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Donjon Potron-Minet #-99 -98
Dungeon: The Early Years - Vol. 1: The Night Shirt
We start on another tangent of the vast world of Dungeon, one that relates the origins of it. In this first story of the Early Years, you will see the Keeper barely an adult and leaving his family to go find fortune in a time of chaos and darkness.
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
120 people want to read
About the author
Joann Sfar
489 books508 followersJoann Sfar (born August 28, 1971 in Nice) is a French comics artist, comic book creator, and film director.
Sfar is considered one of the most important artists of the new wave of Franco-Belgian comics. Many of his comics were published by L'Association which was founded in 1990 by Jean-Christophe Menu and six other artists. He also worked together with many of the new movement's main artists, e.g. David B. and Lewis Trondheim. The Donjon series which he created with Trondheim has a cult following in many countries.
Some of his comics are inspired by his Jewish heritage as the son of Jewish parents (an Ashkenazi mother and a Sephardic father). He himself says that there is Ashkenazi humor in his Professeur Bell series (loosely based on Joseph Bell), whereas Le chat du rabbin is clearly inspired by his Sephardic side. Les olives noires is a series about a Jewish child in Israel at the time of Jesus. Like Le chat du rabbin, the series contains a lot of historical and theological information.
His main influences are Fred and André Franquin as well as Marc Chagall, Chaim Soutine, Will Eisner, Hugo Pratt and John Buscema.
From 2009 to 2010, Sfar wrote and directed 'Serge Gainsbourgh: Une Vie Heroique', a biopic of the notorious French songwriter, of whom Sfar is a self-confessed fanatic. The film, which draws substantially on Sfar's abilities as a comic book artist through its extensive use of fantasy artwork, animation and puppetry, was released in 2010 to general critical acclaim.
Sfar is considered one of the most important artists of the new wave of Franco-Belgian comics. Many of his comics were published by L'Association which was founded in 1990 by Jean-Christophe Menu and six other artists. He also worked together with many of the new movement's main artists, e.g. David B. and Lewis Trondheim. The Donjon series which he created with Trondheim has a cult following in many countries.
Some of his comics are inspired by his Jewish heritage as the son of Jewish parents (an Ashkenazi mother and a Sephardic father). He himself says that there is Ashkenazi humor in his Professeur Bell series (loosely based on Joseph Bell), whereas Le chat du rabbin is clearly inspired by his Sephardic side. Les olives noires is a series about a Jewish child in Israel at the time of Jesus. Like Le chat du rabbin, the series contains a lot of historical and theological information.
His main influences are Fred and André Franquin as well as Marc Chagall, Chaim Soutine, Will Eisner, Hugo Pratt and John Buscema.
From 2009 to 2010, Sfar wrote and directed 'Serge Gainsbourgh: Une Vie Heroique', a biopic of the notorious French songwriter, of whom Sfar is a self-confessed fanatic. The film, which draws substantially on Sfar's abilities as a comic book artist through its extensive use of fantasy artwork, animation and puppetry, was released in 2010 to general critical acclaim.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
December 4, 2015
Wise, funny, engaging, sweet, Dungeons-and-Dragons-style adventure: don't you just love it when something is beautifully designed AND smart AND has its heart in the right place? A rare treat! My only complaint: this demands a larger format.
July 28, 2010
Someone else please read the Dungeon series so I have someone else to talk to about how great they are. Perhaps the most charming, smart and funny comics I've ever read.
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April 17, 2022I've been tentatively getting into Trondheim, and I know Dungeon is considered some kind of masterpiece, but I've been put off by it looking about as accessible to the newcomer as Big Two superhero comics. Three different time-frames plus as many side series - where to begin? Well, I happened across the first volume of the earliest era in the library, so presumably that's a pretty safe bet, right? First surprise: at no point in this volume is there a dungeon, though you can certainly see how one might arise (asink?). Instead, there's this little dude from a family of diminished country gentry going to the big city and learning how corrupt it is before becoming a vigilante. Apparently he will subsequently become the dungeon's Keeper, though I only know this from the blurb. Second surprise: the little dude is a penguin, or maybe a puffin, because as well as elves and orcs, this is a world of anthropomorphic animals, with no humans to be seen - one of the areas where you can definitely see its influence on Adventure Time. So he's torn between the assassin snake? he fancies and the tern? who fancies him, both of whom are pretty cute to be fair, and the city looks amazing, sort of Piranesi doing a Saturday morning cartoon, though the art style for characters leans a little too heavily on long pointy noses. It fair rattles along as he undergoes the education of every idealist in a dirty world, though still occasionally profits through his good nature, and by the end of it I can only infer that any dungeon he might one day end up keeping would essentially be an animal sanctuary for monsters. It doesn't annoy me like anthropomorphic animal comics often do, and I would probably read another volume if I saw one, but it isn't at all what I expected and as yet I have very little idea what's going on.
