Maker bless you, warriors, rogues, and mages, and welcome to our review of “Dragon Age: Knight Errant,” my favorite book so far in the Dragon Age comic series. It has everything I liked about the previous books: fun characters, exciting adventures, and a lively sense of movement throughout the artwork. Additionally, it has one thing the other books lack: a lovable protagonist with a compelling story of personal growth… who wears clothes! Wow, women really can have it all! There will be heavy plot spoilers for this book, so memorize the patrols, and don’t fuck with trees, here’s my take on “Dragon Age: Knight Errant.”
Written by Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina WeirCover by Sachin Teng
Illustrated by Fernando Heinz Furkawa
Colored by Michael Atiyeh
Lettered by Nate Piekos of BlambotBioWare’s bestselling fantasy franchise, Dragon Age, lives on in these canonical comics from Dark Horse!
Vaea, an elven squire, and her knight, the drunken Ser Aaron Hawthorne, arrive in Kirkwall just in time for Varric Tethras’ appointment as Viscount. A talented thief, Vaea skips the party to take on an easy job recovering a hidden lock box . . . but when she chooses to change the terms of the deal mid-heist, she is entangled in a dangerous mission that is surely above her pay grade.
Collects the comic series Dragon Age: Knight Errant, Issues #1-5
Let’s begin with our hero protagonist, Vaea, because this book is, for better and for better, all about her. Most works in the greater Dragon Age canon prioritize ensemble, teamwork, and fellowship. In the games this makes for zestful storytelling, encouraging the player to consider the opinions of their companions in every moral dilemma they face. However, so far in the comic books, the ensembles haven’t been as successful. Alistair, Isabela, and Varric cared about each other, but their group dynamic had little impact on the story. The relationship between Tessa and Marius, the heroic duo from “Magekiller,” similarly remained flat throughout their story. Though the ending was supposed to be a big revelation about their relationship on Tessa’s part, nothing concretely changed between them, or within them. Having a single lone protagonist on a single lone adventure seems to keep “Knight Errant” focused in a way superior to its predecessors. Vaea has relationships that deeply effect her and her story, but it is her story.
Through intermittent flashbacks from her perspective, as well as through tales spun by her knight for whom she squires, Ser Aaron Hawthorne, we get to see her whole life story, and we have the opportunity to get emotionally invested in how her character grows and changes. She grows up an orphan in an Elven alienage, a second-class citizen, stealing from the more privileged Humans to survive. When Ser Aaron Hawthorne offers her a position as his squire, she accepts, not because she’s interested in being a squire or eventually a knight, but because she wants to travel. Her goals have expanded from survival to experiential self-fulfillment. Finally, inspired by Sr Aaron Hawthorne’s drunken insistence that his intentions are noble, that the greater good of the world is a goal worthy of lifelong dedication, Vaea decides to go above and beyond her deal with Charter to help the Inquisition. Her goals have evolved once again, from experiential self-fulfillment, to helping others. She has chosen to become an active force of good for the world. Her desires, for a long time (sensibly) focused inward, have turned outward. She has had an internal revolution, a critical component to any good story.
Unlike Tessa and Marius, who are the objects in their story, meaning the story happens to them, Vaea is in total control of her own story. As a child she chooses to stay in the alieange, rather than move in with her uncle who lives with a Dalish clan. Then she chooses to travel with Ser Aaron Hawthorne as his squire. She sort of gets roped into performing a one-time job for the Inquisition, but then she chooses to continue working for them, when she might choose from any number of causes to dedicate herself. The story is more meaningful because she is the driving force behind it.
Continued belowAnother thing that makes Vaea unique among her cohort of Dragon Age protagonists is that she alone is nonviolent. She’s not a die-hard pacifist; she’ll cut a dude in self-defense, but fighting is not her forte. She’s skilled at moving in and out of places unseen, and she has yet to find a compelling reason to kill anyone. This is refreshing, particularly in the greater Dragon Age canon that is rife with violent ludonarrative dissonance. Most Dragon Age heroes will kill any number of people in the name of justice. Vaea pursues justice in a much more authentic way.
While the protagonist drives the story forward, the art in “Knight Errant” keeps the story in constant dynamic movement. The art is like Vaea herself, light, serenely energetic, and often funny. Vaea weightlessly leaps between rooftops. Wordless panels silently follow her expert infiltration. She bends at a comical ninety degree angle to look curiously at the old petrified overzealous Templar commander, Meredith. (By the way, did you notice Meredith’s sword is missing?! This is a delicious harbinger for Dragon Age fans). Comedy is largely about timing, and the panels are used very effectively in this way, bringing to life the essential fun of adventure.
“Dragon Age: Knight Errant” is a fast-paced lighthearted caper about a fun lovable lady named Vaea on a journey of internal revolution and external righteousness expressed with sincere delicate care in words and pictures. Enjoy it, friends. Until next time, Maker bless you.
