Comic Book Review - The Magic Order 2 #2

Rob reviews The Magic Order 2 #2...

Mark Millar's The Magic Order 2 launched itself with a bang last time out. Not only did we catch up with Cordelia and her magic-wielding family. We were also introduced to the Korne family - the "anti" version of the Order.

There's a lot of information thrown at us on this issue. To begin with, Francis King is back on the scene after two years in rehab. On the surface, this powerful psychic seems to have it all. He's got all the charm and looks that someone who can manipulate minds would have. And he's also Cordelia Moonstone's ex. Aside from this revelation, Millar also touches upon Francis' internal struggle as he's still got his demons. We're then hit with a literal punch as we rejoin the Order as they tackle a particularly nasty monster in Chelmsford.

What makes the Osedax gruesome is that it likes to eat the bones, blood, and guts of its prey. Not only that it strings up its victim's flesh and leaves a hint of cinnamon behind. Not only this Millar also treats us to sharks made of shadows, a pretty menacing Warlock/gang leader, and even a slice of child sacrifice. There's a lot of content brought to the surface in this issue, but it's something that's handled with some well-balanced pacing. 

Away from the Order, we also catch up with Victor Korne as he attempts to secure an alliance in overthrowing the Order. It's here where the narrative takes a darker tone (it's already dark!) as Victor sacrifices his son. It's quite a brutal scene that shows just how much Victor Korne is willing to lose to achieve his goals. 

Events in this issue reach their crescendo as both the Order and the Korne Alliance finally meet in a pretty tense showdown. What's soon apparent is that this alliance are the ones behind the Osedax and are after the Stone of Thoth - a secret that only Kevin Mitchell knows about. 

There's a lot to take on board after reading this issue. We're given more character building to both the Order and Victor Korne. While the Order has their black sheep in the form of Francis King. He's certainly going to cause trouble as The Magic Order 2 continues, although Millar has been known to subvert readers expectations. Victor Korne however is trending a dark path as we learn just what motivates this enemy, and what lengths he's going to, to achieve his goals. 

Millar brings a great blend of action and exposition to this issue. Even with all the information, the pacing of the issue remains consistent throughout. Away from writing, the artwork is similarly incredibly good. Stuart Immonen, Sunny Gho, and Dave Curiel bring Mark Millar's script to life in an explosive fashion. There's plenty of gorgeous linework from Immonen as each cell is packed with plenty of detail. Both Gho and Curiel utilise some fantastic colours that bring rural England (and Wales) to life - albeit with that mystic aura. 

All in all, The Magic Order 2 #2 is a great continuation to this sequel. We get the usual shock and awe that readers come to expect from Millar, yet there's a much deeper story at play too. There's a lot of questions being asked, but everything serves to bring you deeper and deeper into this world. Add on top plenty of gorgeous visuals, and a lot of magic weirdness, then The Magic Order 2 is one hell of a read! 

Rating 9/10 

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