Dragonlance Comics (Issue 6) - Raistlin's Pawn

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Wayfarers

DC/Dragonlance comic, issue 6This issue opens with Gnatch and Kalathan journeying on foot (having given up the horse they were riding in the previous issue)to the city of Kalaman when they come across the dead bodies, scattered weapons and other tell-tale signs of battle. While looking over the scene, they are confronted and fight the river pirates responsible of the carnage. The elf puts up a good fight, but is overwhelmed in the end. Before he is killed, a wave of arrows wash over the area, killing the pirates, but not Gnatch and Kalathan.

The soldiers responsible for the rescue (and those the river pirates previously killed) turn out to be part of the Dragonarmy. The dark elf joins their group and "kills" Gnatch by throwing him in the nearby river as a test of his ruthlessness. As they leave, Gnatch comes out with the help of a female river pirate who survived the arrow assault. Together the woman and the gnome head to Kalaman.

Meanwhile, in the city of Kalaman, Raistlin prepares to leave and journey south to Neraka. Cut to Kalathan having another one of his "posessions". He and several dragonarmy men relax in a nearby bar. The bar has a magic mirror that shows a person's "secret self". Looking in the mirror, everyone sees Kalathan's reflection changes to that of Raistlin, though no one recognizes the image.

As Raistlin flies out of the city, riding a green dragon, Kalathan is compelled to leave as well (though he doesn't know why). Just then, Gnatch and the woman, now revealed to be a wizard, arrive and leave with the dark elf. Just outside the city, they find the griffon Kalathan was riding before. Together the three set off for Neraka...

Commentary

Like last issue, I didn't really enjoy this one. I still dislike Gnatch, who I think has been mostly useless to this point. The manner in which Kalathan joins the dragonarmy is a bit silly, nor do I understand just why the river pirate would be so interested in the elf at this point.

There is some really nice art in the issue, from Raistlin, his green dragon, to the interior of the local pub, but that doesn't help offset a story that moves along too fast, with nothing significant to add.

Timeline-wise, this story takes place during the third Chronicles book, and seem to fill in some of the gap of what Raistlin did before his final appearance at the end of the trilogy. Weis and Hickman were planning to write a novel about this as part of their "Lost Chronicles" to be called Dragons of the Hourglass Mage, which would undoubtedly recon this tale out of continuity. Controversy aside, it looks like their book will never be published, leaving this the only "official" account of what happened during that time.

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