After several issues of steady momentum and strong character work, Magekiller takes a detour into filler. A handful of fan favorite characters show up to assist in one of Marius' and Tessa's missions for the Inquisition. However, the mission has no emotional value to us. And the main conflict of issue four comes from the assumption that Marius is some kind of wizard-stabbing automaton. He is not. We know that. And any assumption on the part of other characters is just kind of a frustrating waste of time. Nothing about this issue justifies its existence. Characters show up, exchange dialog, and then move on. The central action scene feels stiff and boring. The larger surrounding plot is in stasis, leaving the events here either meaningless or supplementary. What could have been an issue dedicated to developing our protagonists’ relationships and motivation is instead a few pages of filler stretched beyond the decent writing’s ability to make it interesting.

Issue four of Dragon Age: Magekiller isn't enough book to deserve your time, despite how entertaining previous issues have been. Let's hope things can get back on track as the series continues.

Score: 2/5

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Dragon Age: Magekiller #4 Writer: Greg Rucka Artist: Carmen Carnero and Terry Pallot Colorist: Michael Atiyeh Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 3/9/16 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital