Image Comics reviews 7/27/22 – The Magic Order Vol. 3 #1

The gap between The Magic Order Vol. 2 and Vol. 3 was much shorter than the first and second chapters. That’s a good thing as writer Mark Millar’s spellbinding magical series warrants a more frequent rollout like a standard monthly title.

This first issue underscores just how many ideas Millar has for this realm of magicians.

Two new players are introduced in Sacha, a bruiser who likes getting his hands dirty, and Sammy Liu, head of the Hong Kong Magic Order branch.

Sammy definitely has a Tony Stark vibe to him, but Millar plants some seeds that not everything is as it appears — a common aspect of the series.

Leonard Moonstone, the former head of the Order, is embarking on a personal mission where a surprising secret is revealed. This secret might now be coming to bite the Moonstones if the cliffhanger is any indication.

It’s an exciting setup as Millar launches several subplots that could easily carry this volume and leaving the others for subsequent editions. Or there might be some larger collective thread tying them together.

MORE:

• The Gray Man review
• SDCC 2022 – Marvel Legends reveals
• Medicom reveals MAFEX Knightfall Batman, Bane, The Boys
• Green Lantern: Beware My Power review

As standard for the series, this volume features a new artist — Gigi Cavenago. Cavenago’s style is noticeably different from Oliver Coipel and Stuart Immonen. He’s got more of a free-flowing style that beautifully renders hair and magical effects. It’s not hard to see why he was selected as this volume’s artist, but it might be somewhat jarring for readers accustomed to the grimier, realistic style of the previous artists.

Valentina Napolitano’s colors smoothly transition from darker sequences to the Hong Kong skyline. The colors complement Cavenago’s style beautifully as his art looks like it could be done in watercolors.

It’s always exciting to get the next fix of The Magic Order. Millar has a proven winning formula and the new cast members fit in smoothly. I’m looking forward to seeing where Millar and Cavenago take this volume and what unpredictable tricks are in store.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Photo Credit: Image Comics

Grab The Magic Order Vol. 2 on Amazon.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.