Dragon Age: The Missing

Dragon Age Graphic Novels #9

by George Mann, Kieran McKeown (Illustrator), Fernando Heinz Furukawa (Illustrator)

A new comics story leading directly into Dragon Dreadwolf, the fourth video game in BioWare’s legendary fantasy series!

Varric Tethras and Lace Harding have a tough job ahead of them. Tasked with finding their former friend Solas, the pair find themselves facing down a lot more than they bargained for. With a difference of opinion on how to approach their target, and with new enemies around every corner, the duo might find they've bitten off more than they can chew.

Written by George Mann (Star The High Republic, Engines of War, Motherbridge) and featuring art by Kieran McKeown ( Lone Wolf), Fernando Heinz Furukawa (Dragon Dark Fortress), Tomás Aira (The Whispering Dark), and Álvaro Sarraseca (Purgatori).

Collects Dragon The Missing #1–#4.

Genres: Fantasy, Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Media Tie In, Video Games, Comic Book

84 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 3, 2023

About the author

George Mann is an author and editor, primarily in genre fiction. He was born in Darlington, County Durham in 1978.
A former editor of Outland, Mann is the author of The Human Abstract, and more recently The Affinity Bridge and The Osiris Ritual in his Newbury and Hobbes detective series, set in an alternate Britain, and Ghosts of Manhattan, set in the same universe some decades later.
He wrote the Time Hunter novella "The Severed Man", and co-wrote the series finale, Child of Time.
He has also written numerous short stories, plus Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes audiobooks for Big Finish Productions. He has edited a number of anthologies including The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, The Solaris Book of New Fantasy and a retrospective collection of Sexton Blake stories, Sexton Blake, Detective, with an introduction by Michael Moorcock.

Reviews

[Sonja Quinn · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the first dragon age comic I’ve read (and I’ve read them all) where it felt like it was both a cash grab and a commercial for the next video game. Usually I really love Dragon Age comics, often they are so interesting I wish the story had been in the games instead! This one is really more of a mental reminder to people who haven’t touched dragon age since trespasser released, or maybe even skipped trespasser and haven’t played since inquisition. Varric and Scout Harding track Solas around a while failing to find him or really learn anything valuable about his plans, there isn’t even a single panel with a drawing of Solas in this story which felt like a let down to me. Then the story ended with the exact same conclusion they already had at the end of trespasser, that Solas knows them too well and they need “someone he doesn’t know” and I felt like nothing had happened in the entire comic so what was the point?

A small side grievance that I’m not sure will stay relevant to the future of the series: Varric’s face! Oh my god what did they do to my favourite sexy dwarf?! He’s aged 30 years since his last appearance, meanwhile Scout Harding looks *younger* than she did in her last appearance. What even is time in dragon age? It seems to only affect men’s faces (Alistair, Zevran, now Varric) but never the women (Leliana, Morrigan, Cassandra, now Harding) like either consistently age everyone to show time passing, or don’t. Please stop ruining the faces of your best male characters! I was half convinced they would track Solas down and he would also look 30 years older than his last appearance, at least they didn’t do that to me! (I’m pretty sure the actual timeline has only had 10 years pass, btw, so wth?) I’m really hoping this is a fault of them hiring some random artist unfamiliar with Varric and giving them too much freedom in his design, and not the first reveal of his new look for the next game! There have been some weird drawings of Alistair in the comics before, but they also constantly change his face every game appearance too so it’s not really a good sign….

They also forget between panels whether Scout Harding has freckles or not (she does) and what shade of green her eyes are, when you can easily google her appearance in inquisition… just a disappointing comic all around for me

[Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread December 10th, 2024

I have now reread this comic after playing the game. And it turned out to be quite a good bridge for Dragon Age The Veilguard. Especially the last page, where Varric says we need to find someone new! It was also nice seeing some characters that are actually in the game!
Honestly, give me any DA content, I'll be happy.

First read August 22nd, 2023

An exciting story in between the games.
Can't wait to actually play it! It's been 9 years already…

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really nice introduction to some of the characters, factions, and locations included in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

[Ben A · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll be honest and say that I am not a gamer whatsoever. My girlfriend, however, is a diehard fan of Dragon Age and she has played the whole series through multiple times and so when I had questions, I went straight to her. Dragon Age: The Missing wasn't a bad series; it just unfortunately comes off like so much other Media Tie-In material that really has no substance because they're saving the meat of the story for the game and they're going to stay careful and vague so that the comic won't contradict or set up a situation that could constrict future stories. I run into this a lot with Star Wars comics and novels, where they are just kind of bland by design. I also have to say that the changes in art was a huge distraction between chapters.

Special Thanks to Dark Horse Comics and Edelweiss Plus for the digital ARC. This was given to me for an honest review.

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hadn't known about this before playing Veilguard (the price of being absent from fandom spaces for the last 3 years).
This comic introduces Antoine & Evka, Viago & Teia (again, I guess), Strife & Irelin, and Neve Gallus. I was hoping for maybe some more development and backstory for these characters, but there is none. The first issue is the best, then the rest is all very elementary school adventure story. When it comes to the Veil Jumpers in particular, both in this comic and in-game, it feels distinctly like they were assigned to a barely literate Gen Z BioWare intern with no ability to give characters personality. Seriously, what gives??? No effort is put into their dialogue at all.
That's not to say this was pointless. It's good to see what Varric and Harding were up to before the *not great* insanely fast-paced first hour of Veilguard. There were probably better writers to pick from to do that, though.

[B. Zelkovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

... This was my last Dragon Age book. I've read them all now. And there's only two more podcast episodes? Before I know it, I'll have consumed ALL Dragon Age tie-in media, and all that will remain is Veilguard.

After 10 years, that doesn't quite feel real.

[Lucía ⭐️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dragon Age es un universo tan extenso y rico, que siento mucha lástima al ver que las últimas obras de DA me dejan un poco decepcionada.

Al contrario que con las otras novelas gráficas, The missing no tiene una trama única o emocionante — en realidad, parece que sea un recap de lo sucedido para que no te sientas "perdido" a la hora de jugar DA: Veilguard. Vamos, una herramienta para introducir momentáneamente a nuevos personajes.

El estilo de dibujo, de distintos autores, es algo más subjetivo. Me guste más o menos, me ha chirriado ver cómo características de ciertos personajes (las pecas de Harding, los tatuajes de Evka...) desaparecían según qué panel :S

Independientemente de todo esto, lo más trágico son sin duda las entradas de Varric en el último capítulo.

[Liliana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow, this was bad. At first I thought this was going to be a step up from the previous graphic novels, with the art looking more mature and less cartoony. The premise also sounded interesting. Instead, I got cringe dialogue and even cringier world-building. Is this even Dragon Age anymore? It definitely does not feel like it. It seems like it was written by a 15 year-old, with all the cliche groups with silly and edgy names that band together to fight evil in a badass way (only not). This was not only a cash-grab - this was like a foreshadowing of a crappy game to come. I didn't think I could be more disappointed with this series, but here we are.

[Václav · Rating 2 out of 5]

(3,3 of 5 for Varric tale we didn't ask for and we didn't need)
Full of okay-ish art, there is a tale about Varric taking Harding on a quest to find Solas, who poses a danger to the world. The whole thing feels like a chapter pulled off from the middle of the book. I was baffled by the story and its connections to the lore. And I am a fan, even with hazy memory. So definitely nothing for just passersby. I would rather enjoy some bigger arc, than just those 4-issue long snippets. Not really worth the money...

[Eldin Stråth · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Oh, if it's the Deep Roads... what's the worst that could happen?"

Jag vet inte varför jag inte läst detta förrän nu men asså det är verkligen världens bästa intro till fjärde spelet. För de som inte har läst den men som vill spela Dragon age: The Veilguard när det kommer, LÄS DEN! Annars kommer ni nog vara lite lost tbh

[Jennifer Andrino · Rating 3 out of 5]

Saben perfectamente a lo que venía... ¿No está Solas? Mala elección 😔

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me, not so patiently waiting for Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

[Jara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Isabell Stråle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 stars

Just fine and gives you what you need. It is a prologue after all.

[Jakes Espach · Rating 3 out of 5]

Update 11/5 - Downgraded to 3 stars, the more I think about it, literally nothing happened in this and the main plot inciting incident is nonsensical

[V K · Rating 4 out of 5]

First look at Neve !!
so excited for the game and hoping these graphic novels tie in nicely with the story

3.5✨

[Faye Ellis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Take a shot everytime Harding loses her freckles

[T]

HELLO I'M STOKED FOR THE VEILGUARD CAN YOU TELL?

[InkyMage · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, after reading all chapters, feeling kinda meh on this. Some of the story was fun (loved Solas' letter, and that mural in Vol. 3!!!) and some of the art was nice, but overall, I just feel like EA doesn't know what it has with Dragon Age and it's fumbling it at every turn. Like damn, how hard is it to make a little prequel that actually gives us some substance (like Tevinter Nights)? You can easily ignore this comic and still get what's going on before the next game. It's the exact same status quo as post-Trespasser. There's no new info or character development (unless you think Solas doesn't give AF about anyone, that is again soundly refuted). Besides that, the plot here is so hampered by all the story info for DA4 that Bioware is no doubt forced to keep secret for corporate reasons. Like, the plot is very simplistic and the Inquisition looks incompetent as a result.

Anyway, if you're a huge DA fan and like Varric and Solas and need a hit before DA4, this is a fun enough read. But don't expect it to have any real story or provide any new info (other than the mural that maybe confirms a neat fan theory).

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Missing is a fun mini-prologue to the upcoming Dragon Age: The Veilguard. It's not really essential reading before the game as not much happens in terms of the plot, it's just an enjoyable set-up adventure starring Varric and Harding. It's worth picking up if you enjoyed Tevinter Nights and want a bit more DA content while waiting for the game's release.

Each issue features characters that made their first appearance in Tevinter Nights and will likely play a significant role in the upcoming game as faction contacts (Evka and Antoine, Teia and Viago, Strife and Irelin) or companions (Neve). They were all some of my favorite characters in Tevinter Nights so I was thrilled to see them again. Between their appearances and nods to Inquisition, it felt a bit fan-service-y but in a good way as I absolutely was the fan being serviced. Also, as a High Republic fan I enjoyed reading Dragon Age content by George Mann and felt like he captured these characters perfectly.

[Marianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

Yet another substance-free Dragon Age comic from Dark Horse. At this point, I'm not even surprised anymore. The tone of the story is very much Varric tells you a story over beers, which I loved, but sadly, the plot felt aimless and kind of just fizzled out to nothing towards the end. The art was overall alright, and yes, while the art style changes could be jarring at times, there were a few really good panels in there, like the scenery panels, the murals and a shirtless Varric (Daddy Varric is giving me LIFE ok don't judge).

It was okay for what it was and what I expected. But as a big Dragon Age fan waiting for new content that actually scartches that itch (yes - even with a shirtless Varric), I think I'm better off with Tevinter Nights and ao3 for now.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

Honestly, this is a book for fans only - it won't help newcomers to the franchise to get into the series and it certainly won't hold much interest for the non gamers looking for a good fantasy title. What we do have are some pointed teases about the characters and locations to come as well as a welcome return to having Varric as the main narrator/POV.

Story: Spymaster Charter [Leliana's right-hand elf who was often mentioned but not really seen in the games] has tasked Varric with tracking down some leads on Solas' whereabouts. She strongarms Varric into taking one of the Inquisition's best trackers - Scout Harding. As they follow the clues, they will enter the Deep Roads, Vyrantium in Tevinter, and the Arlathan Forest. In each, there will be tantalizing clues as to what Solas is up to right now

This is a direct prequel to the game and ends with Varric telling Harding they need to find someone not connected to Solas to aid in finding him. The question is whether that person (who will most likely be our player character) will be aided by the other characters in the story: two Antivan crows, a human mage, an elf rogue, and a Tevinter mage-investigator. It will be interesting to see who, if any, do show up as part of the Dragon Age Dread Wolf party (or even as side characters). Of note, as Varric says they need help, Neve (the Tevinter investigator) is firmly in the background between Varric and Harding. Her connections to the Shadow Dragons (Tevinter Citizens who help free slaves in the Imperium) make her likely to show up in an important position in the game. I get the feeling that the Antivan Crow twins will also be important. But yes, the person Varric is referring to is very likely going to be our player character.

For non-fans, the read will be rather boring since not much happens and there is no resolution. For fans, there is a lot here surprisingly despite the rather empty plot. Of course, the huge pluses are Varric and Harding - two great characters from the game (Harding was my favorite!). We didn't see much of Harding in the game - just at the beginning of each new region explaining the area and then with 'aw shucks' type of character interactions outside the inn at the Inquisition stronghold. Here, she has her usual blunt honesty and will give Varric a few jabs now and then. But for the most part, this is Varric's show and told from his perspective. Most importantly, we get a tantalizing letter from Solas that shows he is watching over his old friends from the Inquisition but also wary of their interference with his plans. Other than those two characters and a few scenes with Charter (poor Charter, she only ever gets mentioned or a few scenes in a comic) those are the only two recognizable characters.

