Dark Horse Comics 2017
Written by Nunzio DeFilippis & Christina Weir
Illustrated by Fernando Heinz Furukawa
Coloured by Michael Atiyeh
Lettered by Nate Piekos of Blambot
Elven squire Vaea and her knight arrive in Kirkwall for Varric Tethras’s appointment as viscount. A talented thief, Vaea takes on an easy job . . . but when she chooses to change the terms of the deal midheist, she is entangled in a dangerous mission that is surely above her pay grade.
I really do like all these adventures from the Dragon Age universe. They give those of us who don’t game but do have a love for RPG’s a chance to see and experience the world. In this issue what Nunzio and Christina do is they introduce us to some characters and their lives and let us see the potential of playing a character like that. Not only could (will) this garner interest in the game itself but maybe in a D&D style game as well. There’s an infectious thing that happens here when reading this and seeing it unfold before you that kind of widen the eyes in wonder.
The opening introduces us to Ser Aaron Hawthorne of Derelden a Wandering Knight and his squire Vaea. he’s one of those classic blowhard types who really enjoys hearing himself talk as he regales anyone and everyone with a constant barrage of his stories. Once upon a time he might have been someone of some importance but now he’s an older man who travels the world and tells his tales reliving his youthful glory. You’d think an Elven woman such as Vaea wouldn’t have a use for such a man but it does certainly get interesting to think of her as his squire and one day perhaps a Knight in her own right.
Still it’s a smokescreen, well being a squire, of sorts because his constant drinking and storytelling gives her a chance to do what she loves to do. Be a thief and not just a thief but one of the best the world has ever seen. So suddenly the idea behind this starts changing its shape and forms a new image in your mind, one that you cannot control as the possibilities swim forward unabated.
I like the interiors here from Fernando and Michael. The attention to detail in the characters and the way the colouring is shaded to depict subtle things are extremely well done. Also they bring us quiet confidence and surprising tone shift when we realise the truth. While i’m a fan of backgrounds as we all know the scenery that the boys bring here is seriously amazing to behold. There’s power in the imagery whether it’s meant to depict it or not and that takes talent! The way page layouts are utilised through their angles and perspective help us get into this story in way that brings us to this place like we’re along on this journey beside them.
This is a wonderful way to get lost in a story, interesting characters who seem to have secrets and lives that others only dream of. Roguish cads whose charms are hard to deny and a plot that was meant to twist, turn and almost break make this one of the weeks highlights so far.