Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins--Caduceus Clay

Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins

by Kendra Wells, Taliesin Jaffe, Matthew Mercer

Death is never truly the end.

Follow the origin story of the Mighty Nein’s Caduceus Clay in this beautiful hardcover graphic novel written by Kendra Wells ( Tell No Tales), illustrated by Gus Allen ( Lumberjanes), with colors by Eren Angiolini and letters by Ariana Maher. Created in consultation with the cast of Critical Role !

Generations of the Clay family have tended to the careful rituals in the Blooming Grove. But when corruption begins to creep in on their sacred space, the Clays depart one by one to seek answers. Soon young Caduceus and Clarabelle are the only ones left, and when a dangerous burial quest falls to Caduceus, he must leave the Grove to do the family’s work.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Comics, Dungeons and Dragons, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Adult

56 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2024

Reviews

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Do you regret that love?"

OK, thanks for making me CRY.
I've loved Caduceus from the moment he joined the campaign, and getting to see his home life and that isolation he's faced for the sake of the Grove was beautiful. Its easy to see his motivations, the loss of his family as they search for a cure that lead him to join the Might Nein. It was no easy choice for him, but a necessary one.

The art in the story was absolutely phenomenonal. Such attention to detail on every single page to bring Caduceus' story to life.

I'm sad the origins comics are over, but I'm forever grateful for the love and care each one gave to honour their character and their humble beginnings.

[Danika at The Lesbrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Origins comics have been a bit hit or miss for me, but I really liked this one! The art is gorgeous, and I loved getting a closer look at the Blooming Grove and the Clays' home. The breaking the fourth wall moment was perfect. I think the Origin story works well for Caduceus because it didn't need a self-contained plot; I just enjoyed getting to spend more time with this character.

[Mareike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of all of the Critical Role characzmters, Caduceus is one of my absolute favorites and this comic provides a beautiful look at his backstory.

[Sivert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without doubt, the best of the origin comics! Beautifully drawn, coloured and Well written <3

[Madeline W · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel so unbelievably melancholy right now writing this review because I have finally finished all the M9 Origins. I have read each volume as it has been published, with many accolades and many criticisms to boot. Despite this wide range of emotions throughout the experience, I am pleased to say that we ended here with one of the higher notes. If you could not tell based on the stellar average rating, Cad's story is one of beauty and authenticity.

I was initially unsure if the projected story would truly feel like the other origins because the corpse quest did not seem significant enough, but I do feel as though it all came together by the end. Similarly, I was not sure if I would like or connect with the characters as much because Cad is not one of my top M9 characters (even though I still like him), but the character facet proved to be pretty smoothly done. I felt invested in the family, the grove - which was drawn exactly like I imagined it - and all of the other creatures on the premises.

There are some M9 volumes that are probably skippable, but I would recommend this one 100%! I think it marks an amazing endpoint to the series, and it elicits countless emotions from beginning to end.

[itselv]

drawn in solely by its lovely cover, the story is just as beautiful, even though I don’t know the whole context behind it. I have a feeling that had I, this man would’ve been my favorite character.

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was my favorite of the critical role mighty nein origin comics
it shows the back story of Caduceus before he meets the Mighty Nein

it had beautiful artwork
it was sweet
it was cozy
it had tea and plants
And there was even an underline sadness and hope

it was an amazing addition to the world of critical role. This comic made me miss Caduceus , i hope to see him more in future comics, tv shows or in critical role podcasts.

[Chelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caduceus Clay was such a breath of fresh air from campaign two of Critical Role, arriving on the tail end of a major tragedy for the adventuring party known as The Mighty Nein. His wisdom and calm energy was incredibly important to their adventure and it was so cool to see a bit of his story and how he came to be with the group.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cad is SUCH a cutie. This comic is so wholesome and honestly just shows the story behind why Cad acted the way that he did. The colours in this comic were beautiful, as was the art. *chefs kiss* great stuff.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caduceus never fails to make me cry :')

[Willemijn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oooh this was very fun!

