Since the relaunch of the universe of heroic fantasy of the Dungeon in January 2020, architects Joann Sfar and Lewis Trondheim multiply the new rooms of the Dungeon. In this complete story in one volume, they offer you to visit the daycare… But would you leave children there?
For Dungeon neophytes
Created in 1998, Dungeon is a rich universe that parodies role-playing games or video games like Dungeons and Dragons while creating an animal story. Joann Sfar and Lewis Trondheim have launched a main series about the adventures of the duck Herbert de Vaucanson discovering the Dungeon. This castle contains a huge treasure coveted every day by new soldiers. Run by the Guardian, it is actually a company that recovers money from victims who fail to recover the treasure. His assistant Marvin traps the adventurers with the assistant of monstrous creatures. Very quickly, the two creators created new series taking place before (Antipodes -, Potron-Minet), after (Antipodes +, Twilight) or during (Monsters, Bonus, Parade). Published by Delcourt, this new volume, Garderie pour petiots, takes place during the golden age of the Dungeon between episodes one and two of the main series Dungeon Zenith. Herbert has just been integrated into the Dungeon team. He has the enthusiasm of the young employee, multiplying the proposals but his latest find leaves the molosser Marvin skeptical: to expand the audience of adventurers, he wants to target the public of families by creating a daycare. Employees taking care of the offspring of warriors, adventurers will be able to fetch the treasure… get slaughtered or fall into the traps of the Dungeon. Indeed, Marvin remains faithful to the murderous traditions. How could he agree to laugh at loaves while hitting them with a foam axe? Other employees, on the other hand, are more enthusiastic like Grogro and John John the Terror. But as always, Herbert didn't really anticipate the violence of these inexperienced nannies…
For Dungeon fans
Garderie pour petiots marks the arrival of a new cartoonist: Alexis Nesme, previously best known for his children's books. Its dense line with very cartoony shapes blends very well into the atmosphere of this volume. While keeping a childlike atmosphere, the explosions of blood are even funnier. There is also a personal dimension to this story. Now parents, the two screenwriters are amused by the shortcomings of daycares. They make fun of hyper-demanding parents – little molosser Boris is allergic to gluten – while finding through comics an outlet for their worries about leaving their children with others. However, these little beings are not innocent. Herbert is quickly overwhelmed by the antics of these apprentice adventurers. Indeed, children are far from being excited by fake traps and foam weapons and are clamoring for more blood. Marvin will quickly calm their ardor with a devastating punch. This duet works very well by contrasting Marvin's constant distrust with Herbert's permanent naivety. In the end, the walk of these marmots will mean above all a mass of extra work for the magician Horous. Although totally disconnected from the rest of the series, Daycare for Little Ones is far from being an anecdotal volume. The scenario Joann Sfar and Lewis Trondheim starts from an original idea and the duo multiplying the jokes, the reading is very entertaining. The smiles of the reader are much more numerous thanks to the talent of the cartoonist Alexis Nesme who finds here a totally new universe for him. If you enjoy this parody of role-playing games, we can't advise you enough to read our review of Rick & Morty vs Dungeons & Dragons on this link. If you prefer the more heroic fantasy version, you can discover The Legend of Drizzt.
