivating by not having her in color, and relying solely on the shading to convey her.
In all, not much to say, aside from excellent story telling and artwork as always, just not quite up to par with Rice Boy. Regardless, Dahm can simply tell a very powerful story with awesome characters and surreal settings.
Go read it all online
In all, not much to say, aside from excellent story telling and artwork as always, just not quite up to par with Rice Boy. Regardless, Dahm can simply tell a very powerful story with awesome characters and surreal settings.
Go read it all online
December 21, 2013
It's funny, throughout the whole story, I couldn't decide if I want to punch the main character or cheer him on. That being said, it's an amazing world, fun story and great read.
October 1, 2012
I really love Evan Dahm's work. All of it is set in his own fictional world, called Overside. And the world building that he does through his works is masterful.
Order of Tales is particularly rich in this regard. When you're reading it, you can sense the history which has influenced the current events, recognize the significant of what is occurring, and sense that you're witnessing the passing of an era.
Dahm used this work to experiment with high contrast black and white, and succeeded spectacularly. It's amazing how his lines can go from delicate, to thick brushstrokes.
While the collected tome is heavy and somewhat difficult to hold, the story does flow from one chapter to another, and it is best read this way.
I would highly suggest Dahm's books to anyone who loves graphic novels, and/or high fantasy. His work is available to read and purchase at www.riceboy.com
Order of Tales is particularly rich in this regard. When you're reading it, you can sense the history which has influenced the current events, recognize the significant of what is occurring, and sense that you're witnessing the passing of an era.
Dahm used this work to experiment with high contrast black and white, and succeeded spectacularly. It's amazing how his lines can go from delicate, to thick brushstrokes.
While the collected tome is heavy and somewhat difficult to hold, the story does flow from one chapter to another, and it is best read this way.
I would highly suggest Dahm's books to anyone who loves graphic novels, and/or high fantasy. His work is available to read and purchase at www.riceboy.com
October 31, 2016
Order of Tales is a truly an Awesome book. Once again the author Evan Dahm has once again blew the readers minds with the amount of imagination and effort put into this book. Order of Tales is the prequel to the earlier series Rice Boy. Watch How Koark, the last of an organization who call themselves "tellers" try to find the story of the Bone Ziggurat to find out what is dad was hiding. Along the way he gets in trouble with the Crow man who threaten his life because of some certain cargo he was. Read though a masterpiece and find what happens to koark.
February 3, 2020
Order of Tales is a fantasy story that originated from a web-comic. Dahm creates amazing worlds and his art is just as incredible. The whole story is done in black and white and it really adds to the art. The story is just as engaging, you can tell that its heavily influenced on Tolkien yet Damn makes his story unique and original.
The only flaw I have with the story is the ending. Some character's fates were left unanswered and one character felt a little flat. Still this is an amazing story that fans of fantasy/Tolkien should pick up.
The only flaw I have with the story is the ending. Some character's fates were left unanswered and one character felt a little flat. Still this is an amazing story that fans of fantasy/Tolkien should pick up.
September 5, 2012
An epic from a great voice in story-telling, Evan Dahm finds a way to elicit wonderful emotional impact from a graphic novel. This is the most delightful world-building available in comics today. Similar to the story, the artwork is beautiful and simple. Proof that omission is an import aspect of craftsmanship. I can't wait to find out what he's working on next.
March 13, 2013
The beginning of this book didn't excite me and I disliked the main character. I'm not sure at what point my opinion changed, but well before the halfway mark I was hooked. Overall I enjoyed this more than Evan Dahm's 'Riceboy.'
My only wish is that it was in color because Evan uses color and light so well!
My only wish is that it was in color because Evan uses color and light so well!
May 21, 2013
Brilliantly written and beautifully drawn. Evan manages to capture the personal stories within an epic journey, and truly knows the value of the written word versus the silent image. I read it online in 3 days and knew as soon as the hardcopy was available I would be adding it to my collection.
October 18, 2014
This is one of my all-time favorite works of fiction! Such a rich story. Really worth the read!
March 4, 2015
The weird world thickens.
March 11, 2024
I picked up Order of Tales after revisiting Rice Boy in 2024. I'm sure I read some of it online way back when, but hadn't finished it - I'm glad I didn't, because revisiting it now really was a treat.
The setting feels kaleidoscopic, and successfully so. Visual details, reoccurring characters and story fragments and strange, so-familiar-it's-itchy hooks are hard to pin down and catalogue but together reflect a very intentional, harmonic Strange Land. I do wish it was colored, but only because I know what Evan Dahm's use of color brings to a story. Even so the character designs have unconsciously stuck with me for over a decade. The calligraphy pages of stories peppered throughout the book are clever and filled with neat little details. I love these fragments of a setting that, if pressed between pages, would probably fill a library. The rest is for you to discover yourself.
The setting feels kaleidoscopic, and successfully so. Visual details, reoccurring characters and story fragments and strange, so-familiar-it's-itchy hooks are hard to pin down and catalogue but together reflect a very intentional, harmonic Strange Land. I do wish it was colored, but only because I know what Evan Dahm's use of color brings to a story. Even so the character designs have unconsciously stuck with me for over a decade. The calligraphy pages of stories peppered throughout the book are clever and filled with neat little details. I love these fragments of a setting that, if pressed between pages, would probably fill a library. The rest is for you to discover yourself.
March 12, 2025
There is something in the easy pace of Dahm’s plots and scenes that I’m finding nourishing in my otherwise overstimulated life. Order of Tales has the same loping narrative speed as Rice Boy, but trades the surreal childlike perspective for something with more edge and darkness. It’s a nice evolution, still bearing the stamp of Dahm’s voice but exploring new territory. It’s fun to see returning characters TOE and Calabash fleshed out and explored further, and the character designs throughout are impeccable. The depth of the main characters feels limited, I don’t always feel invested in their choices because they feel overly simple. I would give it 3.5 if I could, and would still revisit in the future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2023
Really great story. The atmosphere of this book is just fantastic, the art style really works together with the pacing and dialogue to create a dreamy feeling. The world feels so interesting with all these different races and legends all intertwining. The main character doesn't say a huge amount, but you can really feel his heart. The artist takes the time to show him reacting and thinking, so even though he is a quiet protagonist, you know he is struggling to triumph.
March 27, 2017
Evan Dahm is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. Sharing some of the same characters from Rice Boy, this story is more serious and seemed meant for an older audience.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews