Kidnappings And Convicts: ‘The Magic Order 5’ #1 Advance Review

Cordelia and company return with a new series of The Magic Order and it doesn’t take her too long to get herself, and her companions, into trouble as she tries to help out a woman who has had her children kidnapped not once but twice by a mysterious magical entity weilding a machete.

Joining writer Mark Millar on this new volume is artist Matteo Buffagni who’s artwork boarders on the more realistic, meaning his rendition of both the Magic Order and its cast of characters – as well as the locations such as urban Chicago and rural Arizona – add an air of validity to this whole venture. A look at how a series like The Magic Order could look when it’s eventually adapted to live action on Netflix. If that’s still happening, that is.

As well as an eye for realism, Buffagni is a master of layout too, with a clever interplay of panels on display throughout this comic book. There’s quite a lot of dialogue to incorporate but the skills of Buffagni as well as the craftsmanship of letterer Giovanni Niro, make this read smoothly with no sense of clutter.

As with any debut issue there is plenty that must be included. The requisite central mystery or dilemma, new characters introduced – with one freed jailbird intriguing this reviewer immensely after only a three-page introduction – and rising tension. And Miller certainly knows how do apply all of these tropes into a tight script that throws out enough crumbs for readers to pick at but leaving them wanting more.  We get a mysterious and patient assailant and kidnapper, Cordelia looking to reacquaint herself with someone from her past, and a freed supernatural convict looking to stay on the straight and narrow. That, and a huge turn of events that leaves Cordelia questioning reality itself. And all in the first issue of this final series.

The Magic Order 5 #1 is out on Wednesday 25th September from Dark Horse Comics