Today I'm delving into full spoiler territory regarding Dragon Age: Blue Wraith Issue #2, breaking down the major plot threads, characters and my overall thoughts on the second issue of this comic. I've already broke down the first issue, so be sure to check that video out if you need to be caught up.
But, if you haven't had the chance to pick up the comic and you want to read the second issue for yourself, go give it a read and revisit this video. Alternatively, if you'd rather pass up the comics for whatever reason, you're in luck because I'm going to summarise all the important deets in this video!
So without further ado, let's breakdown Blue Wraith issue #2!
Like the previous issue, the story starts with another flashback, four years ago in the Arlathan Forest. We witness Fenris's sidekick Shirallas freeing elves once more, this time by his lonesome. He swaps places with a slave, saving the elf's life whilst endangering his own. He makes a promise to the other elves that one day all slaves will be liberated.
The cart holding Shirallas and the slaves arrives at the fabled Magister Nenealeus's estate, with him present dealing with the new arrivals. He questions our knife-ear friend and his Vallaslin origin, then asks if he's ever dreamed about becoming a Perrepatae, taking him in and killing the rest of the slaves.
We discovered in the last issue that Nenealeus was looking to train an Elven perrepatae, this is a special type of Tevinter slave, specialised in killing rival mages. And it seems that he has found one in Shirallas.
We shuffle back to the present day in the Arlathan Forest, Vaea, Francesca and Fenris are having a bit of a spout. Fenris tries to take Franny's head off with a claymore, and Fran throws Fenris against a tree, then attempts to suffocate him with plant magic. We have an uppercut here, a cucumber slash there and then Vaea jumps in, seizing an end to the conflict.
Vaea explains that they just came here to talk, Fenris is like "but she's a Tevinter mage", Vaea clarifies that both her and the Mabari are trying to help Francesca, and Vaea did stop the fight.
Fenris replies saying "that is surprisingly logically", Francesca recovers from the fight and in a pinch she casts a spell and screams "where is my father", Vaea flies right through Fenris and lands on the opposite side of him.
Francesca asks how was that possible, Fenris ignores the comment and remarks that she's impressive and must be the Invidus girl, the plant based magic she uses is very rare outside of Dalish Clans. Fenris then explains that his lyrium tattoos allow him to move through things, or things can move through him. And henceforth, the Blue Wraith.
Francesca asks if Fenris took her father, as to which he replies he did not, but the man he's tracking did. Which is Shirallas from the start of this issue who was taken in by Nenealeus.
Vaea intrudes, calling him Fenris, saying that she's a friend of Varric Tethras. Fenris and Francesca continue to talk about her father. If Fenris did take her father, he would've killed him as he is one the last members of the Venatori, specifically a man who truly understands red lyrium. That alone makes him worth killing.
But Fenris exclaims that Francesca's father is in no danger from him, so long as he's not travelling with Shirallas willingly. He decides to go on his merry way, however Vaea asks him to travel with the group, besides they have Autumn the adorable, amazing tracker.
I could tell you what Fenris replies with, or I could have Gideon Emery do it for me!
How amazing was that, in quite contrast though we have this sad monologue from Fenris as he shares how in the end people only use you for your power and then they leave you.
One of the Dark Horse writers, Nunzio Defilippis shared more on this in his own blog I'll have linked down below, he talks about his own experiences with moving on and how in his life he's reacted to departure. He shares that no matter what choices you made, one way or another, Fenris was left behind. No matter how valid the reasons, he was left behind. And that's the basis of his character throughout this comic.
So, he leaves Vaea and Francesca and rides on. But, Vaea's smart and gets Autumn to track him.
We move on to the other team following the caravan from the first issue. Ser Aaron, Tessa, Marius and Calix are looking over a cliff-side. Ser Aaron and Calix talk about Autumn leaving him for Vaea, and how perhaps not everyone is up for sacrificing themselves for the greater good. They spot the caravan having stopped, potentially to meet someone.
We roll back to Vaea, Francesca and Autumn following Fenris, as they discuss there purpose within the group, Vaea defends herself, that she would not abandon Ser Aaron, nor the other way around, like Fenris's experiences. Autumn catches up to Fenris, as Vaea see guards ahead, she prepares a stealthy approach. However, Fenris ain't up for that, so he prepares to charge straight into the encampment.
But not before Francesca grabs him with plant magic, and they decide to take a more tactful approach as a group.
We swap back to the other group as they watch Marquette meeting Magister Nenealeus, Marius confirms that he is indeed Nenealeus, as he turned him into a Perrepatae. Nenealeus asks if the sarcophagus works, and Marquette states that it's repaired and ready.
The strange mysterious artefact from the previous issue is given more explanation here, the device was built to fit an elf and it's supposed to be used with red lyrium. However, Nenealeus would like to see if it works, so they use regular lyrium and put a human in the artefact, hence the front cover of this issue. Marquette states that House Danarius did used regular lyrium with this device before, so it should work.
Vaea, Francesca, Fenris and Autumn stealth their way into a fortress, however, as Vaea discovers the previous Tevinter occupants have been killed and the Qunari have invaded the fort. The group walk in to a Qunari confrontation, we discover that the Qunari are also interested in the magical artefact and the magisters involved, they interrogate a slave and uncover that Magister Nenealeus has secured the assistance of Magister Invidus for his expertise with red lyrium.
According to the slave, the sarcophagus infuses with lyrium, granting them great power, the magisters intend on using this on Nenealeus's new Perrepatae. Which as we can understand is Shirallas, Fenris's travelling companion.
Well, when Fenris hears this plan, he screams that the device was beyond repair and charges at the Qunari. Back to the stabbing as Vaea aptly puts it.
And we make it to our final scene, Ser Aaron and squad charge down the mountain towards the caravan, as they make there way down, they're attacked by a glowing lyrium infused man who attacks Casse, Ser Aaron's horse, knocking him to the ground. Tessa shoots the man, but her bolt goes straight through him, and as the man prepares to attack Marius and Tessa, we have a gigantic KATHOOM! End of issue 2.
We had plenty to uncover in this issue, and I thoroughly enjoyed every page. Blue Wraith is becoming even more epic with each issue, and I've got to say I'm loving it more than any other Dragon Age comic so far. And with that, we only have one more issue to go until this narrative concludes.
We do have a sneak peak at the cover of Issue #3 of Blue Wraith, we see Francesca pulling off an epic plant based spell, so we expect some sort of epic stand off. In any regard, that'll do it for me, let me know what you thought of this issue, anything you noticed that I didn't, tell me in the comments down below!