Broken Frontier

EA and IDW really pulled out the big guns for Dragon Age #1.  With Aaron Johnston and Orson Scott Card penning the story, Mark Robinson on pencils and a cover by Humberto Ramos and Edgar Delgado, Dragon Age #1 hits the ground running in this action-packed first issue. 

This story has everything, from dragons to romance to illegitimate babies and betrayal.  I’m not usually a fan of non-superhero related fantasy, but the creative team behind this book hit me from all sides with fantastic cover and interior art, wild colors and a captivating story.  It is well worth the read.

When I saw Humberto Ramos’ cover, I was immediately worried.  A lot of comics now utilize spectacular cover art to grab the reader’s attention while it’s sitting on the shelf at your local comic shop or when you’re flipping through your Previews.  The trick is to get you to buy it based solely on the cover, but more often than not the interior art pales in comparison.  I was pleasantly surprised when I found that Mark Robinson’s pencils were equally as impressive on the interior. 

There is not a single boring panel throughout this entire book.  While the composition and layouts on each page are already very interesting, the book’s real charm comes from the fact that every object seems to have a life of its own.  The bookshelves, castle towers and archways are all drawn in a distorted, larger-than life style that uses no straight lines and pops off the page because of it.  Even the natural scenery and sky jump right off the page, due in no small part to colorist Raul Trevino and inker Jason P. Martin.  I don’t think the book would have been as exciting without the solid blacks and vibrant textures that appear throughout.

Card and Johnston accomplish in one issue what takes most writers a series to do.  The story never dwells on a single plot development, and constantly changes dynamics.  While there are a few clichéd plot points, the reader never notices, because the overall plot doesn’t become focused on any one point. 

The issue opens with Veness and Sadatt, two apprentices from opposite worlds who have more talent than the others of their class.  One might think the story would revolve around their rise to greatness, but instead, it quickly shifts to an affair.  This leads the reader to think that the story might be about the complications of a secret relationship and a forbidden romance.  It does not!  Almost as soon as it begins, Sadatt, the Templar, calls it off and begins avoiding Veness. Without giving too much away, I’ll just say that if you think the story is about Veness and Sadatt fixing their relationship, you’re wrong.  The conflict even changes a few more times after that!  This story is guaranteed to keep you on your toes.  I cannot wait until the next issue comes out.