A new journey unfolds but is this really an accessible extension of the video game franchise?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Dark Horse:

Allied with the world’s most feared warrior race—the qunari—the pirate Isabela, and the rogue Varric, King Alistair brings battle royale to the evil mage responsible for his father’s disappearance!

When it comes to the world of Dragon Age I’ve always found myself to be cautiously excited by the idea of it.  There are quite a few things regarding this world that excite me to no end while other aspects more or less let me down.  But thankfully the creative team delivers a strong start to this mini-series, as our heroes attempt a daring rescue against some very challenging odds.

Alexander Freed handles the script and the writer effortlessly weaves together a straight forward but instantly likable tale that’s surely made for more than just the already established hardcore fans.  There are quite a few revenues at play here, that offer enough room to welcome in an ever expanding audience as the author fills in some blanks while charging forward right into the action.  I have to say I was very impressed by the dialogue itself but there were moments where it came off somewhat stiff, but by the final sentence I was honestly floored by the end results.

When it comes to the art by Chad Hardin, I was impressed from the start by his renditions of the primary characters.  His pencil strokes used both light and dark lines to give them believable life in this large scale odyssey as he crafted simplistic designs that made use of their space, in a way they didn’t limit the action or the story by any stretch of the imagination.  In short, he kept the visual scope of this adventure in check giving resounding reasons as to why this talent was up to the task at hand.

Dragon Age: Until We Sleep #1 a compelling start to what could be a truly amazing affair that’s chock-full of fantastical elements to both enlighten and entertain its audience.  Recommended.

4/5