Magik #3 // Review
Illyana is trapped. She’s in the realm of a being kown as Liminal. That being has been woring through agents on the Earth in a ritual that involves killing mutants in connection with five magical seals. Liminal has been prying into Illyana’s mind. Illyana is going to need her wits about her if she is to escape the realm of Liminal in Magik #3. Writer Ashley Allen continues a very promising opening for the new series with artist Germán Peralta and colorist Arthur Hesli. It’s a restless adventure into demons from Illyana’s past.
Liminal seems to know everything about Illyana’s personal history. This is going to make escaping from his realm all the more difficult sas she is forced to stare-down demons from her past and ultimatley make a deal with the one who is responsible for her captivity. The deal that she’s going to strike might get her out of one prison and put her in another, but she WILL buy herself time as she manages to free herself from her incarceration...but at what cost to her safety? She may lose herself forever. Is it really worth getting out? She’s going to have to confront a lot of darkness before she makes a final decision.
Allen manages a quick and reasonably comprehensive look into aspects of Illyana’s past. She’s been through a lot, but she’s gained a lot of power because of it. ALlen explores some of the inner aspects of Illyana’s inner life without getting too bogged-down in specifics. The overall dramatic momentum of the exploration is a part of the forward moentum of the action. And though it would be nice to get a closer look at her inner psyche, the continued movements forward NEED to be there in order to maintain a sense of urgency in a narrative that is, by necessity, a bit disjointed what with it involving a couple of different dimensions.
Peralta has good instincts when it comes to layout and graphic momentum. There’s a thoughtful flow to the way that action crosses the page. There’s a solid sense of movement forward throughout the issue, but hte occasional close-up does a great deal to keep it all from being as tireless and restless and Illyana is going to need to be to escape Liminal. A foreign dimension is always a bit difficult to bring to the page. There are a lot of different approaches to it. Peralta keeps it simple in the background so as to amplify the intensity of the drama in the foreground.
Illyana remains a strikingly compelling main focus of a series in a storyline the gets right into the heart of who she is. Her personal story fits remarkably well into the larger story of the villain she’s trying to defeat and the peril that the entire human race seems to be in. It’s a sharply-structured story that Allen is bringing to the page with the aid of some very appealing visuals.
