Tag Archives: bioware

The Art of Anthem Gets a Deluxe Limited Edition from Dark Horse and Bioware

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Fresh off announcing the upcoming Anthem comics series, Dark Horse has announced the continued expansion of their Anthem publishing partnership with BioWare to include a limited edition The Art of Anthem hardcover volume.

The Art of Anthem Limited Edition features hundreds of pieces of artwork with developer commentary detailing the creation of BioWare’s groundbreaking new game. Our expertly-designed limited edition volume features a die-cut clamshell case, a gallery-quality art print, an exclusive cover, and a metallic-printed and embossed miniature replica of an ancient Fort Tarsis mural, making it an essential addition to any hardcore gamer’s collection!

The Art of Anthem Limited Edition HC goes on sale March 26, 2019, and is available for pre-order at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and your local comic shop. This gorgeous 160-page hardcover volume retails for $79.99.

The Art of Anthem HC goes on sale March 26, 2019 and retails for $39.99.

Mass Effect Joins Dark Horse Direct

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Dark Horse Direct and BioWare have revealed the Mass Effect: Andromeda Tempest Ship 18” Replica! Survey the terrain of your residence or workplace with this fully realized replica proudly displayed on your gaming console table, bookshelf, or desk. With only 500 Mass Effect: Andromeda Tempest replicas made, this immaculate collectible will be the envy of all your gaming companions!

Approximately 18” long and made from polyresin, the Mass Effect: Andromeda Tempest is the latest release in exclusive replicas from the massively popular BioWare game franchise and Dark Horse Direct. Positioned atop an alien planet terrain base, it comes complete with an ND1 Nomad all-terrain vehicle, ready to scout the unknown worlds ahead.

The Mass Effect: Andromeda Tempest Ship 18” Replica retails for $249.99, and is available for pre-order. Orders will ship in Summer 2019.

Dragon Age: Deception this October

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BioWare’s bestselling fantasy franchise continues in a new Dragon Age comics series from Dark Horse Comics this October with writers Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir, artist Fernando Heinz Furukawa, colorist Michael Atiyeh, and cover artist Sachin Teng returning for Dragon Age: Deception!

Dragon Age: Deception follows the twisted tale of a con artist in Tevinter. Olivia Pryde, a failed actress turned successful con artist has come to the city of Ventus with a new target: the head of a wealthy house named Calix Qintara. But as Olivia gets closer to Calix, she realizes that he is not exactly who he says he is. And soon realizes that she is in too deep, and that they may no longer be playing her game.

Dragon Age: Deception #1 (of three) goes on sale October 10, 2018.

For more Dragon Age stories from Dark Horse, look for Dragon Age: Hard in Hightown July 31, 2018, Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne Deluxe Edition September 18, 2018, Dragon Age: The Calling Deluxe Edition October 17, 2018.

Review: Dragon Age: Magekiller #2

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dragon2

“A deed not done…”

Welcome back, when we last left our hunters Marius and Tessa they were stuck between a rock and a hard place in the domain of the powerful Archon Radonis. At this moment they have two choices, complete the mission for Archon Radonis or perish.

Marius, every defiant seems to like these odds but his partner talks some sense in to him quickly. Realizing they were tricked, but don’t really have a choice they decide to hear him out. Archon Radonis names the targets he wishes dealt with and gives them a quick background on each. The targets are part of a secret society called the Venatori and they covet vast power.

Once Marius agreed, he knew this would be no easy task. For each one of these targets are very skilled in the magic arts. Even though they are Magekillers, this would be their most difficult challenge to see through.

Over the course of the next six weeks, Marius and Tessa took their respective targets out one by one, each one presenting an increasing level of challenge. Finally they brought themselves to the fourth and final target. The final one was a woman who lay on a massage table completely unarmed and vulnerable. Marius figured this ought not be too hard to complete, but as he got closer he was taken aback by what he saw: the face of a dear old friend. Not just a friend, but a lover.

The woman, Calpernia is both elated and saddened by Marius. She knows what his presence at this moment means. “Are you going to do it?” she asks Marius. Not even a moment to think, he declines. He cannot take the life of a woman he loved. Calpernia is relieved.

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At this moment Tessa walks in while Calpernia and Marius are in strong embrace and she is not so keen on the decision. Though Marius feels he made the right one, he is reminded he may have now doomed them all…

Overall: This issue moved a lot faster than the first, that being said I enjoyed it more. I really love the duo of Marius and Tessa. They seem to have a sibling rivalry like quality to their relationship. I hope no romantic entanglements are in their future as I really enjoy their banter and dialogue. There is even a funny piece of internal dialogue where Tessa thinks to herself “I didn’t even think he knew how to kiss.” Also the artwork by Carmen Carnero seems even better than last time. She appears to have strayed from the ultra video game style displayed in the the inaugural issue to a more balanced style, which I feel works just as well. She is definitely a talent on the rise to lookout for. I am certainly still enjoying the story too, but being written by scribe extraordinaire: Greg Rucka, I shouldn’t be the least bit surprised. I’m very curious to see where this all leads and wondering if there is a big twist waiting in the wings, such as Marius or Tessa are mages themselves. Guess I will have to wait another month and see. So great issue and “If you’re looking for a comic to tickle your fantasy bone, this is it.” I’m unplugging for now and keep those consoles warm till next time folks!

Story: Greg Rucka Art: Carmen Carnero
Story: 8 Art: 8.5 Score: 8 Recommendation: Buy

Dark Horse provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Greg Rucka to Craft Dragon Age: Magekiller in December

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This December, Greg Rucka enters the world of Thedas for an all-new chapter in Dark Horse Comics and BioWare’s Dragon Age comics.

Running parallel to the events of the award-winning Dragon Age: Inquisition video game from BioWare and Electronic Arts, Dragon Age: Magekiller introduces two new characters to Dragon Age lore: Tessa and Marius are mercenary partners, eliminating those who use blood magic to hurt others, but when a powerful patron employs them, they realize this next job may be their last…

Illustrated by Carmen Carnero with covers by Sachin Teng, Dragon Age: Magekiller is the beginning of a new adventure in the world of Thedas and an essential addition to the Dragon Age canon.

Dragon Age: Magekiller #1
Greg Rucka (W), Carmen Carnero (A), Sachin Teng (Cover)
$3.99
On sale Dec. 16; FOC Nov. 23

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NYCC 2012 – Dark Horse To Publish Dragon Age Encyclopedia: World of Thedas

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Dark Horse Comics is thrilled to announce the next comprehensive collection in its growing stable of collectible art books: Dragon Age: The World of Thedas Volume 1!

Invitingly designed and illustrated with hundreds of pieces of lush art from the creators of the games, this is the definitive guide to BioWare’s dark fantasy masterpiece!

For Dragon Age newcomers, this comprehensive volume brings you up to speed on everything you need to know about Dragon Age’s regions, religions, monsters, magic, and more!

For dedicated fans, never before have the secrets of BioWare’s epic fantasy been revealed so completely and so compellingly. The World of Thedas Volume 1is filled to the brim with never-before-seen art by the creators of the games!

This dramatic, accessible, beautiful tome illuminates the world from the darkest corners of the Deep Roads to the most illusory reaches of the Fade, taking readers on a journey through one of the most fully realized fantasy universes of our time!

Dragon Age: The World of Thedas Volume 1 is on sale April 3, 2013!

NYCC 2012 – Mass Effect’s Blasto Receives Digital One-Shot for N7 Day!

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Announced at New York Comic Con, Dark Horse Comics is set to publish a Mass Effect digital  comic centered on the first hanar Spectre, Blasto, in conjunction with the inaugural N7 Day on November 7th!

Written by lead game writer Mac Walters with art by Omar Francia, Blasto: Eternity is Forever, is sure to be a cult favorite amongst fans of the increasingly popular game series!

Blasto, who is described as having “a lover in every port and a gun in every tentacle,” doesn’t have time for your solid-waste excretions. On a remote space station overlooking the elcor home world, the lone Spectre puts an end to the nefarious deeds of an outlaw band of mercenaries bent on galactic domination.

