Stranger Things and Dungeons & Dragons: The Rise of Hellfire

Stranger Things and Dungeons & Dragons: The Rise of Hellfire #1-4

by Jody Houser, Eric Campbell, Diego Galindo (Illustrator)

Lucas, Dustin, and Mike embark on a high-fantasy adventure with classmate Eddie Munson and his Hellfire Club in this new four-issue mini-series, collected here as a graphic novel!

Spell slinging, sword swinging, and the luck of the dice have shaped the lives of the Stranger Things boys well before they had real monsters to face. This D&D crossover delves into Eddie Munson’s past and his rise to de facto leader of the Hellfire Club, and explores his recruitment of Lucas, Dustin, and Mike. Throughout, there are brilliant glimpses into the fantasy world of Dungeons & Dragons that they explore together. This book highlights what really makes tabletop RPGs great through the lens of the hit Netflix series.

At first, the Mirkwood gang is hesitant to join a new campaign without Will and El, but Eddie conjures up his charm and does his best to inspire them to answer his call to adventure. Reflecting on the legendary campaign that got him hooked, Eddie remembers how the original Hellfire crew navigated the weird social dynamics of Hawkins High, seeking new party members to help take on a vicious manticore that nearly wiped out their party, proving time and time again that the party is always stronger than the individual adventurer.  

Rumors about Eddie’s bad reputation make Lucas worry that joining his club might hurt his chances of making the basketball team. But when the dice are cruel, Eddie’s true character shines through, earning all of the boys’ respect. Eddie Munson ushers in a new age for Hawkins High Hellfire Club with an exciting conclusion to Mike, Dustin, and Will’s first big Hellfire Club victory.

An action-packed fantasy love letter to the nerds of the eighties who dared to roll dice before it was cool, written by Jody Houser (Critical Role, Doctor Who) and Eric Campbell (Frank Frazetta’s Dawn Attack), and expertly drawn by Diego Galindo (Stranger Tomb of Ybwen).

Collects Stranger Things and Dungeons & The Rise of Hellfire #1–#4.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy

Kindle Edition

Published September 30, 2025

Reviews

[Sean Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so this is Stranger Things-branded D&D propaganda. But I LIKE D&D propaganda. So it worked for me. YMMV

[Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eddie Munson

This fueled my Eddie Munson withdrawal and then some. I'm hoping there are more besides these four!! Can't wait to read more of the comics!

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh. It reads more like a 100-page ad for D&D than an actual Stranger Things story. It does expand more on Eddie's character (he's a lot more likeable here than he is on the show), but it doesn't delve into any ST lore like I would've expected.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was pretty good. It focused more on the real world (other than the D&D gaming sequences) and was a bit of an origin story for Eddie Munson, one of my favorite Stranger Things characters. (Wish we could have seen more of him!)

Overall a pretty cool read for fans for the show, especially if you liked the Eddie Munson season.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not typically a huge "comic book" guy, but this was on sale at Target and I love Stranger Things. The story fits well into the show and illustrates the importance of D&D to the Hawkins nerds. Hurry up, Season 5!

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this because I love Eddie. It was a fun look at how Eddie got into D&D as a freshman and how he got Mike, Dustin, and Lucas to join when they got to high school.

[Josef Ploski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a love letter to every DnD player who felt like an outcast until an older outcast came along and mentored and invited them in and introduced them to others they might call friend. Even if you know nothing about Stranger Things this is a great story for DnD lovers and the friends we made along the way.

[Keenan Mcclelland · Rating 5 out of 5]

You couldn't ask for a better Eddie Munson prequel than this. This story centers around Eddie finding D&D at an early age and shows how the Hellfire Club came to be. Something that was overlooked pretty heavily in the TV series. I would have liked a little more metal music influence in this 4-issue mini-series, but I get it's a Dungeons & Dragons tie-in, so that's the book's main focus. Regardless of that, Jody does a wonderful job of weaving Eddie's past, present, and his D&D games all into one story.

[Shelby Fielding · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really do enjoy the meta-narrative structure that Houser and Campbell take with these stories. Whereas most of this comic line acts as a bridge, creating branches from one plot hole to the next. These two editions of D&D serve as roundtable discussions about why this fantasy RPG has been the bedrock not only for the Netflix series but for nerdom as a whole for more than four decades. It is a living organism that demands belief, it requires camaraderie, and it sequesters you from whatever plagues you. I have only dabbled in its illustrious halls, but I would love to venture further into the belly of the beast. I've been envious of the long-lasting campaign coming to an end, a table of weathered and battle-tested vets and newbies alike staring down one last dance with evil. It's what the series is, it's what storytelling is, and it's what we all love so much about fiction itself. That's what this duology of D&D admiration underlines. Yes, it is exposition and background for the late Eddie Munson and are fellow travelers. More than that, it's a reminder that friendship and trust are the bedrock for storytelling. It can be cathartic and rage-fueled, but it often starts in a controlled environment where we can either tangle with what lies in the dark or skip through sun-soaked fields. Either way, we must feel safe to explore, and I love that idea.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Look, I'm biased, and I'll admit it, but what the hell.

The last Stranger Things & D&D crossover comic was one of my favourite pieces of media for a long time. Rise Of Hellfire doesn't quite meet that lofty goal, but it has the same intent - to show how D&D can help people, no matter what they're going through, and bring them together with like-minded friends for experiences they'll remember forever.

Houser manages to make this series hopeful, despite everyone and their dog knowing where Eddie's story ends by now. The evolution of Eddie's character, both in-game and in himself, is well realised, and I nearly cheered aloud when I saw her using Ronnie, the supporting character from the Flight of Icarus novel (basically Eddie's Robin, and some great ace representation, even if they never say the word).

So yes, this gets five stars just because Eddie Munson owns my heart and always will, but it's also really fucking good anyway.

[Emile Rudoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A diferencia de por ejemplo lo que pasaba en los cómics de Buffy o Angel que también publicaba Dark Horse, algunos de los que está publicando ahora se enfocan en personajes secundarios para quizás ampliar un poco su historia sin afectar lo que vemos en la televisión. Este es el caso de esta miniserie, donde vemos un poco de la vida de Eddie Munson, quizás el breakout character de la última temporada de la serie.

Me gustó. Es una lectura sencilla que toca solo tangencialmente a los personajes de Stranger Things y que quizás si fueran otros personajes sería igual de interesante. La verdad es que me generó diferentes sensaciones. Me hubiera gustado jugar Dungeons & Dragons en la preparatoria y me hubiera gustado tener un grupo de amigos como los que tuvo Eddie.

En verdad, si tienen ganas de algo ligero, aunque no sean fanes de Stranger Things y/o de D&D, creo que esta historia les podría gustar.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

This was fantastic!

Much like the other Stranger Things comic, it was a little on the short side for me and left me wanting more detail on Eddie’s family life and backstory (the only reason it’s not a 5 ⭐️). Other than that, it was great and made me very emotional knowing how Eddie’s story goes. 😢

Now that I know about D&D it was also nice to read something that incorporated it and properly - everything they did made sense to actually playing the game (my husband is going to be so proud of me for being happy about this fact 😂). I loved seeing how Eddie got into it and how he got to know the boys.

I just wish there was more… 🥲

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up in the '80s and have loved heavy metal and RPGs since I was a kid. So, Eddie Munson is a very important character to me. I love him. And in this absolutely wonderful comic the creators honor what's great about Eddie and the bonding, healing power of RPGs. It was a lot of fun and got bonus points for using Ronnie, the great character from the excellent Eddie Munson novel Flight of Icarus.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is 100% an Eddie story and as an Eddie-super fan, I loved it.

His characterisation in this comic is spot on.

The story explores how he came to discover D&D and how he and his in-game characters developed over time. It shows how he earnt the position of Dungeon Master and just how much the game means to him.

It also has some quiet poignant comments about life as a story through the comic. Beautifully written and beautifully drawn.

[Anna (Bananas) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely to see Eddie in almost any form, and they did a decent job with the comic. There were a few moments that felt truly poignant. The ending left me a little underwhelmed, but I still enjoyed the overall theme and how they set it up for a possible continuation.
Also, love Ronnie. Was happy to see her here too.

[Javier Caniz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beginnings of Hellfire

If you love Eddie and DnD, this book is for you. Love how it shows the depth of a DnD campaign, is more than a game. Eddie is such a complex character that knowing his fate makes this book such a great addition to his story. Eddie has been a hero for a long time.

[Meagan Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

obsessed with the idea that there’s a rumor around Hawkins high that Eddie shot a cop 💀💀

I enjoyed it. But I would’ve enjoyed it if I had just gotten to see Eddie wearing a new shirt lol. I appreciate how much research went into drawing him. You can see a lot of poses, mannerisms, etc he does in the show so that was fun

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well executed prequel focussing mainly on Eddie, with art that makes it clear who the characters are without being overly photo referenced.

The Stranger Things line from Dark Horse has been well handled for the most part.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eddie is one of my favorite characters on Stranger Things. This was such a cute story about how the Hellfire Club came to be and how Eddie got involved with it, as well as Mike, Dustin and Lucas joining up.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth reading for any Eddie Munson fan. You learn about his connection to D&D, why Hellfire Club is so important to him and some of his DM mannerisms (like the pose he does in S4E1 over the DM screen)!

[Fidel Jiron jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a really enjoyable introduction to Eddie Munson and how he got started with D&D and the friends he made because of it. Also the parallel storyline with him trying to recruit the Stranger Things kids for Hellfire really worked great too. The only thing I wanted was more!

[SheMac · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clever trip down memory lane for those of us nerds who came of age in the 70s and 80s.

[Joseph Hamm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and sweet! Nice appetizer before the final season premieres

[Christopher Herrig · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a fan of D n D and Stranger Things, you'll like this ... It hit home for me more since I too ran RPG games for years as a DM, and relate a lot to Eddies story.

[JM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not bad! However, it just didn’t manage to capture my interest and hold it.

[formulisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

imo much better than flight of icarus

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eddie goddamn Munson. The best.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story behind the gaming group. You can't win Dungeons and Dragons. Passing the torch.

[Joshua Stinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Great break from heavy reading!

[Sam Nicholson · Rating 4 out of 5]

8/10