Delicious in Dungeon, Vol. 1

Kui kicks off a surprisingly charming and tasty treat of a manga series in which any danger can be eaten. Deep in a dungeon within a cursed kingdom hidden underground, leader Laios and his intrepid troop escape from a dragon but leave his sister behind—in the dragon’s belly. Fortunately, video game tropes apply in this world, and there is time to rescue her before her “final” death. Short on coin and provisions, honorable and single-minded Laios, neurotic magic user Marcille, and cunning thief Chilchuck decide to survive by eating monsters on their way back and are joined by the dwarf Senshi, a veritable monster gourmand. Huge scorpion and walking mushroom hot pot, roast basilisk, and mandrake kakiage and big bat tempura are only some of the imaginative recipes in this combination of role-playing adventure, bestiary, and cookbook (complete with a nutritional chart for each meal). The characters and plot are lightweight and breezy, and the artwork is humorous, creative, and expressive, making for a tasty ongoing series. (May)