January 14, 2022
(4,2 of 5 for this humorous (dark)fantasy comic)
I read this when I was a teenager and I loved it. After all those years I decided to give it a try and enjoy it again. I feared how it aged, but it aged very well. Still fun, still fresh it brings well-balanced adventure. I look forward to reading it all.
I read this when I was a teenager and I loved it. After all those years I decided to give it a try and enjoy it again. I feared how it aged, but it aged very well. Still fun, still fresh it brings well-balanced adventure. I look forward to reading it all.
May 9, 2020
This one didn't hit me quite as well as the others did. The story was harder to follow and it had too many characters to keep up with, and the only characters I did like were rather nincompoops.
June 16, 2008
There were some things I didn't get, but how can you go wrong with an adorable penguin and a giant tree-woman?
You can't, actually.
You can't, actually.
March 28, 2018
So I took out every volume of Dungeon that the library stocks. Now, you have to understand that Dungeon has several incarnations - Zenith is the main story. The Early Years is the ancient past. Parade are humorous side stories that take place during Zenith. Downfall is the era after Zenith, and Monstres tells epic adventures of side characters in Zenith. Each separate arc is two or three books long, and the library doesn't have ANY sequential books! Not even a single two-book sequence! So I'm reading a completely scattershot selection of Dungeon books.
Overall, the entire saga is a humorous, mostly all-ages, fantasy adventure. The Night Shirt follows a young man who leaves his father's estate and heads into the big city, where his uncle lives. Turns out the uncle's not a nice fellow, and our young hero Hyancinthe winds up being stuck in some humorous spots, caught between his ineptitude and his desire to be a swashbuckling hero of the people, who winds up being named The Night Shirt. There's some great interplay among the massive cast, particularly when Hyacinthe tells a cute girl that it would've been okay to let The Night Shirt feel her up after he saved her the previous night (she liked it, but thought it improper and ran away)! Blain's art is very strong, and Trondheim and Sfar turn in a very engaging script.
Overall, the entire saga is a humorous, mostly all-ages, fantasy adventure. The Night Shirt follows a young man who leaves his father's estate and heads into the big city, where his uncle lives. Turns out the uncle's not a nice fellow, and our young hero Hyancinthe winds up being stuck in some humorous spots, caught between his ineptitude and his desire to be a swashbuckling hero of the people, who winds up being named The Night Shirt. There's some great interplay among the massive cast, particularly when Hyacinthe tells a cute girl that it would've been okay to let The Night Shirt feel her up after he saved her the previous night (she liked it, but thought it improper and ran away)! Blain's art is very strong, and Trondheim and Sfar turn in a very engaging script.
April 27, 2015
Dungeon sarjakuvat ovat päättömän sarjakuvahuumorin helmiä, täynnä mitä epätoivoisimpia tilanteita, joiden pälkähästä päästään erinomaisen mielikuvituksellisin keinoin. The night shirt valottaa Dungeon-maailman varhaisempia vuosia, kun jalo pingviini, tuleva Dungeonin Keeper, Hyacinthe, on vielä nuori, naiivi ja idealistinen. Hyacinthe haluaa jakaa oikeutta, mutta se ei olekaan aivan niin yksinkertaista, kuin voisi olettaa, vähän tulee tehtyä harkitsemattomia tekoja ja rapatessakin aina roiskuu. Hyacinthestä tulee yöllinen oikeuden puolustaja, Night Shirt, joka pelastaa jättiläis-puuneidon, Arboressin, ystävystyy haltijoiden kanssa, rakastuu salamurhaajaan ja korjailee öisin niitä hommia, joita hän on ilkeähkön setänsä apurina joutunut päivisin tekemään.
Edelleen suosikkiosani on Duck heart, joten vain neljä tähteä. Hyvä tämäkin.
Edelleen suosikkiosani on Duck heart, joten vain neljä tähteä. Hyvä tämäkin.
October 5, 2014
4.5
When I began this, I thought (incorrectly) this would be a spoof of D&D, or something of that ilk. Instead, what I discovered was an entire fantasy world created by a curious mind, albeit an obviously European one. There is just something specific in the voice of European authors, and this was no different.
Some elements may be beyond acceptability for readers, but there was nothing too bad. There was a rich tapestry of major and minor characters, inside jokes, and an engaging plot. While I expected to enjoy this, I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did.
