Dragon Age: The Missing is a four-part comic book series set in the Dragon Age universe serving as a lead-in to Dragon Age: Dreadwolf.
The comic follows Varric and Scout Harding as they attempt to find Solas, who seeks to restore the ancient civilization of the elves by destroying modern Thedas.
Their journey starts out in the monster-infested Deep Roads under Marnas Pell, but eventually the trail leads them to a mansion in the besieged city of Vyrantium and then to Arlathan Forest, where magic has gone haywire. Varric and Harding finally end up in the capital city of Minrathous, where they are drawn into a confrontation with the Venatori.
The comic contains examples of following tropes:
- Absurdly Spacious Sewer: Harding and Varric have to wade through one of these to enter the city of Vyrantium, which is under siege by the Qunari.
- All for Nothing: Essentially what the entire plot boils down to. In the first two issues, while chasing after Solas, Varric and Harding learn that the Venatori are after an artifact named the Crucious Stone for unexplained reasons. Upon arriving at the vault where the artifact is supposedly held, they discover it is missing, and Solas has left behind a note informing Varric that the stone is in his hands and he should give up on trying to find him. In Issue 4, Varric and Harding push on to Minrathous, where they gain a lead on Solas but instead are forced to divert to another location to save some slaves from the Venatori. Furthermore, the assassin who had been shadowing them throughout four issues is killed, so they never get a conclusive answer as to why the assassin followed them or why they saved Varric in Arlathan Forest.
- Being Watched: Varric and Harding are followed throughout the series by a mysterious Venatori assassin who intervenes twice to help them. The assassin dies in Issue 4 and Varric never learns the reason why they were being followed, except that it was connected somehow to Solas.
- The Cameo: Every issue features one of the characters from the 2020 anthologyTevinter Nights.
- The first issue has an appearance by the Grey Wardens Evka and Antoine, who appeared in the short story "Hunger." Evka also was part of the online short story “The Next One," while both of them appeared in “Won’t Know When."
- The second issue has Varric and Harding run into Viago De Riva and Andarateia Cantori, two Talons with the Antivan Crows. Both appeared in Dragon Age: Deception and in the anthology story "Eight Little Talons," as well as the online short story "The Wake."
- Strife and Irelin, who appeared in the anthology story "Three Trees to Midnight" and the online short story "Ruins of Reality," show up in the third issue.
- Finally, Neve Gallus from the anthology story "Streets of Minrathous" shows up in the fourth issue.
- Diving Save: Varric performs one of these to save Antoine from being crushed by the collapsing ogre. A Venatori assassin also saves Varric from a "leopard" in Issue 3 this way.
- Eldritch Location: Arlathan Forest has been transformed into one of these for unknown reasons, though it is speculated to be connected to Solas. To reach their destination, Varric and Harding must run through areas where spirits temporarily trade places with mortal souls, where the laws of gravity no longer hold any meaning and where time lurches back and forth.
- MacGuffin: Varric and Harding learn in the second issue that the Venatori are after an artifact called the Crucious Stone, which is apparently somewhere in Arlathan Forest. We never do learn its actual purpose, as Issue 3 reveals that Solas absconded with the artifact before the Venatori were able to claim it.
- Our Monsters Are Weird: While exploring the Deep Roads under Marnas Pell, Varric and Harding's party are attacked by a pack of deepstalkers - reptilian monstrosities with lamphrey-like mouths. Notably, these deepstalkers are quite a bit bigger than the ones seen in the games, though it's not clear if that was intentional or a mistake.
- Our Ogres Are Hungrier: While in the Deep Roads, the group also encounters a solitary ogre, which they speculate as being responsible for disappearances in the city above.
- Panthera Awesome: Varric, Harding, Strife and Irelin are briefly chased in Issue #3 by three large cats that Varric calls "leopards," even though they more closely resemble cougars.
- Series Continuity Error: The vault where the Crucious Stone is held is guarded by a creature referred to as a varterral, despite the fact that it does not at all resemble the varterrals from the Witch Hunt DLC or Dragon Age II and is more akin to sylvans from the same franchise.
- Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids!: This is essentially the crux of Varric's argument when Charter informs him that he will be accompanied by Harding on the search for Solas. He argues that Harding sees the best in people, and that will leave her open to manipulation. Strangely, they seem to have flipped positions in Issue 4, as Varric insists on trying to talk to Solas and Harding believes the only way to stop him is with an arrow.
- Slave Liberation: In Issue 4, Varric and Harding come upon a pair of slaves that were freed by Solas. Harding and Varric then learn a number of liberated slaves are gathering at the docks, which leads them to the conclusion that the Venatori will likely ambush them, as the assassin who had been trailing Varric and Harding will have also learned of the meeting. Thus, they agree to abandon their quest to stop Solas and go help the slaves instead.
- Taken for Granite: Varric and Harding come across the petrified statue of Lady Crysanthus, a Tevinter noblewoman and member of the Venatori. This leads them to conclude that Solas had killed her.
- Travel Montage: Varric and Harding's journey from Marnas Pell to Vyrantium is shown in a row of panels showing them fighting bandits in the Armael Hills, running from despair demons at the Wava River crossing, fighting Antaam slavers and freeing their captives, and taking several days to recover from food poisoning after celebrating a bit too zealously.
- A second montage of the "dotted lines across a map" variety is shown at the start of Issue #3, illustrating Varric and Harding's journey from Vyrantium to Arlathan Forest.
