Review - Rise of the Magi #1

Review by Paul Fiander
If like me you missed the 0 issue of Rise of the Magi on free comic book day do not worry, this issue begins with a two page recap that gets you up to speed and ready to roll with the rest of the story. This issue is split into two chapters, the spilt feels like it is at pivotal moment but does give you a chance to take a breath in the middle of quite an epic battle scene. The skirmish actually makes up a large portion of this first issue and it acts as a visual feast as Sumeyye Kegsin and Marc Silvestri (also the writer) go to town on the art (The issue is listed with two artists so I will refer to them in the plural from this point on). From dragons to more than a few unnamed beasts the menagerie on show is a sight to behold but better still seeing them in action is a real highlight of the issue.

The story itself straddles two planes of existence, one is the “normal” mortal world the other a fantasy realm named Rune. Our main protagonist Asa Stone lives and breathes magic however so does everyone else in the magical realm. The idea of magical skill sets works well and helps set up the disappointment Asa feels in his life, his talent is the fixing of flying rugs and carpets hardly the most exciting magical properties in literature. Our fearless carpet repair expert though is desperate for more and as the issue unfolds he becomes responsible for a power that can in essence caused the Big Bang.

The plot is moved along at a fair pace and as I alluded to earlier that chapter break is quite a welcome insertion into the book. The ending though builds up to an expected but nonetheless thrilling conclusion. Again it’s the art that steal the shows but this time the colours by Betsy Gonia really steal the show. The magical atmosphere of the situation feels like it is coming off of the page giving the ending the sense of spectacle the art deserves.

Rise of the Magi feels like a wonderful play on the idea of the crossover story. Instead of the usual trope though this time the fantasy dweller is moving into the mortal world. The art steals the show in the issue but the premise is strong, we will just have to wait to see is the real world can be as interesting as Rune. If the creative team can manage this then Rise of the Magi is looking like another top dog from Top Cow.

Issue Rating; 4/5
The Comic is available in both print and digital from Image comics. Follow this link for more details.

Variant Covers

Images courtesy of Image Comics
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