I would highly recommend this to fans of Sunday comic strips, fantasy, and graphic novels. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the next installment.
When I began this, I thought (incorrectly) this would be a spoof of D&D, or something of that ilk. Instead, what I discovered was an entire fantasy world created by a curious mind, albeit an obviously European one. There is just something specific in the voice of European authors, and this was no different.
Some elements may be beyond acceptability for readers, but there was nothing too bad. There was a rich tapestry of major and minor characters, inside jokes, and an engaging plot. While I expected to enjoy this, I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did.
I would highly recommend this to fans of Sunday comic strips, fantasy, and graphic novels. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the next installment.
December 30, 2025
There were SO many good elements to this book, but I guess they just didn't mix right for my taste. I liked that it was a little odd, but, at times, I had difficulty assessing the intended tone as well as subject/time jumps.
Additional volumes are available at my library, currently I'm undecided if I'll check out the next volume.
Additional volumes are available at my library, currently I'm undecided if I'll check out the next volume.
August 30, 2016
Joann Sfarin käsikirjoittama ja Christopher Blainin kuvittama "The Night Shirt" on hupaisa albumi, joka parodioi niin fantasiagenreä kuin vanhan liiton seikkailuromaaneja à la Punainen neilikka. Ei yhtään hassumpi tapaus!
April 29, 2019
"Manages to work both as parody and as straight genre fiction, laughs alternating with thrills and even moments of genuine drama poignancy and." - The Comics Journal.
I could not write anything truer myself.
I could not write anything truer myself.
March 16, 2018
Quirky Euro feel. Refreshing and made me curious for more.
June 17, 2020
Third printing = December 2014
I loved when the main character's nom-de-justice was debated and the intellect of the group said:
"From a strictly literary point of view, and out of consideration for the future generations who'll sing your praises (pause) it seems to me that the "The Nightshirt" would sound better."
->It reminded me of when I stopped calling "The Batman" "Batman". I was reading the introduction to ____* and the writer made me thoroughly convinced that he is absolutely the former with the former being .
So why is the title of the book "The Night Shirt" when words two and three are combined through the entirety of the inside?
I want more of the character named "Horus" who is well paralleled to the Egyptian deity and wonderfully quirky.
*I'll consult my physical shelf for the name of the book but I'm thinking that the writer was Max Allen Collins or Michael Uslan
I loved when the main character's nom-de-justice was debated and the intellect of the group said:
"From a strictly literary point of view, and out of consideration for the future generations who'll sing your praises (pause) it seems to me that the "The Nightshirt" would sound better."
->It reminded me of when I stopped calling "The Batman" "Batman". I was reading the introduction to ____* and the writer made me thoroughly convinced that he is absolutely the former with the former being .
So why is the title of the book "The Night Shirt" when words two and three are combined through the entirety of the inside?
I want more of the character named "Horus" who is well paralleled to the Egyptian deity and wonderfully quirky.
*I'll consult my physical shelf for the name of the book but I'm thinking that the writer was Max Allen Collins or Michael Uslan
July 3, 2018
Hyvin vaikuttavaa mikä kai ei ole suuri yllätys, kun tekijäkaartissa on Lewis Trondeim, Joann Sfar ja Christophe Blain. Tämä on ollut lukulistalla jo kauan ja viimeinkin löysin aikaa viimeistellä ykkösosan. SEuraavaksi lisää tätä ja äkkiä!
October 11, 2025
Fabuleuse narration qui fait résonner tous les tropes classiques du roman d'apprentissage et de la medieval fantasy
February 12, 2012
Each of NBM's editions of the Dungeon series by Lewis Trondheim, Joann Sfar and their various collaborators contains two volumes of the French series. An album is a 48-page book, which is not a format that American readers are used to. It would probably seem skimpy to the average American. So we get these nice thick volumes. On the downside, NBM shrinks the size of the page to about two thirds the original size, so we don't get to see the art in all its glory, and the lettering is quite small.
Trondheim and Sfar are two of the most important alternative cartoonists of their generation. It's a strange irony that the pair decided to start creating these truly wacky genre adventure series. Using animal characters, these stories are set in a Dungeons & Dragons-like fantasy world. Lots of sword fighting, magic, thievery, treachery, etc.
The early years introduces us to characters who will be quite important later, especially Hyacinthe, who will laterer become the Keeper of the titular Dongeon. In this volume, he is a very young man (a teenager perhaps), and he has been sent by his father to the city to study with his uncle. His uncle turns out to be a completely corrupt mover-and-shaker type. Hyacinthe, confused and disgusted--and full of romantic fantasies--assumes the form of a masked avenger, the Nightshirt. And even though he is usually outmatched by his foes, he picks his allies well and manages to triumph over his enemies.