The big problem with this series is that each chapter features very different and distinct artwork. None is terrible but it is very jarring and I think most people will prefer one style over another to be used throughout. Some is more comical, others more realistic, and there is no sense of flow or unity. For the most part, the writing was consistent and helped keep this from being very frustrating due to the different illustration styles. At times, I REALLY wished EA would take the approach that the Avatar: Last Airbender series did in that the artwork was always consistent and always looked like the animated characters. We just don't get that with EA's DA comics at all.

I found this much more satisfying than the other Dragon Age comics. Yes, having Varric and Harding helped a lot. This wasn't a story about random characters in the DA world with whom we never really ever got a chance to get into or behind and won't hear from again. None of the comics (or the new animated series) have the very compelling storylines that are the hallmark and heart of the game.

In all, for fans of the game, well worth the read. Plenty of teases and hints but also a welcome joy to get into/behind characters beloved from the game in the form of Varric and Harding. Here's hoping that this means Harding will be one of our playable characters! Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Jenna Kass · Rating 1 out of 5]

Part of this being not good has to do with the wildly disparate art quality — issue 1 has hard-to-read art that gives us among other things a completely unrecognizable yassified skinny Evka and chadly Antoine; issue 2's art is Furukawa returning from Dark Fortress with fun and expressive art (if a little uwu); issue 3's art is scratchy and chaotic in a way that isn't entirely successful but does work with the subject; and issue 4 is completely sterile and stiff which really fails the setting of Minrathous's backstreets.

But more than uneven art, the writing is just not good. Some of it is I think how much had to be packed in to a tour of four different settings and game-specific groups in a very short miniseries, but there's almost no actual sense of character or stakes at all even taking that into account. In issue 1 we're told Harding always sees the best in people and can be manipulated, but in issue 4 she's the one telling Varric that Solas will need to be put down. They're racing to try and find him, but time is meaningless — they find his only "recently" abandoned hideout in the Deep Roads with his invitation to Vyrantium (which is never itself explained?), but in Vyrantium the lady's already been turned to stone and she and her room are covered in dusty drop-cloths which implies it's been some time.

There's also this ongoing thing with a Venatori spy which I kind of expected to be Rook under a mask maybe or, hell, Tessa? Or literally anyone who mattered. It's explained in the end but it feels so completely meaningless to have four issues of someone being Important in the Shadows and for them to just die still masked at the end made me want to yell.

It's a mess! It's a mess.

[Mitchell · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is narratively exactly what I expected as a prelude to Veilguard. That wouldn’t be a problem if this was competently written or drawn. The biggest problem to me is how inconsistent the panel art is. There are a few decent bits here and there at least in the first issue. After that it is frequently a mess—especially in Minrathous. Also, Harding and Varrick look different in every other scene. It is very distracting. It looks like the artist wasn’t even able to finish their work at points. Beyond that, the new characters introduced in Veilguard aren’t given much fleshing out here. There’s no meaningful context given that might make it easier to be invested from the beginning of the game. There’s just so little depth when jumping around from one location to another so quickly. This comic should’ve just picked one of the new groups of characters and stuck with them for the length of the story (like the previous comics)… or this should’ve just been way longer (BUT thankfully it wasn’t at this level of quality).

A real weak aspect is that this story ends with *spoilers* Varrick and Harding agreeing that they need to find someone Solas can’t predict in order to thwart his plans. Fair enough, except that was decided 10 years earlier at the end of the Trespasser DLC, with them present I might add. Why you would hinge the arc of The Missing’s narrative around that same idea without giving any explanation for why they might still be stuck chasing Solas this way (or setting it so close to Veilguard mind you) makes no sense to me. Just feels like an oversight by someone who either didn’t care or have the time to check what they were writing. A solution might’ve been having the new characters introduced still being too predictable, so they end up going the extra mile finding your player character in Veilguard to finally push everything over the line to get the job done but idk. It feels like that might’ve been the intention at one point, but it just feels so rushed.

The Missing is a real shame. It’s unquestionably the weakest of all the Dragon Age comics. It’s also the only one I’d consider bad. I liked a lot of Veilguard, despite many fair complaints it deserved, but this comic highlights only its weakest aspects, and barely stands on its own as a fun adventure. I think this is only worth your time if you cannot help but check out every last Dragon Age thing. The Dawn of the Seeker animated film is the only thing I’d consider worse than this.

[Simen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sets the stage for 'The Veilguard', and it shows. This volume follows Varric and Scout Harding on a search for Solas, blending mystery, danger, and dread as they uncover the consequences of his plans. The tone is darker and more urgent than the previous graphic novels - less witty banter, more “the end of the world is coming.”

What makes 'The Missing' stand out is how directly it connects to the next game. It doesn’t wrap up much (it’s clearly a prelude) but it’s compelling and filled with tension. Varric brings emotional weight, and Harding finally gets more depth as a character. There are also a few surprising cameos and lore drops that longtime fans will appreciate.

The art is polished and dramatic, matching the high stakes. That said, the story feels a bit short and leaves you wanting more (because it is setting up more).

Definitely worth reading if you’re hyped for The Veilguard or love the companions. It’s less a full story and more a necessary chapter.

[Fernanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

literalmente só uma ponte de ligação entre trespasser e veilguard, nada acontece mas acontece o suficiente pra não ser ruim, temos harding com o novo visual dela e introdução de duas facções de veilguard e de uma companion! curti a parte na floresta de arlathan pois parece ser insana e mal vejo a hora de ir pra lá no jogo

as artes não foram ruim, gostei dos traços da arte no terceiro capítulo, gosto de um pouco de caos na lineart

e como assim tu me coloca dois grey wardens (amei o penteado da evka) e nenhum deles sente a presença do darkspawn chegando de fininho? pelo que eu lembro grey wardens sentem a presença deles

uuuuuh será que vamos ver os personagens das facções que foram introduzidos aqui em veilguard?

(e não importa o que digam, nunca vão me ver discordando do solas, vai lá querido, destrua o veil, faça o que tem que fazer)

[Alex E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Varric is still looking for Solas after all this time - and this time it seems that he is very close to finding him.

So if you've played the game, you know about the Dread Wolf, and how Solas is now kind of the enemy of the world. Because of this, Varric has been trying to find and stop him. This book is four issues of just that, Varric and his companion - Lace, tracking Solas and trying to get ahead of him. And to be honest, it was pretty fun. We get to meet other characters from the world, and seeing Varric and Lace interact with them was great.

The one issue I had is that each issue was drawn by a different artist. And while each one was very good - don't get me wrong - it made the book feel disjointed, as if each issue was its own story. Not hugely distracting, but distracting enough.

Overall, a solid entry into the dragon age books.

[Aimee H · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Missing follows Scout Harding and Varric Tethras as they search for Solas. Like a few other reviewers have mentioned here, this comic retreads a lot of what players of the game already know: Solas knows The Inquisition and its close allies too well, dodging and weaving their attempts at capturing him with ease.

The most exciting aspect about The Missing is the introduction of Neve Gallus, but even then the comic fails to capture her intrigue in the same way as her short story in Tevinter Nights did. If this is a readers first introduction to her, it wouldn't surprise me if they thought her rather flat and uninteresting.

Great comic for newcomers wanting to get up to speed, but all in all, rather dull.

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, it sure is a graphic novel! I was enjoying it in the first half but by the end it becomes clear that this isn't actually a story and is just an introduction to Veilguard. It briefly showcases the various factions that will be there, some important locations, and a few of the party members. It's just a shame that that's all it does - there's no real sense of character, depth, or growth in a way that would make this stand out on it's own, and every mystery it raised was never answered.

If there had been some nice character moments to help flesh it out this might have felt more meaningful, but as it is... I suppose you could have fun spotting the exact point where Varric appears to age twenty years between one page and the next.

[Ashe · Rating 3 out of 5]

A complete sucker for any additional Dragon Age lore that is available to be consumed. And this one did not disappoint, it's a great bridge setting up Veilguard & you are introduced to some important background characters. Love reading about Viago & Teia and Antione & Evka - This (and Tevinter Nights) are great supplementary reads to boost up Veilguard & fill in some lore gaps from the start of that game - 8-10 years have basically passed & its nice to see how the world has progressed in some way.
A quick read, art style wasn't the worse, & can you ever truly get enough of Varric - he's a gem in all stories he is featured in.
*spoilers*
It also shows the meeting between Neve, Varric, & Harding - and hints at Varric looking for the protag of Veilguard, Rook.