Intro Adventure Covers: Expert (B/X)

  We all knew this one was coming, right? X1: Isle of Dread​. What has to be the most played lineage from the TSR era, B/X, started with this classic hexcrawl adventure with dinosaurs, zombies, sugar glider people, spiders, and weretigers. The adventure itself is a glorious romp in an exotic, strange island filled with color and that gets reflected in the adventure's cover art.
  To start with, just as eXpert levels are all about leaving the dungeon, the illustration is also a startling shift. Long sight-lines showing multiple biomes, bright and vivid colors, enormous scale of action...this thing is a huge contrast with the covers we saw before. The care given to scale and depth is appreciated, although obviously its still a little crude. A lot going on though in this sun-drenched picture.
  Again we have the protagonist of the piece as the monster. I think it's supposed to be a T-Rex, but it's hands and stance make it just look like a huge lizardman. Big Green here looks a little goofy, but rippling to muscle, glaring with intent, and freakin' murdering a guy definitely have him as empowered and menacing. Critter has taken multiple spears in the back and is completely unphased. Strong secondary billing has to be given to the lovingly detailed coral snake, which I think is a normal-sized snake closer to the viewer but the wonky perspective kind of implies it's a man-sized snake as well. Scary, do not want to approach.
  The adventurers come off extremely unheroic. Now if I recall there's nothing stopping replacement party members from being from the local villages, but there's definitely the slightly unfortunate implication that Sailor Elf and Splayed Fighter Guy are the PCs, while the NPC allies or hirelings are the poor unarmored guys getting wrecked by the monster. It's pretty funny how the story is going, though...the NPCs are bravely fighting the terrible monster, posed in action and clearly scoring hits. Meanwhile the very armored PCs, with their access to metal armor and hair conditioner, are using the courage of their native friends make good their escape. I hope Splayed Fighter Guy steps on another snake.
  I think this cover is great for showing what B/X is all about. High adventure in varied and broad environments, powerful and terrifying monsters that should be run away from, and of course sacrificing the torchbearers to make good your escape. It's perfect.
  For the third time in a row, nobody pictured has pants.