Review - Dungeons & Dragons Art and Arcana: A Visual History

I know I posted about Dungeons and Dragons Art and Arcana: A Visual History before when I received my review copies, but it releases tomorrow and I wanted to put a short review together to remind folks who haven't yet snagged a copy. Remember, in this case, Amazon is your friend ;)

Dungeons & Dragons Art and Arcana: A Visual History has a suggested retail of $50 - on Amazon, it is available for $31.45

Dungeons & Dragons Art and Arcana: A Visual History - Special Edition, Boxed Book & Ephemera Set has a suggested retail of $125 - on Amazon, it is available for $76.27

Note - these are Amazon affiliate links. A small portion of your purchase price made via these links will go to support The Tavern. I Thank you.

I'm going to do this review picture by selected picture, as it IS an art book, and the art is what really makes this stand out.

Standard cover and special boxed set.

 Box cover of the Special Edition. It really is special and pops in person more than this photo shows.

 Cover of the Special Edition book.

A Paladin in Hell is one of my favorite pieces of art from any 1e book. Emirikol the Chaotic was also damn - and pretty much what my players thought "chaotic" meant ;)

 Dungeons & Dragons Viewmaster and a record release? I literally had no clue.

I love the classic ads.

I realize now that I never had the "orange spine" releases of the core AD&D 1e books. Otherwise, I'd have this complete collection.

I have some of these colored covers, but not many.

The AD&D 2e art was a huge change from 1e. Not going to say which I think was better, just remarking on the huge change in direction.

 Beholder by the Numbers. Edition numbers ;)

 Ah, the Forgotten Realms. The beginning of the end of Greyhawk. Nope, not bitter at all...

 Dragonlance. Fun books. Excellent art. Shitty modules.

 I like this piece but don't recall it.

Collectors edition only.

Inside of above.

Lots of frameable posters in the Special Edition.

So, my final score? To (poorly) quote Nigel from Spinal Tap, "this goes to ELEVEN, and eleven is a larger number than ten."

Get it. Seriously.