The Last Session Vol. 1: Roll For Initiative

by Jasmine Walls, Micah Myers (letterer), Dozerdraws (illustrator)

For fans of Critical Role and Dungeons & Dragons, a reprinted young adult graphic novel about the struggles of a group of friends playing tabletop roleplaying games when one member brings their girlfriend to the very last session.

Jay, Lana, Drew, Walter, and Shen began playing Dice & Deathtraps in high school. Now dealing with college and all the twists and turns of their lives, their weekly game has been a wonderful constant. But, as college graduation looms and it feels like their lives are all moving down very different paths, Lana’s thrilled to finally finally complete the party’s unfinished original campaign. But when Jay’s partner Cassandra joins the game, Lana refuses to let her inexperience ruin the best part of her week! But in the end, that may be Lana and the party’s undoing…

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Young Adult, Contemporary

144 pages, Paperback

Published June 3, 2025

About the author

Jasmine Walls is an award-winning writer, editor, and artist. She's worked on several graphic novels along with writing Vixen: NYC, and can otherwise be found drinking hot chocolate or befriending all the neighborhood dogs.

Reviews

[✧ Beanie Reads ✧]

Read: June 12th
Format: E-book
Rating: 3 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I have some mixed feelings on this. On one hand, it's D&D-based, and I love that. It's also so great seeing the friend group and how the game brought them together. But also, it all felt too fast for me. This may appeal more to those in the queer community, as I myself am not. A lot of the time there were portions of the story dedicated to each individual's experience, especially in the sense of what made this ragtag friend group so close, and they meet as a GSA meeting, so a lot of that does stem from the queer identity.

Again, I don't identify as queer, so a lot of it didn't connect with me. I can still appreciate it for what it was and the character depth it added, but the emotional punch wasn't there for me, especially when paired with the pacing.

Overall, though? Loved the message of how a little nerdy interest between friends can bloom into such tight bonds and such a strong influence on lives, while also tackling the difficulties that come with change. A very solid TTRPG-centric comic.

[Katherine]

I've never participated in a role playing game before, but this graphic novel made me want to try it! The worldbuilding was interesting, layered, and easy for me to understand even as a newbie. Adored the queer found family propelling the narrative and how there's realistic growing pains with their long term dynamics from teenagers into adulthood. The core group all having similar interests but different goals for their lives really delves into how difficult it can be to navigate change within the most solid aspects of your life. Stellar and unique artwork that was really instinctive to follow, both in and out of the game, which was crucial to me personally. Would definitely read more volumes!

Thanks to NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for the arc!

[Dan]

My thanks to NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios- Maverick for an advance copy of this graphic novel that tells the tale of a group of table top adventurers dealing with the dangers and monstrositys of the real world, and the feelings that they keep inside.

I started playing Dungeons & Dragons at the end of fifth grade or the beginning of sixth grade, I am not entirely sure. I do know I was in school for we would spend our independent study period talking about what we were going to do next. Unlike all those revisionist shows that talk about how cool the eighties were, being a nerd was a lonely affair. This was the time of Satanic Panic, Reaganomics, and small town New England so to play role playing games, reading comics,was one step worse then weird, it was full on pariah behavior. We had fun, and didn't care. School wasn't fun nor really educational, it was something that had to we just had to bear until we got out. That never changed. We also gave no thought at all about the opposite sex, so that was never a factor. Well one of us thought about the same sex, which explains alot about him now, but we never discussed it. Now I see players of all types playing women, men, those who are undecided, or positive in who they are. I know what role playing meant for me, and I am very glad for them. Which is why I loved this graphic novel. The Last Session Vol. 1: Roll For Initiative is written by Jasmine Walls, illustrated by Dozerdraws with lettering by Micah Myers and tells a story of a group of role players who bonded in high school over a role playing game that kept the real world at bay, until the real world start crashing in.

Five students are attending the Gender Sexuality Alliance at their high school for the first time, but the group president seems to be missing. Jay offers to start a role playing game Dice & Deathtraps showing the others how to do it while they wait. Lana, Drew, Walter and Shen agree starting a campaign that goes through school, their ups and downs, and into the world of college and crappy jobs. To Lana the game is the high point of the week, allowing Lana to relax and bond with friends. The others dealing with bad jobs, family pressures agree. Until an X-Factor is added in Cassandra, Jay's new girlfriend. Cassandra adds a layer of chaos to the game play that starts to ruin the game for some. Especially Lana who is uncomfortable with change, and uncomfortable with people in relationships. Also members of the group are being offered jobs, dream jobs in fact, that might put the future of the game at risk. The group is starting to face problems that will need more than natural twenties or saving throws to deal with.

A graphic novel that captures friends playing and even more, friends that might be growing apart. Not from anger, but that is the way the world works. Sometimes change isn't what we want, but to tell people they can't change is wrong, as some of the characters here are starting to realise. The writing is good, as are the characters. Each one has their own quirks and unique persona that make them of interest to readers, and want to know more. Even the role playing adventure is fun and keeps one engaged. The art is a good mix of realism with Fantasy creatures. Each character again has a clear look, and the artists sticks to it. I liked the colors too, they really stand out.
A really good story about diversity, friends, role playing and more. A lot of time has passed since I last rolled some dice, and stories like this make me miss role playing. I am glad to see there is a market for stories like this, and for characters like this even more. Role playing got me through a lot of difficult times, I hope stories like this help others also. I look forward to where the story goes.

[East of Reality]

This is a solid RPG story about a group of friends finally able to come together to finish their high school game — with the addition of their DMs girlfriend’s characters. Here, rather than it being a seamless melding, there’s conflict. Lana, the new player, is a Mary Sue. Her bard learns spells to be more like the druid, spells to be more like the thief, takes over all the public facing interactions, wants to talk about plots and monsters and meta … and it’s cute. It’s what a lot of new players do, trying to make the most super special character, but it’s also making the druid, the thief, and even their paladin — used to being the party leader — feel like their toes are being stepped on. And then there’s the fact that she’s the DM’s girlfriend.

Everything ends up wrapped up in a tidy little bow while I, personally, would have liked just a little more time spent on the people and a little less on the characters — and while it’s fun to see their characters come to life, and how the IRL problems leak into the game — because the final resolution and token “I’m sorry”s just didn’t land for me. Even so, this was a quick, fun read and I’m curious to see more from the author and artist.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC!

[Mohan Vemulapalli]

"The Last Session " is an engaging and charming tribute to D&D and the obsessive nerds who play it. This highly accessible book is an LGQBT+ sensitive examination of a group of long time friends who are challenged by the addition of a new player in the campaign that originally united them. This book is for anyone who routinely calculates their hitpoints or uses the term lawful evil to describe their high school English teacher.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Erica Baxter]

Light and playful. I consumed this all in a single sitting.

It was entertaining and relatable. The characters are distinct, dynamic, and diverse. And their interactions all felt natural and unforced—they really carried the story.

And then there is the D&D (Dice & Deathtraps, in this book)! Ah, the good ol' days. For anyone interested in fantasy tabletop roll-playing games, this is the book for you!

Lots of fun.

[Kathleen]

I really liked the aged-up versions of high schoolers still hanging out as friends - they're a tight knit group after gaming together so long! The introduction of someone new changes their dynamics, but they manage to work it out like adults, finally. Jay's new character is my favorite.

[Kathleen]

Absolutely adorable.

[Poppy]

This was such a heartwarming read, I absolutely loved it! The story was sweet, the characters were magnetic, and the artwork WOW!