Critical Rolerecently finished its third campaign, Bells Hells, which began in 2021 and concluded in the same year as the overall series' ten-year anniversary. After years of adventures, the heroes of the Bells Hells party have no more stories to tell - or so some may think. Worry not, Critters:Critical Rolestories are never truly over, even when the campaigns themselves draw to a close.
The hitCritical Roleweb series began in 2015 as a group of voice actors playingDungeons and Dragonstogether and streaming their gameplay for an online audience, and the company’s storytelling has since expanded across mediums. One such medium is that of comics, which translate the mystical land ofExandriafrom game to page.
Dark Horse Comics’Critical Rolestories dive deeper into iconic characters from Vox Machina and the Mighty Nein, telling stories that were overlooked in the initial campaigns, andthese comics lay the groundwork for how Bells Hells' own story can continue in the wake of the third campaign’s conclusion.
Critical Role’s Third Campaign Can Explore Origin Stories Through Comics
Bells Hells Should Follow in Vox Machina and Mighty Nein’s Footsteps
Following the conclusion ofCritical Role’s first campaign and the commencement of the second, the series began its comic expansion with 2017’sCritical Role: Vox Machina - Originsfrom Dark Horse Comics, written by Matthew Colville and Matthew Mercer with illustrations by Olivia Samson. This comic is the first of several miniseries detailing the early days ofVox Machina’s charactersprior to the campaign’s events, fleshing out backstories and unveiling secrets that couldn’t be explored within the original tale.Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins IVis currently ongoing, proving that a campaign’s characters can endure long after their main journey’s grand finale.
Critical Role: The Chronicles of Exandria Gears Up for The Mighty Nein’s Return With an Exclusive Sneak Peek
The Mighty Nein’s adventures are retold in a stunning new book that features gorgeous art from Critters, and Screen Rant has an exclusive first look.
Likewise, theMighty Nein’s originshave also been explored through their own series of comics, though their output isn’t identical to that their predecessors. For instance, instead of a single comic under one title, each hero fromCritical Role’s second campaign has received a backstory in a single story named after them, all of which are collected in two volumes ofCritical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins Library Edition. Every player character, from Jester toMollymauk(despite his unfortunate fate in the campaign), gets their backstory unraveled in comic form, and the same could be in store for Bells Hells' party members.
Critical Role Should Flesh Out Characters Who Didn’t Get Enough Love in the Campaign
Like the Mighty Nein, Bells Hells Encountered NPCs Who Deserve Spin-Offs
Exploration of character backstories isn’t the only incentive for Bells Hells to cross over into comics. Dark Horse Comics has also offered spin-off series that focus on NPCs from the campaigns, offering a new perspective on the campaigns that can’t be achieved when limited to the player characters' perspective exclusively. TheCritical Role: The Tales of Exandrialine has launched two miniseries centered on theBright QueenandArtaganfrom the first two campaigns. Though they are limited to supporting roles in the originalD&Dgame, they become much more nuanced as they take center stage.
Critical Role’s third campaign is full of characters who are widely beloved by Critters and could carry their own spin-off if granted the opportunity.
Critical Role’s third campaign is full of characters who are widely beloved by Critters and could carry their own spin-off if granted the opportunity. For example, Ira Wendagoth - known by friends as the Nightmare King - has garnered interest from fans due to the calculated way he plays multiple sides throughoutBells Hells' campaign. Having been enlisted by Armand Treshi in addition to meeting with the Unseelie Court, the Nightmare King enraptures audiences at every turn and would make a compelling protagonist for a comic. Moreover, fan-favorites like Dariax could also play a leading role for a change.
Critical Role’s Comics Are The Ideal Roadmap for Bells Hells' Continuation
Now That Bells Hells' Campaign Is Over, Their Comics Can Begin
Although fans will miss seeing Bells Hells at the table,Critical Rolehas a chance to keep this party of characters alive in the comics. There’s still plenty to touch on with the player characters, such as a closer look at Laudna’s life prior to her murder, or even her early days as a Hollow One. Furthermore, there are countless NPCs who could receive their own series to coincide with Bells Hells' backstories. Comic tie-ins ensure that these campaigns carry on after the games themselves conclude, shedding light on characters' pasts. The third campaign fromCritical Rolehas ended, but Bells Hells' story is far from over.
