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Scales & Scoundrels #1-5

Scales & Scoundrels, Vol. 1: Into The Dragon’s Maw

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It's hard to make an honest living in a land brimming with magic and mystery, and treasure hunter Luvander is tired of being a penniless adventurer. Ever in search of gold and glory, she sets off for a fabled dungeon "the Dragon's Maw," an ancient labyrinth at the bottom of which slumber endless wealth...or certain doom!

Together with a young prince, his stern bodyguard, and a plucky young dwarf, Luvander dives into adventure. But what starts out as a road to riches becomes the first step on an epic journey--for Luvander holds a secret that will shatter the chains of fate and bring light to a world encroached upon by an ancient darkness.

Writer SEBASTIAN GIRNER (SHIRTLESS BEAR-FIGHTER!) and artist GALAAD are proud to present SCALES & SCOUNDRELS, an exciting new fantasy adventure from Image Comics, for scoundrels of all ages!

Collecting SCALES & SCOUNDRELS #1-5

128 pages, Paperback

First published February 13, 2018

4 people are currently reading
740 people want to read

About the author

Sebastian Girner

75 books23 followers

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5 stars
147 (19%)
4 stars
351 (45%)
3 stars
229 (29%)
2 stars
33 (4%)
1 star
6 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
Profile Image for Chad.
10.4k reviews1,060 followers
July 12, 2021
Your standard sword and sorcery book topped with a twist of Studio Ghibli. The art is sometimes frustrating, others quite good. I would like to see it more defined, especially faces. There are times when the characters look like Muppets. But the action scenes look great. So it's an odd mix.
Profile Image for Brendan.
1,277 reviews53 followers
February 4, 2018
This is one of my favourite books for quite sometime. It has an interesting concept and hopefully grows into a long term series, a lot of these tend to vanish after 10 issues. I love when a series can come along and knock you backwards with a fun plot and interesting characters. Girner keeps the characters front and centre with a larger mythology floating in the background. I can't wait to see where the characters head next but this series is one of the best I have read so far in 2018.
Profile Image for Dev.
2,462 reviews187 followers
February 7, 2018
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley

I thought this was a pretty fun story, even if it does have a lot of REALLY standard fantasy elements. I would also like it if the artwork was a little bit more defined. Still the characters are fun and honestly the fact that the mysterious-yet-loveable-thief, dwarf, and bodyguard characters are women and the prince [and bodyguard] is a POC is enough to make this go from 'standard' to 'fairly interesting' since we all know fantasy usually has a huge diversity problem. I think if you like titles like Lumberjanes you will probably enjoy this, although the plot here is not nearly as creative so far. I will definitely be checking out the next volume though.
Profile Image for RG.
3,084 reviews
February 19, 2018
3.5*

Read this over my lunch break today. Solid standard fantasy affair. Kinda had this weird d&d mix with pokemon artwork. Characters were fun, enough action ( a little YAish) and some funny moments. The artwork would have benefited from a little more detail in my opinion. Otherwise a solid debut in the series.
Profile Image for Francina Simone.
Author 8 books2,021 followers
Read
February 23, 2019
ItMs pretty good. I like the art, the writing feels a little—“fantasy” and trope-y for me but it’s not too distracting. I’m curious what happens next though, the individual comics always end on a major cliffhanger.
Profile Image for Ashlee Null.
73 reviews12 followers
June 15, 2018
5/5 for artwork and 4/5 for a predictable story done really well. So. Good. Need. More. Just a seriously fun read.
Profile Image for Kenny.
866 reviews37 followers
February 7, 2018
A whimsical fantasy adventure where D&D meets Ghibli. Fun.
Profile Image for Alex Sarll.
7,071 reviews363 followers
Read
February 8, 2018
Normally, I bristle at alliterative riffs on Dungeons and Dragons, or Image attempts at outright secondary world fantasy, but this new book from the co-writer of Shirtless Bear-Fighter! is pretty good - an all-ages Rat Queens if Rat Queens didn't make me feel faintly ill. The art is apparently inspired by early Miyazaki, but reminded me more of Lumberjanes gone classic fantasy. And the story follows an intrepid but fairly hopeless princeling, and the three considerably more competent female adventurers accompanying him, on an expedition into a legendary dungeon which yes, plot-wise, is about as generic as they come. But it's all in the details - the characters within the party, their interactions, the distinctly non-standard encounters they have beneath the earth. The hints that one of the women may be something considerably more than another enterprising rogue add spice, but unlike the mad rush in which certain other Image fantasy books have tripped themselves up, they're spooled out at a speed better suited to teasing us, with the knowledge that a bit of breathing space will mean the revelations might have some hope of feeling as impressive to us as they are to the other characters.

(Edelweiss ARC)
Profile Image for Erin.
2,454 reviews40 followers
April 15, 2018
Super duper fun. A natural maturation of and readalike to Giants Beware by Jorge Aguirre. A great readalike, moodwise and feministwise, to LumberJanes.
Profile Image for Dan.
2,235 reviews66 followers
August 7, 2018
This was okay. Not as good as Rat Queens or other dungeon delving fantasy books, but I'm interested enough to read the next volume. Not a big fan of the artwork which kinda looks cartoony.
Profile Image for Kristin.
574 reviews27 followers
June 4, 2018
3.5

A fun YA fantasy that manages to be more than the sum of its tropes. This is the first comic for both the writer and the artist, and yet it manages to look and read better than a lot in this genre. I especially like the creature designs.

The Studio Ghibli influences are obvious-- especially Nausicaa--and they're open about it, but having such an iconic source is only going to make your stuff pale in comparison. I don't think teens will mind much, though.
Profile Image for Ondřej Halíř.
387 reviews18 followers
September 30, 2018
3,5/5

Klasické dobrodružné fantasy ve kterém sledujeme Lu, dobrodružku která prahne po zlatu a bohatství, ale taky ve svém nitru ukrývá nějaké tajemství. Během svého putování narazí na dětinsky veselého prince s jeho malou družinou, který hledá bohatství v jedné kobce aby dodržel tradici svého lidu a dokázal že je pravý hrdinský muž.

Celé to poměrně rychle odsýpá a první dva sešity či i třetí jsou poměrně vtipné (až na místy humor třetí cenové) a díky pohádkové kresbě se na to vše hezky divá, navíc i postavy jsou poměrně dost sympatické, bohužel ke konci se z toho opět stává taková klasika, která vás sice neohromí ale pořád zajímá.

Je to fajn ale ničím vás to nepřekvapí a na víkendové odpočinutí ideální.
Profile Image for Joshua Bennett.
69 reviews2 followers
January 25, 2023
I received this book (and the second volume) as a gift and could not be more pleased about it. Before then, I had not heard of the series or TKO.
Having just finished the first volume, I am furious, depressed, and ecstatic.
How can that be?
Well, this is so well written, so well drawn, created to such a high level of goodness, no greatness, that I feel like all my ideas I have ever had pale in comparison.
Seriously, this is a great thing and you should buy it now and read it.
Buy several copies and gift them. You can't go wrong with it.
I will not post about the plot or the characters save they are a memorable bunch, very easily related to, and the story about them, their lives and events, feels at both times mundane and epic.
In fact, this story blends those two things together in a magnificent way.
I am looking forward to reading the second volume, and I have a feeling when I am done with it, I will be happy about it all, and sad that it had to end.
It is one of those stories.
Profile Image for Jack Mandrake.
10 reviews
February 8, 2024
The story so far has been a fun tame version of a DnD campaign. Many of the characters have about 2 personality traits, which I hope they'll add to in the second trade. I really feel that the art, while it is good and structured, has decent storytelling, and uses interesting colors, is very stiff. The character movement is stiffled by the borders of each panel and the lack of dedicated space. There are pages where the movement is exciting, but the lack of energy in the panels has made reading this kind of a slog.

With all that said, if I were much younger, this book would be something I could absolutely see myself latching onto. The character designs are original and the world is rich with colors kids look for.
Profile Image for Geoffrey Payne.
149 reviews3 followers
February 8, 2018
This series immediately caught my eye when Image released the first cover artwork. So, when it released I picked it up at my local comic shop. The beginning is fantastic and sets up some questions that really help to drive the story through the series so far. I do think that there are some parts that get a little boring or predictable but that can be expected of an "all ages" comic.