There was a certain magic to this graphic novel that I missed from the other ones? Perhaps because the backstory of Caduceus is something that really speaks to me. I recently discovered that I absolutely love stories which have plants or fungi in them, especially if these plants or fungi are some sort of "disease" or even "rot" in this case. It's fascinating and feels so real!

I've also been thinking about death quite a lot as of last year and I've been trying to work on my relationship with it. Death is something that I would like to become more comfortable with. I would love to be able to fully embrace it one day. Hard work, but worth it. And how Cadiceus' family sees death is exactly how I would love to experience it. The acceptance and the welcoming. But also the gratitude and the knowing that it's all part of a circle. It doesn't end.

The illustrations were also breathtaking!! It was just so beautiful. So many colours and details. I wouldn't mind having a few art prints of this incredible book.

Thank you to my friend who let me borrow this one (and all the other graphic novels) ❤️

[V K · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Even when we didn’t know how to say it, there was love.”

Gorgeous art and beautifully written. I’m really pleasantly surprised by this one.

[dilelem]

tam ihtiyacım olan bi anda gelen bi hikaye oldu. kısacık bi çizgi roman zaten ve orman çizimleri o kadar güzel ki. metroda okudum az kalsın ağlıyodum. tabi ben bu karalteri çok sevdiğim için de bu kadar etkilenmiş olabilirim elbet. ama iyi gene.

[Eliot_vibes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bitter sweet as hell. I love getting to see how Cad's respect for the dead is made and the things that his family has to do as morticians in Exandria. I like that he gets to show off the corruption around the grove in his quest to bury a corpse, but I wish we could have sat with his loneliness more. Of course, it builds to the pain he feels realizing he is the last one with how much he misses his sister on his return trip, but I wanted more of that pain. Caduceus is a bitter sweet character when you sit with it, and I want that pain to dig deeper into my chest before we see him get excited for company. Over all, though, it is a solid story for him. Still kinda wish we'd seen more of his family so the inevitable would be more painful, ngl.

[Dani's Forehead · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.
I must say I was never very connected to the characters in the series. I always felt like he was so well out and together that he wasn't a 'conplex' character perse.

I'm happy to say that I was wrong about that notion, I think this book is my favourite out of them all so far.
It's art is not only beautiful and colourful, but the story is well said and explained.

While it has its obvious motivation and sadness it is told so beautifully I found myself smiling more often than not.

Great read, definitely recommend it.

[Chanel Chapters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on a d&d campaign getting turned into a series - this was the origin story of one of the characters. He seems like a good egg.
Stunning artwork and a sweet gentle story of him performing death rites before meeting some members of the group.

[Freddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

my beautiful baby boy

[Dany Doncel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The artwork in this graphic novel?? The most breathtaking fever dream.

[Kathleen Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

EVERYTHING I WANTED AND MORE. Love love love love.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous gorgeous art, my favorite of the series yet

[Olav Knardal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it. Very meditative but also tragic, which fits perfectly for the character this comic book is based on

[Ava B · Rating 5 out of 5]

quiet and sweet and kinda beetlejuicey
that’s caduceus clay!

[holybanes · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was so pretty and sad and gorgeous and lonely
absolutely loved it

[Nynke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stunning art

[Melissa Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third The Mighty Nein Origins I have read and I’m enjoying the series so far. I do think this is the weakest so far in terms of giving background on the character, but it also felt a lot shorter than the others. 

What I did really like was that this ends at the exact moment that The Nein meet Caduceus. It was so lovely to see that moment come to life on the page, especially the ‘I think I only have three other cups’ moment. 

That was the moment I knew I’d love Caduceus and he’s so cute in this graphic novel. I love him in this art style and how we get to see him at different points in his life. You can’t tell just how tall he is in this though as he spends most of it alone, as I knew he would as that’s the first thing you learn about him.