The first annual N7 Day will invite fans to celebrate the Mass Effect franchise worldwide, with a coinciding game release of BioWare’s best selling smash hit Mass Effect Trilogy.

Blasto: Eternity Is Forever is available exclusively in the Dark Horse Digital store on November 7, 2012!

Review – Dragon Age: The Silent Grove

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The plot of Dragon Age: The Silent Grove follows Alistair, an erstwhile mage-hunter (who you may have slept with if you played Dragon Age: Origins), Varric, a beardless dwarf rogue and raconteur, and Isabella, a pirate captain whose main distinction is that she will sleep with anyone (including you, if you played Dragon Age 2) on their quest to find someone whom everyone else thought was dead. Obstacles in their path include an elite group of assassins known as the Antivan Crows, a powerful sorceress and, of course, a really big dragon.

I was a little worried when I heard that David Gaider would doing the writing for this book. Gaider, the head writer for Bioware‘s Dragon Age video games, does a great job writing games, but his novel, The Stolen Throne was just god awful. Fortunately he is only credited with the story and script writer Alexander Freed  does a fine job of giving the artist the proper cues and capturing the voices of the various characters, so much so that I could almost hear voice actors reading the dialog. Each of the six chapters, which are digital exclusives you can download for 99 cents through the Dark Horse app, feel like fifteen minute episodes of a well made web series, and provide a satisfying experience while making you want to read more. There are revelations and surprises galore and the story feels essential to the Dragon Age canon, a nice change of pace in an age of superfluous tie-ins.

Chad Hardin‘s art feels a little bit rushed at the beginning of the story, but by the end  it really becomes quite good. Even at his roughest, Hardin never fails to capture the Dragon Age aesthetic. The main characters are all on model, and the locations feel like places you might explore in-game. The Antivans (Dragon Age‘s analog for Renaissance Italians) are not a group we’ve seen much of before but their design  fits so well that you have to wonder what the people at Bioware are planning for their next installment.

For all it’s good points, The Silent Grove does have some flaws. The first issue is weak in both art and story, so much so that if it weren’t for the introduction of a single major character I would recommend skipping it and starting with issue 2. Major plot threads are also left unresolved at the end of issue 6. You’re left with the impression that you’ve just read a prelude to something else,  be it the next game in the franchise or another comic book series.

While Dark Horse‘s first effort does feel more like Dragon Age than Orson Scott Card‘s failed IDW title (which the folks at Bioware seem as eager to forget  as I am),  some of the more distinctive elements of the setting are still missing.  There is no discussion of any of the hot button issues that made the original game feel so unique. Race, class, religion, gender and sexuality are all pretty  much ignored. Only two female characters appear and both could have walked right out of the pages of a Robert E. Howard story. It’s not as though Dark Horse is pandering to the morons  that make up the lowest common denominator of the Bioware fan base, but Silent Grove is a very safe book that seems calculated not to offend them. The book really feels like a game of Dungeons and Dragons, that was heavily inspired by the Dragon Age setting. If that’s what you’re after, and you don’t already have a connection to this particular game world, than you’re better off investing in IDW’s superior Dungeons and Dragons series.

Another problem is the way in which the book is laid out. This is a digital exclusive and presumably was designed to be read on an ipad or a comparable tablet, so why are there two page spreads that will only look really good when the book is printed for trade? Mostly it was just annoying but at one point in issue 6, I read the balloons in the wrong order because of the way the panels were laid out. Dark Horse provides reviewers promotional copies in PDF that Dark Horse so I didn’t  have the benefit of a guided view, but I seldom choose to use that feature when it’s available. My preference is to read page by page with my device oriented horizontally to imitate a physical book and it feels a little like I’m being penalized for this. If Dark Horse is serious about these digital exclusives they need to make more of an effort to think about the different ways in which readers like to experience digital entertainment.

In the end what you think of Dragon Age: The Silent Spring will largely depend on whether or not you enjoyed  Dragon Age: Origins and/or Dragon Age 2. For fans of the games it’s a fun book  that raise some intriguing questions to keep the wheels turning during what promises to be a long development cycle of Dragon Age 3 so this is a definite buy. If you didn’t like Dragon Age, than nothing here is going to change your mind.  Those who have never ventured into this universe at all may find themselves adrift  since The Silent Grove largely relies upon a reader’s previous connections to the character’s and the setting, and provides only the barest glimpse of what made the games so much fun. If you’re one of these people I’d recommend buying the first two issues to see how much you like the series, or waiting for one of Dark Horse Digital’s bundle sales.

Writers: David Gaider and Alexander Freed; Art: Chad Hardin

Story: 8   Art: 8   Overall: 8

A free copy of this product was provided to Graphic Policy for review.

BioWare and Dark Horse Unveil New Dragon Age Comic Miniseries!

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BIOWARE AND DARK HORSE COMICS EXPAND AND UNVEIL NEW DRAGON AGE™ COMIC MINISERIES 

MAY 1, MILWAUKIE, OR—BioWare, a label of Electronic Arts Inc., and Dark Horse Comics today announced Dragon Age™: Those Who Speak, a three-issue comic miniseries based on the award-winning Dragon Age™ fiction.

Written by David Gaider, lead writer of the Dragon Age series, and Alexander Freed, senior writer for Star Wars™: The Old Republic™, Those Who Speak expands on the story of King Alistair, as he travels to an empire of evil mages to uncover the fate of his lost father. Accompanied by the pirate captain Isabela and the underworld merchant Varric, King Alistair will stop at nothing to learn the truth, even if it means battling an army of cultists single-handedly. The first issue of Dragon Age: Those Who Speak will be available on comic book stands on August 22.

Additionally, Dragon Age™: The Silent Grove will be available in a hardcover edition on July 25. Previously available only in the Dark Horse Digital store, Dragon Age: The Silent Grove is the perfect companion to the Dragon Age universe.

To learn more about Dragon Age: Those Who Speak and Dragon Age: The Silent Grove, visit DarkHorse.com. To learn more about Dragon Age, visit DragonAge.com.

Emerald City Comic Con: The Dark Horse Panels

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Check out the panels at this weekend’s Emerald City Comicon either sponsored by Dark Horse or featuring Dark Horse creators.

Friday • March 30th

ECCC Spotlight Series: Brian Wood
  Room: 211
Time: 3:00 – 4:00

The Emerald City Comicon Spotlight Series is designed to give you an intimate look into the minds of some of comics greatest creators. This hour, join creator Brian Wood as he talks about his work on Conan, DMZ, Northlanders and many others.

 Falling Skies Screening and Q&A
  Room: 4C1-2
Time: 3:00 – 4:00

TNT’s epic drama Falling Skies makes its debut appearance at Emerald City Comicon this year. Watch a never-before-seen clip from the season 2 premiere episode and hear from the show’s actors and producers about the new season. Falling Skies, basic cable’s #1 new series of 2011, is set to return this June to continue its extraordinary story about life and survival in the wake of a catastrophic alien invasion. Noah Wyle (ER) stars as Tom Mason, a former college professor and father of three, who has become an unlikely leader for the 2nd Massachusetts civilian resistance group. The series chronicles the chaotic aftermath of an alien attack that has left most of the world completely incapacitated. Falling Skies comes to TNT from DreamWorks Television and is executive-produced by Steven Spielberg, DreamWorks Television heads Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank. Remi Aubuchon and Greg Beeman also serve as executive producers.

 Drawing Inspiration: The Art of the Whedonverse  
Room: 4C1-2
Time: 5:00 – 6:00

Join us for an exclusive behind-the-panels look at the dynamic artwork of Dark Horses Joss Whedon titles, from pencils to inks to colors to print. Dark Horses public relations director, Jeremy Atkins, will lead a discussion with artists Georges Jeanty (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Phil Noto (Angel & Faith, Dollhouse), Chris Samnee (Serenity), and inker Andy Owens (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) for an inside look at the artists processes. We’ll be showcasing a variety of art from past and future issues of these best-loved titles, including exclusive reveals and first looks!