The art is by Christopher Blain (another important French alternative cartoonists), and like all the books in this series, the rich coloring is a big part of the pleasure.
Trondheim and Sfar are two of the most important alternative cartoonists of their generation. It's a strange irony that the pair decided to start creating these truly wacky genre adventure series. Using animal characters, these stories are set in a Dungeons & Dragons-like fantasy world. Lots of sword fighting, magic, thievery, treachery, etc.
The early years introduces us to characters who will be quite important later, especially Hyacinthe, who will laterer become the Keeper of the titular Dongeon. In this volume, he is a very young man (a teenager perhaps), and he has been sent by his father to the city to study with his uncle. His uncle turns out to be a completely corrupt mover-and-shaker type. Hyacinthe, confused and disgusted--and full of romantic fantasies--assumes the form of a masked avenger, the Nightshirt. And even though he is usually outmatched by his foes, he picks his allies well and manages to triumph over his enemies.
The art is by Christopher Blain (another important French alternative cartoonists), and like all the books in this series, the rich coloring is a big part of the pleasure.
February 15, 2011
Hyacinthe, very noble, young and naive, is sent to live w/his uncle the Prince. The prince is bitter, despised greedy and rich, his number two man is so wicked however he makes the prince look like a prince. Hyacinthe puts on a mask and becomes the embodiment of Justice. He falls for a fair maiden who is, of course, a professional assassin and copulating w/the number two man. hijinx ensue.
i enjoyed this much more than i thought i would, though i did think it a kids book when i bought it. The art is by the same artist of The Rabbii's Cat and Sardine.
i enjoyed this much more than i thought i would, though i did think it a kids book when i bought it. The art is by the same artist of The Rabbii's Cat and Sardine.
March 25, 2012
Okay, I've read two volumes of this now and despite its many glowing reviews and recommendations, I just don't see the appeal. It's rather...meh. Not really funny, not really dramatic, not really much of anything at all. The characters aren't very interesting and a couple border on outright annoying; what little plot I could find seemed meandering and weak. I don't get it. Maybe it lost a whole lot of something in the translation, je ne sais pas. It's not craptacular or godawful, but it's not worth my time to read any other volumes, either. Je suis fini.
December 30, 2008
I've really enjoyed all the Dungeon books I've read so far, but this one is my favorite. Having read Duck Heart and Barbarian Princess first, it was really neat to watch the Keeper in his younger years, sneaking and swashbuckling; and seeing how the Dungeon will eventually come to be. The illustration style is unique but clear, and the characters are a delight. The translation from French sometimes makes the dialogue a little unusual, but personally, I think it adds to the charm.
April 1, 2015
I Actually read this a couple of years ago and just re-read it. Didn't pick up the brilliance of Christophe Blain's work at that time, but now I'm a total disciple. Brilliant layouts and staging.
The story telling style and humor that is typical to Dungeon books is still there, but this one feels more grounded and maybe a bit sadder. There is a strong sense of place with Antipolis that Blain captures well. Probably my favorite book in the series.
The story telling style and humor that is typical to Dungeon books is still there, but this one feels more grounded and maybe a bit sadder. There is a strong sense of place with Antipolis that Blain captures well. Probably my favorite book in the series.
December 6, 2016
I LOVE these comics. So much imagination and they're simple, and funny, and dirty. Whenever I read these it always makes me want to create something like this. Then I remember I can't draw, but really the art in these books isn't "good" it's just "stylized" and goofy. Either way, I think I HAVE to collect all of these now.
February 8, 2007
This series is awesome. It's not all translated from French yet, but it's worth the wait. Magical, clever and hilarious.
June 13, 2010
The second of the two stories here might be my favorite Dungeon story so far. The first, a bit less.
October 16, 2010
Funny. Not as great as the Zenith storyline, but still pretty great.
February 17, 2013
why did I not know of these books before? there's just something about the deadpan humour and low-key epicness that really appeals to me. it may not be for everyone but I love these to bits.
June 23, 2013
A great, funny read. I've been wanting to read these for a long time, so I'm glad I found one of the English translations. Once I learn French, I'll be reading the whole series.
October 8, 2014
Love this series, definitely worth checking out if you like the graphic novel format.
June 25, 2016
Good fun, lots of energy. I wish this was published in the original album size, since some panels and word balloons get very squiggly in the smaller format.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews