It’s been 84 years…

"We TRIED, Varric. We TRIED. Don't even go there" when he complained about not having someone to care for him like that hit so hard 😭 I'll never forgive Bioware for that one. Thank you for the video, Ghil! I'm actually really glad I didn't pick up The Missing now, but it just seems like such a shame to waste such good raw material like that... Really hoping for the game to deliver after this🤞

I love that Varric apparently went to the Naruto school of Talk no Jutsu as a method of defeating a Big Baddie.

"i Will Riot politely" Is my new catchphrase

Loving the new look. “The dread purple is not a phase, mom!”

I've struggled to get through these comics, so thanks for the summary. Artists are given scripts, page limits, deadlines, editors, and very little money. A lot can go wrong 😅

My main takeaways from this comic when I first read it: - Neve Gallus managed to gather more information about Solas in one night than the Inquisition has in like eight years. 😂 - The Antaam are really bad at setting a siege. The Venatori are also really bad at stalking. lol - Apparently, even if you're the most powerful mage in all of Thedas, you still have to wade through "a city worth of shit" to get inside Vyrantium. lol - Who the heck was the title actually referring to? 😂 Who was missing? The sewer workers and the Grey Wardens in the first ten pages? (And why is it me missing the point of this comic lol) Solas is definitely missed though. 😂💜

You know something big is coming when Ghil Dirthalen comes back from her Uthenera slumber like this

2:51 "We've tried" Truer words have never been spoken.

I find it incredibly funny that soules is just like “don’t worry I’ve got it all under control, there is not gonna be an the invasion. Calm your shit, I’m going to bring down. Reality is gently as possible. Just chill out.”

“His li’l skirties!” 😂😂 Missed you, Caitie! Also loving the new branding and intro!

The thing about all of these is that these abbreviated plots could have made interesting comics if given actual space? A mystery where Varric and Harding are in Vyrantium investigating a lead and run into Teia and Viago who are investigating the same target On Business only for the the group to get there and find that Solas has already been there? Or the Veil Jumpers and Team Dwarf Archers trying to get into the temple, but Solas has been there first? Could have been really good if given attention. Side note but TWO TALONS were on this contract. Who on earth is forking out that much money to off suspected Venatori? It's probably not Solas or his agents, since he obviously knows she's already dead, unless maybe he wanted Crows to be around the area to divert attention? Was a trip to a besieged city to do a bit of casual Venatori murder just a romantic holiday for those two?

i didn't understand anything at all but the forest chase (or whatever it was) was very conceptually interesting. It was cool as f*k AND FINALLY A BIG FELINE ON DA????? THANK GOD it was exciting, but honestly, every comic for the last couple of years has been about going somewhere looking for something (which we don't really understand but it's elven and DANGEROUS) and then getting an "OH MAKER, IT'S SOMEWHERE ELSE"

The panel at 11:52 perfectly summarizes our feelings about this comic :))

If this is the level of writing that we get in dreadwolf I'm just gonna pretend the series ends with inquisition...

The lack of quality and resolution in these comics makes perfect sense if you look at it as purely a marketing ploy. They weren’t out to resolve anything or even tell a good story, they were out to set up stuff for the game. Which might have KINDA worked if they hadn’t come out so far apart. Like if Tevinter Nights, the short stories, and the comics had all come out in the ACTUAL lead up to the game, instead of being drip fed to us years apart, they all might have felt like parts of a greater whole, instead of things to be judged individually. Am I the only one who sees that one new mural as sort of reminiscent of the lyrium idol? With the one standing female figure holding or being grasped by another figure who is below them. Like maybe they represent the same people, but within a different context? Or different people who have a similar relationship? Idk, it was the first thing I thought of, but now I feel like I need to go put my tinfoil hat on because it wasn’t mentioned. 😆

I want to save Solas, so I like Varric’s approach. That said, you, Ghil Dirthalen, are at fault for making me a Solas fan in the first place. I’m blaming you for all the bad fanfics I’ve written for Solas/Lavellan and the sleep I lost in the process. 😝

I love the new intro. Out with the old and in with the new. 👍👍👍

I cannot wait for your channel to grow and blossom in the years following DAD! Your channel is brilliant.

So Varric comes to an idea that the Inquisitor already came decided on years ago?

I mean…I’m still in the punch Solas in the face camp so….

I think Harding comes across as simple not naive nor a pacifist. Varric assumes that because Solas was a friend in the past, Harding would behave like he wants to (to save him). Harding on the other hand is probably far more practical than Varric gives her credit for and her attitude is if(enemy==TRUE) {run havewetriedmurder.exe}. I found it a nice character moment for both of them.

Just in time for my morning drive ❤ Glad I'm not the only one baffled by this series, particularly comic number 3. I probably spent a good thirty minutes on my bedroom floor trying to decipher the Fade situation 😂

So, the more I think about it...the more it makes sense that Varric would try and Talk Solas down. Solas is a friend and violance is often a last resort with Varric. It could also be that since Varric didn't get an opportunity to talk Anders out his plans, he views this as a redo of sorts. But that is speculation on my part.

Varric DISAPPROVES if your inquisitor says they want to save solas! Now he wants to! Such a change.

Ah the art for these comics just kinda got worse and worse, huh? Last comic had big, "Artists didn't have enough time." Energy. Like holy moly, this artists seems to know what they're doing, but the art just screams they didn't have time to make the needed corrections, particularly on the close-up shots. I feel bad for them.

Now, VEILGUARD makes a lot more sense with this comic

“I say the weirdos…it’s me.” 🤣🤣🤣🤣 US damn it! 😂😂😂

BTW the release of the 4th issue of comic was almost certainly a printing issue. Early 2023 had rampant printing issues in the comic industries that saw many delays of various books, including major Marvel and DC titles. The comics industry is obsessed with not undercutting print media (to the point they overcharge on digital comics so they aren't cheaper then the print) which is why they delayed the online version as well.

Crucious stone reminds me of the Cruciatos curse from Harry Potter. Cruciatus is also Latin for torture/torment

I DIDN'T GET THE NOTIFICATION 😭 (hyped, but Tevinter Nights is better and makes more sense as a tie in)

Wonder if the joke about being single is a hint at something...

Big cat turning into a little kitten that is hardly sir pounce alot

"I will riot politely" - I feel that

You know, it didnt click for me until i heard you say the forest issue feels like a game mechanic - this comic felt like a veteran of the games watching their younger sibling try it for the first time. They wander around different areas, dont look deep enough, get someone killed instead of getting information from them...theyre interacting with the world of the game, but not gaining anything from it. Which like, if you look at this comic as a proto-gameplay trailer? Kind of works?

The redesign of the varterrel reminds me of the Sylvans from DAO

I like the idea that Varterrals are just golem's/constructs made from stone and trees that the ancient Elvhen used as guards/security. So how they look could very based on city, location, intention, and maybe even the Evanuris that created them.

I’m positive that the figure people keep calling moonhead is andruil because the crown resembles a bow. Also is it me or does anyone else get the feeling the arlathan forest can predict the future because of the dread wolf figure hovering over a city? one gripe I had with the comic is why 4 different artists?

//sighs// //puts on clown makeup and plays this video//

The "trickster god" vs debaters bit was AWESOME! I feel seen 😆

I think (and hope) that the missing actually showcases the different "backgrounds" of the PC, and Varric is going to act as the new Duncan. Each issue is going to be a fleshed out tutorial for the game. Or something...

Yay ! was starting to miss the lore dump ! happy there is a new one. Hopefully this get a more frequent occurrence with Dragon Age: Dread wolf being rumored to release soon. Hopefully we get an announcement at Xbox game show this summer like rumored by people who knows more about it than us mere players. Hopefully it's a good game and Bioware survives EA wrath if it doesn't make all of the money in the world. Thanks you keeping people interested in the franchise ! You've been a great help to make me interested in playing the games with a different lenses way back then and hoping you'll do the same after the game comes out. I Wish you good health and a very good day :)

Perfect timing. Because I just read the comic last night. I did thought the venatory assassin was Solas. I didn't thought the venatory who was killed in the end was the same guy who been stalking Varric and Harding. Like the story is weird, like what the comic wanted to tell us? there's veil jumpers? Solas carrying around a wax seal with Dreadwolf symbol? (for real hun?) there are good people who wanted to free the slaves? (I'm sensing this could be one of the quest in DAD) LIKE WHAAAT????

Man after that gameplay trailer Varric really still wants to talk Solas down 😭 we TRIED THAT VARRIC Thank you for your hard work breaking this down, I wish we got more from this like we had with TN

23:26 is the entire reason I was waiting for this overview.

I can fix this plot. Just give me a hammer, some glue, and a lot of time.

What I'm getting from that one panel, and the line if you leave a femHawke in the Fade, and the whole history with the real Bianca... is that Varric just falls in love with all his friends and they never pick him 😭😭😭 I wanted to pick you Varric!!! I wanted it SO BAD 😭

Oh my gosh, I have missed you. lol, I love your content. "We tried Varic, We tried." I felt that in my soul.

Damn Ghil, you ran into Hard in High Town 2: Even Harder the hack writer released to steal people's money. Also to point out, Jackdaw said once the writers of Dragon Age took inspiration from Richard the 3rd by Ser William Shakespeare and of course the Holy Bible. So the main character in DAD takes the role of Henry the 8th as Solas is Richard the 3rd of the fantasy universe trying to restore his people at whatever cost. Right as Richard the 3rd cried 'Now is the winter of our discontent!' he battles Henry in this act of the play and dies consequentially. As for the Biblical part, Solas is Moses to the elves trying to help restore what they lost by guiding them to rememberance but the Dalish had already rejected him and so they are as the remnant who perished in Saini.

yay another long Ghil vid!! Missed them. Welcome back.

I’m on team Solas help him nuke the veil, let’s go baby woooo 🎉 So all of this to me is just like 🤷🏻‍♀️

i thought varric couldnt get any hotter DAYUM thats all i have to say on that

I think it's safe to say that if Tiea and Viago are in a Tevinter city.... just get out 😂 run. It's getting sieged

Another excellent video Ghil. Can't wait for Dreadwolf Summer and Loresplosion post-release!

It makes complete sense that Varric would try debate again since he got Solas to admit that the story of the lone dwarf living alone after his family died may have been a form of rebellion. I think he meant that Harding wouldn't even be able to try.

This video came out not long before the alleged name change for Dreadwolf/DA4. I'm going to troll now and say it's called Dragon Age: The Crucius Stone because that'd upset the whole fanbase. 😀

i'm a little late to the comment section, but i wanted to touch on the Varterral... the lore we have suggests that these creatures are basically constructs made by elves from long ago, and as such i think it's safe to assume that they can be built in different ways to take on whatever duty is given to them. I don't think that the Varterral here being a giant dude (Darren the Ancient Sleeper, anyone?) isn't a retcon, but just an example of other shapes they may come in. thankie

I find it funny that years after Trespasser, Bioware felt the need to make an entire comic run just to justify why the inquisitor isn't going to come back as the PC

Idk why but I feel like the crucious stone is going to be our magoffin for killing the Elven Gods that are released...

Glad to see you back!!

I'd give the IDW comics a pass and write it off as Dragon Age being a new IP at the time. These comics, however, are working with a 15 year old setting, like c'mon.

First off, love the channel change! It’s good to see you back in action! Always loved the videos for anything lore and I’m glad to have more to listen to while cooking or cleaning. As note to this vid, I’m curious why the comic is called “The Missing”? Is it because Solas is “missing”, so they’re tracking him down? Or that we are missing plot points? 😅

Ghil is back! Hell yes

If Horns is Andruil, then which of the masks do you think is June?

