Warning: Minor Spoilers forThe Expanse: Dragon ToothFans ofThe Expansemay think that they understand the brilliance, the drama, and the full story of the beloved science fiction franchise. But if you’ve only seen the TV show or the novels from which they were adapted, there is so much more story and speculating waiting inThe Expanse: Dragon Toothwhich fans won’t get anywhere else.
The appeal should be obvious to not only viewers of the TV series which ended after six seasons, but the novels as well: with the series' narrative leaping forward thirty years after the sixth book,Dragon Toothoffers new insights into ‘what happened next’with supervision from co-creators Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. But instead of simply giving audiences more ‘fill-in’ stories,theExpansesequel gives viewers shocking twists, missing plotlines, and completely new reasons to question everything they knowabout franchise lore.
Dragon Tooth Reveals A New War Even The Expanse Novels Don’t Cover
The Titular ‘Dragon Teeth’ Are A Martian Force Missing From The Novels
What makesDragon Toothdifferent fromotherExpansetie-in sequels, prequels, or expansionsis evident from the title alone. The TV series and novels referenced Martian operatives throughout the solar system, practicing black ops under civilian disguises, but neither took the time to explain their deployment in great detail. InDragon Tooth#3 by Andy Diggle, Francesco Pisa, and Raúl Angulo, Camina Drummer reveals the truth:
“A Martian anti-piracy initiative called Silent Wall… That’s the hand they wanted us to see. Not the blade, hidden in the other. They hid a second op beneath Silent Wall. Deniable. Deep black. Martian Special Forces, bor in low gravity environments. Trained to blend in, infiltrate, and disrupt Belter pirate networks.Operation Dragon Tooth.”
Simply put, the ‘best of the best’ that the Martian military had to offer, operating in stealth or disguise, and now wishing to defect to join the Laconian forces. New villains, new layers of deception, and character arcs are built from those established in the TV series, all in service of answering one question.When Winston Duarte took his Martian forces through to Laconia… what happened to the loyal undercover soldiers he left behind?A thrilling adventure, and one that is only told throughDragon Tooth.
Dragon Tooth’s Ring Revelation Could Change How Fans Understand The Franchise
The Lore Unlocked By Dr. Elvi Okoye Changes Literally Everything
If the prospect of the missing, untold story of the deadly “Dragon Teeth” operatives doesn’t convince fans that thisExpansesequel is worthwhile, then the new explanation for how the Ring Network functions, and what it has to say about the Protomolecule as a whole, is guaranteed to. Ask anyExpanseviewer or reader and they will give the same answer,explaining the over 1,000 alien rings as gates, or wormholes, instantly transporting ships across space. ButDragon Toothchanges all that.
As the foremost researcher on the Ring Network, and insights or musings by Dr. Elvi Okoye are welcome, andDragon Tooth#5 drops a bombshell of a theory. Speaking with Amos,Dr. Okoye theorizes that traveling through a ring actually destroys the ships and occupants, converting them to energy, then remaking themat their destination gates. Ancient aliens mastering faster-than-light travel is one thing, but the making and remaking of consciousness is something else. And it might be the secret to understanding their entire technology.
Considering the Protomolecule’s ability to integrate, absorb, and retain life, DNA, memory, and even consciousness, this hypothesis on the Ring Network makes sense. For fans who failed to connect the travel elements of the alien technology with the biological, this theory offered inDragon Toothcould be the key. That the comic series goes on to incorporateMiller, Eros, and the idea of ‘Protomolecule ghosts’into the Ring Networkmay forever change the way a viewer or reader understands whatThe Expanseis actually ‘about.’
This sequel may be based in the TV show’s continuity, set decades before the novels pick back up. But for diehard or casual fans of the series who are looking to not only enjoy, but understand the best parts ofThe Expanseuniverse and mythology, this chapter should be considered required reading.
