Chandra’s Fire And Fury Are On Full Display In Magic The Gathering: Chandra #1
by Josh Davison
Planeswalker Chandra Nalaar of Kaladesh is on a mission to protect the weak and innocent across the multiverse. She has been hopping between Dominaria, Tarkir, Ixalan, Alara, and other planes to watch out for the needy there, but Planeswalker Ajani Goldmane of Alara and Pia Nalaar, the latter being Chandra’s mother, are worried about Chandra. They are proud of her actions, but they fear that Chandra is avoiding dealing with something inside. Chandra doesn’t listen and continues her crusade across the multiverse.
Magic the Gathering: Chandra #1 spotlights the adventures of the premiere red Planeswalker from Magic, the Chandra Nalaar and her attempts to save as many as she can in the multiverse.
I am nerdy Magic player myself, and Chandra has always been one of my favorites among the Planeswalkers of the lore.
For fans of Magic, the main Planeswalkers of the modern era of the game have always been notorious for being somewhat one-note. The story-writers have tried to resolve this, but it’s still a criticism often lobbed at the game.
Vita Ayala remedies this to a point, at least in terms of Chandra. Here, we see a Planeswalker that is dealing with feelings of inadequacy and even a bit of trauma. This story takes place after the events of Amonkhet and the Hour of Devastation, so Chandra and the rest of the Gatewatch have been beaten and cast out by Nicol Bolas at this point.
There are plenty of one-liners spread throughout the comic; some land, and some don’t. The scene with Ajani and Pia is pretty endearing.
Harvey Talibao’s (with art assists from Tristan Jurolan) artwork is pretty damn solid, and she does a good job of showing the unbridled fury and power of Chandra. The outfits look good too, with Ajani looking especially imposing and regal with his pauldrons and cape. The thalids on Dominaria are a bit hard to parcel out visually, but that may be the point of those creatures. Joana Lafuente’s colors are vibrant, detailed, and well-balanced throughout, bringing a lot of life to the book.
Magic the Gathering: Chandra #1 tells the story of the famous and fiery Planeswalker with fun and appropriate fury. Chandra Nalaar is presented in an interesting and charismatic fashion, and the characters around her are enjoyable, too. It may not be the most inviting book for anyone new to the Magic the Gathering multiverse, but it’s sure to be treat for anyone who’s followed and played the game and its lore.
Magic the Gathering: Chandra #1 comes to us from writer Vita Ayala, artist Harvey Talibao with art assists from Tristan Jurolan, color artist Joana Lafuente, letterer Christa Miesner, cover artist Ken Lashley with Matt Herns, and variant cover artists Ken Lashley, Tyler Kirkham with Wes Hartman, and Victor Adame Minguez.
