Comic Book Review - Magic #3

Rob reviews Magic #3...

The investigation into who ordered the attack on the Guildmasters steps up a gear this week. Now deep in the Undercity Planeswalkers Kaya, Ral, and Vraska are lead on a wild goose chase (or should I say zombie) to find the location of Duskmantle - the Dimir guildhall. 

Meanwhile, the unknown assassin stalks the Ravnica streets in search of someone or something. With war brewing on the horizon, what exactly is going on? 

Well, the short answer is that we still don't know. But Magic #3 does dive into an even grander mystery...

Jed MacKay takes Ral, Kaya, and Vraska on a somewhat smooth journey this time out. Still, in search of the assassins true motive behind the guildhall attacks, Vraska uses her powers in an attempt to reconstruct one of the memories of the assassin. There's some great conversation here as Ral and Kaya take two different sides overturning someone into a zombie, with the Gorgon-Queen firmly believing that she's doing the right thing. 

Meanwhile, our shadowy mastermind is seeking through the Ravnica streets. While we still don't know what the overall plan is, this individual isn't acting alone. 

It's not all talking heads, and the group soon finds themselves battling wild Thrulls and a gang of incredibly unique enemies. Again, each battle serves for more context around a chosen Planeswalkers. The Thrull fight falls into Ral's territory as the Guildmaster shows his power over the storm - and a little scientific excitement. 

The other side of this coin deals with Kaya and an encounter with a group from Hekara's guild. Not wishing to honour the guildpact, the theatrical enemies threaten to "satire them into the ground". This battle is both lighthearted and intense as Kaya laments on being a Guildmaster and swiftly dispatches the rogue group. 

Magic #3 does at least answer some questions - yet throws so many more at us. MacKay does a great job in highlighting each of the Planeswalkers uniqueness and it's nice to see the trio come together as a team - rather than three individuals. We also see development between Vraska and Jace Beleren, with the Gorgon explaining what connects them. Kaya's back story is also of particular interest and is one that I can't help but feel is relevant to what's currently going on. 

Both Ig Guara and Arianna Consonni do great work in bringing the world to life. There are some brilliant landscapes as Guara switches between Ravnica's clean, smooth surface, to the rough and dark Undercity. Action scenes are also well constructed and are awash with plenty of frantic line work and blurred imagery. Consonni's colour work is always a great addition and it's no different here. Even with all the flashes of blues, greens, purples, there's a dark brooding undertone throught it. 

And with the shocking ending, it all comes together in a tight Magic The Gathering package...more, please! 

Rating 9/10 

Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter and Facebook @GeekCultureRev