His family are also really cute. I wish we got just a little longer with them during this graphic novel, but for the sake of consistency of his character background, it makes sense. Caduceus is a lonely guy and it makes him so endearing. I’ll never forget him trying milk for the first time.

The Blooming Grove is so beautiful. The colour palette and style of this instalment almost rival that of the Jester one, but not quite. The slightly toned down hues make sense for a graphic novel about Caduceus as he is a walking pastel, other than his bright pink hair I suppose, but it really brought the cosy vibes that I expect from his character.

While this hasn’t been my favourite so far, it is still a very enjoyable read. I still don’t think these graphic novels will be entertaining for those that know nothing about The Mighty Nein but they are a lovely companion for those that love the characters.

[Adam M · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you haven't watched The Mighty Nein, this book won't land the same. That doesn't mean I don't recommend it, but the impact it has as someone who was familiar with the source material was immense. Author Kendra Wells struck just the right tone, kudos to Matt and Taliesin for (I would assume) guiding the ship in the right direction. The stars of this volume though have to be the artist, Selina Espiritu, and colorist Eren Angiolini. Maybe more so than any other character from the MN, Caduceus was (literally) a colorful character and so much of his story and characteristics were tied back to colors and themes. This book does a wonderful job capturing his essence and the feel of his home. The Grove is beautifully depicted and it was really satisfying to see it made real.

You don't have to be a Critical Role watcher to enjoy this story, it is still a good intro to the character, his family and their wonderful home.

[DaniLanglie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one a lot! It was super quick to read, even more than the others, because so much of it is taken up in Caduceus's customary contemplative silences. But the art was beautiful - bright and distinct, with such a lovely color palette.

This story felt like it would be more of a challenge than many of the others, because the point of Cad as a character is that he's the one who's been left behind, while his family goes off on their adventures. It would make sense in most stories to follow Clarabelle, the restless sister who goes off on a quest. But instead we stay with Caduceus. I really liked the little quest to give the dead woman a proper traditional burial, too - the right mixture of creepy and funny and genuinely sweet.

I thought this was the perfect little accompaniment to honor Caduceus Clay as a character!

[Samuel Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been enjoying these origins of the various characters of the Might Nein, and I was surprised that Caduceus was one of those that they announced for. This story did a lot more visual storytelling rather than dialogue, which is both a reflection of Caduceus' simple wisdom and outlook on life and a detriment to readers who wanted to learn more about this part of his life. I would've liked to have seen more of his family and how much love he had for them before they one-by-one left his home, leaving him alone to take care of the graveyard and the difficulty of staying so long as he waited for them, unknown as to their fate.

Another point of interest are the corrupted animals, which I don't remember if that was ever pointed out or brought up in the campaign. The design of the bear and wolf looks like the type of creature corruption that was in the movie, Annihilation.

[Ben A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Independent of Caduceus playing a larger role as part of the Mighty Nein campaign, this origin story was simply beautiful. The Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins series has been incredibly well done across all the graphic novels, and I have thoroughly enjoyed them all. I have also been very prone to saying "this was the best one yet" several times. Again, it's the truth though. The writing was incredibly beautiful and insightful, and the art captured the world around the characters so very well. I can't recommend it enough.

Special Thanks to Dark Horse Comics and Edelweiss Plus for the digital ARC. This was given to me for an honest review.

[Reyna Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sabía desde antes de leer el libro que este personaje fue creado para tomar el lugar de Molly, entonces como Molly es muy importante para mí me negaba a creer que podría ser igual o mejor que él. No esperaba que la historia me dijera en la cara: Ya verás que sí.

Me gustó mucho el personaje de Caduceus, transmite una paz tan hermosa, su forma de ser es admirable, me gusta su diseño de personaje y la historia fue interesante en gran parte debido a él. Es un protagonista que me hace desear saber más, me quedé con ganas de que la novela gráfica fuera mucho más larga. Así mismo, amé la estructura e ilustración de la historia en la novela, todo es precioso. De mis favoritas.