ECCC Spotlight Series: Camilla d’Errico
  Room: 211
Time: 6:00 – 7:00

The Emerald City Comicon Spotlight Series is designed to give you an intimate look into the minds of some of comics greatest creators. This hour, Camilla d’Errico talks about how she made her dreams reality by giving up on the 9 to 5 grind and becoming a full time artist.

EXPANDING THE EXPERIENCE: VIDEO GAMES TO COMICS AND BACK AGAIN  Room: TCC 102 Time: 6:00 – 7:00

When Dark Horse partnered with BioWare to expand the Mass Effect story line into comics, video-game tie-in comics were finally legitimized. Now, Dark Horse is widely recognized as the leading publisher of video-game comics, with launches throughout 2012 digitally and in print. Join us for an hour long preview of what’s to come this year, with exclusive news and announcements on current and upcoming projects with BioWare, Valve, and Activision!

 

Saturday • March 31st

ECCC Spotlight Series: Rick Remender
 Room: 211
Time: 11:00 – 12:00

The Emerald City Comicon Spotlight Series is designed to give you an intimate look into the minds of some of comics greatest creators. This hour Uncanny X-Force writer Rick Remender joins us. Rick is also the writer/creator of comics such as Fear Agent, The End League, Strange Girl, Black Heart Billy, Last Days of American Crime, Sea of Red, Sorrow, Night Mary, XXXombies and Doll and Creature.

Dark Horse Comics: Powered By Creators 
Room: 4C1-2
Time: 4:00 – 5:00

Just over twenty-five years ago, Dark Horse stepped into the comics-publishing arena with a different agenda. While the publisher has gained much notoriety for its popular licensed titles, like Buffy and Star Wars, one mission remains the same: to give comics top creators a venue for showcasing their work and retaining their ownership of it. Join Dark Horse’s public relations director, Jeremy Atkins, along with a cast of premier talent, for news on all of Dark Horse’s 2012 publishing launches and new Dark Horse Presents stories. Guests include Steve Niles (Criminal Macabre), Steve Lieber (Alabaster), Francesco Francavilla (Black Beetle), Sanford Greene (Rotten Apple), Ethan Nicolle (Axe Cop), Adam Warren (Empowered), Paul Tobin (Falling Skies), and Brian Wood (The Massive), and a few surprise drop-ins!

 

Sunday • April 1st

ECCC Spotlight Series: Steve Niles 
Room: 211
Time: 12:00 – 1:00

The Emerald City Comicon Spotlight Series is designed to give you an intimate look into the minds of some of comics greatest creators. This hour, modern master of horror, Steve Niles, talks about what it takes to craft a good horror story, working with artists like Sam Kieth and Ben Templesmith and how his creation of 30 Days of Night changed the face of horror comics.

Axe Cop
 Room: 3AB
Time: 1:00 – 2:00

Ethan and Malachai Nicolle, creators of Axe Cop, will do a live Q&A, show images and videos of new Axe Cop material, etc. Always a fun and highly interactive panel.

Mythic Fiction Comics: The Next Mega-Genre?
Room: 3AB
Time: 12:00 – 1:00

From Mage, Sandman and Bone to Fables, Castle Waiting, Hellboy and more, mythic fiction has been a fascinating — and growing — presence in comics. What is mythic fiction? Why is it so popular? And could it really become the next big thing in the comics field? Join moderator Kurt Busiek (Arrowsmith), Matt Wagner (Mage), Rachel Edidin (Dark Horse Comics), Bill Willingham (Fables) and Chris Roberson (Memorial) for a lively discussion about mythic fiction in comics, from its roots to it future.

ECCC Spotlight Series: Brandon Graham and Adam Warren in Conversation
  Room: 211
Time: 1:00 – 2:00

The Emerald City Comicon Spotlight Series is designed to give you an intimate look into the minds of some of comics greatest creators. Brandon Graham and Adam Warren join you this hour for a conversation talking about finer points of their work. Their western takes on manga have delighted readers locally and abroad. Expect a vivid and lively discussion.

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