I also really enjoy the art style in this series. Sometimes it borders on over simplistic but it really fits for some reason. This is especially true when it's paired with the vivid coloring. I found myself looking at several panels for extended amounts of time just to take it all in (and wish I could hang it up in my office).

Even with the little parts I didn't care for I still find myself consistently excited by this series and I'm really looking forward to it continuing. 4 stars all the way!
Profile Image for :¨·.·¨:  `·. izzy ★°*゚.
483 reviews81 followers
December 31, 2018
This was a fun little graphic novel. I admit it took me a little while to get into it and enjoy it - thus why it has not been given five stars. Once I got into it, I did enjoy it.
It is very different to anything I have seen and I really enjoyed the art style and the uniqueness of this graphic novel.

The characters were not as complex as I would have liked them to be, so I hope they develop through the next volume. However, the characters intrigued me quite a lot.

The plot was enjoyable and I would like to pick the next volume up to see where the story goes.
I am hoping I get more enjoyment from the next volume.
17 reviews1 follower
June 25, 2018
Picked this trade up because the title caught my attention! Scales & Scoundrels sounds very similar to Dungeons & Dragons and the graphic novel is similar to the classic fantasy world of D&D! A fun and light read that has dwarves, dragons, goblins, monsters and TAVERNS...I love any story that has taverns in it. Will pick up the second trade because it ended with a cliff hanger!
Profile Image for Xan Rooyen.
Author 48 books137 followers
November 13, 2021
This is good fun. It gives me big anime vibes - unsurprising since the creator admits to being heavily inspired by Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Princess Mononoke.

The art is bright and colourful and the story full of wholesome humor and swashbuckling adventure. If you're looking for a light, fluffy read, I recommend this.
Profile Image for Chelsey.
708 reviews
March 20, 2018
Colorful, action-filled, and fast-paced, I enjoyed this but don't know if it's more than just a wild ride. The characters are a bit one-dimensional, though I am interested in Lu's background. Sort of like an older, more coherent Lumberjanes.
Profile Image for Jesús Jr. .
22 reviews2 followers
June 30, 2018
Scales and Scoundrels Volume 1 is a fun start to an intriguing adventure. The cast of characters introduce are funny with their own views of the world. Lu, as the main protagonist, is all about the food and gold, Dorma is just a dwarf who’s afraid of the dark and is looking for her brother, and Prince Aki, with his shadow Kolo, seeks glory for their homeland. They form a ragtag group that dives into the underground in an effort to find treasure.


The art work for Scales and Scoundrels is great. The characters are well drawn and look drastically different, including the bandits and others who are introduced. The backgrounds are nicely detailed, leaving a lot for the eye to look at. The settings change fast with action easy to keep up with and understand.

The writing and story, however, is pretty simple and straight forward. There aren’t any surprises lying in wait. The world around the characters is intriguing, the adventure itself standard fantasy affair. Gotta find that gold! Some secrets, that aren’t really that surprising, sort of come to light. The saving grace, it ends on a sort of cliffhanger (literally), that has me wondering what’s next.

Overall, Scales and Scoundrels Volume 1 was great fun! It didn’t take itself too seriously with its fantasy treasure hunting adventure! The art work is well done and leaves a lot for the eye. If you're looking for a fun adventure, with silliness sprinkled about, Scales and Scoundrels is for you!
Profile Image for Stephanie.
678 reviews2 followers
August 1, 2019
This comic was so cute! I really enjoyed the main character, Lu. Very cute and very enjoyable. This books counts for the Draconic Isle for the Book Junkie Trials 2019 "a book with a dragon".
Profile Image for JT.
146 reviews5 followers
November 28, 2019
Fun book. Really enjoy the art 😁
Profile Image for Katy.
124 reviews7 followers
February 7, 2018
This comic was a fun, and enjoyable read. It reminded me a lot of Rat Queens, in the way that neither take the fantasy genre too seriously. If you like fantasy/d&d inspired stories then give this a go!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews

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