Comics
Review: Dragon Age, The Silent Grove #1
Prior to a civil war brought on by the Fifth Blight that tore the nation of Ferelden in two, King Cailan sat the throne but then he took an arrow in the knee… Well something like that. But either way, he perished, and his brother Alistair Theririn took the crown, and saved his kingdom from the darkspawn, bringing peace to the land! Unfortunately, peace only lasts while someone else is planning a new war; which brings us to Dark Horses new digital exclusive title Dragon Age, The Silent Grove. Read on for the skinny…
WRITTEN BY: Alexander Freed, David Gaider
ILLUSTRATIONS BY: Chad Hardin
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse
RELEASE: Out Now!
“From the lead writer of BioWare’s Dragon Age games comes this original six-part story, available exclusively from the Dark Horse Digital Store!
It’s unusual for a king to embark on a dangerous quest himself rather than send an emissary, but King Alistair Therein has caught wind of a rumor big enough, and personal enough, that he is compelled to investigate—though not alone. With deadly, wisecracking mercenaries Isabella and Varric by his side, Alistair travels to a city of assassins to learn the truth about his kingdom and his own reign!”
King Alistair comes to Antiva, a city that is the playground for an elite assassin group known as Crows. Being a king, naturally, Alistair is not stupid enough to travel alone, and after some beautifully laid out sword play scenes we are introduced to his two faithful companions; a dwarf, Varric, and a dangerous pirate, Isabela. The trio find that someone has prepared for their arrival with deadly traps. Uh oh.
Right away I knew I would enjoy this story, being the fantasy buff that I am; swords, dwarven crossbows and conspiracy plots against a kingdom, yep, I’m sold! This story reminds me of my days reading the Dungeons and Dragons or Forgotten Realms novels, probably because The Silent Grove is based off the popular Dragon Age video game series. Alexander Freed infuses the script with sarcastic humor and it fits well within the context of the story. There’s a certain tendency in fantasy to take the subject matter a bit too seriously, however, Freed does a fantastic job of balancing action, fantasy, and comic relief.
As for Chard Hardin’s artwork, it’s a bit cartoony, but ain’t nothing wrong with that. It submerses the reader into the atmosphere fully and pops right off the page (or screen, considering it’s digital only).
All and all, anyone who is a fan of the fantasy genre should give this book a shot. It’s available exclusively at Dark Horse Digital and it’s only 99 coins! Besides, anything with “dragon” in the title is okay by me.
4/5 Skulls
Comics
‘Curse of the Where Wolf’ Bites Into August Release With Trio of Werewolf Theatrical Screenings [Exclusive Preview]
Larry Chaney‘s hairy misadventures are continuing in the sequel graphic novel Curse of the Where Wolf from creative team Rob Saucedo, Debora Lancianese, and Jack Morelli, and its author is celebrating with a trio of horror’s greatest werewolf films.
The Curse of the Where Wolf hits shelves on August 7 from Encyclopocalypse Publications.
That coincides with the launch of a theatrical screening event in Houston, Texas, featuring a trio of seminal werewolf flicks turning 45 this year: The Howling on August 7, Wolfen on August 14, and An American Werewolf in London on August 21.
Each screening features a “werewolf in film” presentation as well as a book signing from Where Wolf author and River Oaks Theatre artistic director Rob Saucedo.
In the new graphic novel, “Being a werewolf sucks. Reporter Larry Chaney wanted to be a hero. Instead, he became a werewolf. Now, caught between incredible new powers and a desire to eat everything (and everyone) in sight, Larry must find a cure for his curse. Or die trying.”
“With Where Wolf, I wanted to tell a whodunit set in a furry convention, so the story was pretty contained within a very specific setting and genre. With Curse of the Where Wolf, I wanted to celebrate everything I love about the possibility of comic books. Curse of the Where Wolf is a funny book, in every sense of the phrase, but it’s also an earnest look at a person’s struggle to become a better version of themselves, especially when the alternative is to become a literal monster,” Saucedo says of Curse.
The original graphic novel was previously serialized as the first webcomic hosted on Fangoria before being collected by Encyclopocalypse Publications in 2023 and has already been optioned for film, podcast, and television development ahead of launch by producers James Fino (“The Freak Brothers” for Tubi, “Rick and Morty” for Adult Swim) and Charles Horak (First Date for Magnolia Pictures).
Expect Larry to find himself in even weirder situations in the 362-page full color sequel; Saucedo has provided Bloody Disgusting with exclusive art pages from the upcoming graphic novel that showcase lupine humor.
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