Maker bless you, warriors, rogues, and mages, and welcome to our review of “Dragon Age: Those Who Speak” in which we join our heroes, Alistair, Varrick, and Isabela, on their continued quest to find Alistair’s father. While it’s undoubtedly an ensemble piece, the last installment focused a little more on Alistair, with a gloomy tone to match. This time, we’re focused a little more on Isabela, and the tone has shifted accordingly. I will mention a thing or two from the greater Dragon Age canon, and heavy spoilers for this book and for “Dragon Age II” will be included. I wish I didn’t have to spoil “Dragon Age II” for you, but it’s a big part of this comic. So put on something close to a shirt and stab away the bad memories, here’s my take on “Dragon Age: Those Who Speak.”
Story by David GaiderCover by Anthony Palumbo
Scripted by Alexander Freed
Illustrated by Chad Hardin
Colored by Michael Atiyeh
Lettered by Michael HeislerDragon Age Lead Writer David Gaider brings his newest epic to a revealing conclusion! With her dark past laid bare, the pirate Isabela must resolve to escape this dungeon or lose herself forever, even as King Alistair must take up arms against an old ally if he is to have any hope of uncovering the fate of his father! Story by David Gaider, lead writer of Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age II!
Isabela is a complicated lady with a complicated past. Her outwardly laid-back persona hides a multitude of often contradictory feelings and opinions, which are expressed through lots of quick-cut panels and abrupt color changes. To start, our heroes network their way to a fancy party in the Tevinter Imperium, a nation ruled by mages and built by Elven slaves. The party quickly devolves into violence, as we knew it would. Bright colors accompany dancerly high kicks and swirling magic electrical arcs of doom. To Isabela, the violence is the fun part. But twice, she sinks her knife into another person, and they both turn blood-red, contrasted against the sickly green marble ballroom. Violence isn’t just fun, it’s also an expression of decades long pent up anger, shame, and pain. It happens once with a nameless background bad guy minion, and once with a character significant to Isabela, Devon.
We learn later that Devon was present, and partially responsible, for Isabela’s most shameful decision. After Isabela’s mother converted to the Qun, an autocratic communist dystopia of horned tall people, (you know the kind), and sold her to her now ex-husband, Isabela became a pirate. Devon had hired her to transport slaves on her pirate ship when they ran into a ship of Orlesians, who hang slavers. With the weight of all those people, the ship wouldn’t have been able to flee, so Isabela had her crew throw the slaves overboard, one by one, so they wouldn’t have the opportunity to rise up together, and the ship escaped. Years later, Isabela remains deeply ashamed of herself, and she unleashes her shame by stabbing Devon in the heart. It’s the sort of thing that might warrant it’s own full-page panel, but it’s only a little bigger than the others. It’s the sort of thing that might warrant its own unique coloration, but it was just recently used on that nameless background bad guy minion. Isabela isn’t emotionally mature enough to understand the causes of all her actions, and the art reflects this. Her shame and rage manifest erratically, not only in the big narrative moments.
After our heroes are captured by the Qunari, (recall, the autocratic communist horned tall people), they are separated. Isabela, who had previously stolen a religiously significant book from the Qunari, is interrogated in a cell by Tamassran, which means “Those Who Speak.” (Hey! That’s the name of the book)! Meanwhile, Alistair and Varrick get the honored guest/prisoner treatment because Alistair had fought beside their Arishok, which means “Leader.” Back then, during “Dragon Age: Origins,” Arishok was known as Sten. Qunari are named for their careers, their role in society. So when he was a warrior, he was Sten. Now that he has been promoted to leader, he is Arishok. Seeing things outside Isabela’s perspective, the tone is calmer. The colors are neither too bright nor too dark. The panels are paced steadily. Even while they’re prisoners, Alistair and Varrick have a firmer grasp on their respective emotional states.
In my last review, I mentioned the problematic fetishized nature of Isabela’s appearance, and that problem remains problematic. Even with the opportunity of a new fancy outfit for the fancy party in Tevinter, Isabela’s perfectly round gravity-defying breasts remain on full display. Still, it would be reductive to call her a one-dimensional character. Isabela contains multitudes. She’s an ex-slave who became an ex-slave trader. She’s a murderer, many times over. She feels a strong sense of responsibility toward her crew and to Alistair and Varrick. She goes with the flow. She’s confident. She hates herself. She’s a bitch, she’s a lover, she’s a child, she’s a pirate captain. She has magical levitating breasts. And she’s allergic to shirts.
I’m grateful for this opportunity to experience the depth of Isabela’s character. She deserves it. She also deserves a shirt. And pants. Maybe that’s a lot to ask, but I firmly believe she really can have it all. Until next time, Maker bless you.