How much time has passed between each comic??? Varric aged like Obama did during his presidency 💀💀💀

CAITIE! THANK YOU! It's the only one I haven't read so thank you thank you thank you

Madness indeed

I feel like the people in these comics are going to be our companions

To me, this comic felt like someone’s D&D game going off the rails.

Obviously its like a thing about the artists style but I feel like the women's even theme wise is kinda out of world character with how we know how the ancient elvhen murals (or even solas' murals) look like so I'm definitely team "artist put that there, also because they havent been told more" LOL also, do you per chance have a list of books/comics that are set between da:i and da:d that you think are worth reading to potentially get into the da:d story better? I've read tevinter nights but none of the other stuff (beyond what your channel offers in terms of summaries lol). I hope they don't pull a da2 -> da:i again where half of the info you need to make a decision in game is hidden in the books :/

18:56 first time we see her she literally kills an apostate without question lol

The venitori wants the slaves right? So they are following the pair. And they help them cause well, the pair cant find them if they die

Idk why people have so many complaints with these comics. I was so incredibly happy with them and I don't usually enjoy comics and rarely read them

Whilst I found it an enjoyable l, albiet clustered, comic. It could really have benofited from a longer run giving writters time to fleah out characters and give plot beats literally any time to breath. Great video

I am just crossing my fingers at this point...the writing seems all over the place

Here we goooooo

I know it’s sort of how things work but I really hate hot profit motive and profit incentive interrupts artists being able to swing their weight around. Artists should not be rushed, they should be given a lot of time, writers too. That’s how you get good products that can hold their own based purely on their merits but we see a lot of stuff like this in so many major IPs that it’s disheartening. Dragon Age and its stories is tailor made for artists and writers to do what they do best but we don’t often get to see that because everything has to have a really quick turn around.

5:11 oh... I hope Rook has their hub designed like that (😂not really)

Yeah, this comic was so bad, the last issue especially felt like a parody or something, it is so goofy lol Edit: Varric wants the rap battle route and I'm IN! >: )

This comic was basically the video game equivalent of when musicians make their social media pictures black to garner attention

13:50 classic christmas movie.

Is there a place where I can find a listing of all the non- game dragon age stuff?

I think maybe you were just looking for too much hidden meaning in a lead-in mini series

I think the only one of this I read was issue 2 because of Teia and Viago....

New intro is nice 👍

Ohh thank god!

I really hope the writing in DA:D is not like this and this comic was made just for a quick sell lol

This gives me bad vibes leading into the game. It feels like theres too many loose threads to wrap up neatly and I really doubt were getting a dragon age 5 no matter how good Dreadwolf sells(Which is completely questionable atm). Bioware is most definitely in danger no two ways around it.

The wallpaper took me clear out 5:00

I feel any of these comics are just a way of milking a little more money out of their fans without adding a lot of value.

The illustrations are good, I can see what it is im looking at... but i really dont understnd why dwarvea are drawn tall as humans in some frames and why is Varric getting more and morw gray hair xD wtf

so it's canonical that the inquisition still exists?

It's an entirely personal gripe, but the aging-magic in the Arlathan Forest + Dorian's quest in DAI make me worry we're going to get more time-magic stuff. Which is a bummer for me, b/c I hate time-travel stories. It deflates so much of the tension if at the end someone can just hop back in time and undo everything.

It's me, I'm the wierdo, it's me 😂😂😂

DAD SUMMER!

We are so back 😼😼

I love lore, but I really hate the comics are used to fill in gaps I’d rather it be in game

YES YES YES YES

long as its still a 2024 release

The Missing sucked. Jumbled story, nonsensical choices by the characters, no payoff. They should have at least ended it with Neve meeting Solas instead of Varric and Lace.