We left off last issue of Magic from BOOM! Studios on a cliffhanger. If you haven’t seen the review for that issue, check it out here. Otherwise, spoilers for the current run of the comic are ahead!

The big bad for the series is not Nicol Bolas. It’s not a Magic villain we’ve seen much of in the current state of the game and it’s story. No, it’s the god, Marit Lage. This issue gave us plenty of backstory and a refresher for those who aren’t familiar with the story of Ice Age from Magic. Jaya is one of the oldest characters and most powerful Planeswalkers in existence. She’s in that “Old Testament” class of Planeswalkers that are basically gods among humans. The only issue is that Marit Lage is somehow stronger than anything we’ve ever seen in Magic.

Eldrazi? Fully powered Nicol Bolas? Trivial beings that have nothing on the Old God.

A banishment to the Blind Eternities (basically the negative zone of Magic lore) didn’t stop this being. So now what will? If it’s making Jaya waver in her words, then we know it’s a big issue. As for the story of this comic, it definitely filled out more of this lore and the surrounding story. It’ll be interesting to see how Niv-Mizzet and the Guildpact react to her testimony. Are they under the spell of Marit Lage? Who knows. All I know is that I want more.

The Art Is Beautiful And Captures The Essence Of The Ice Age

As you can see from the image above, this is the best Ice Age is going to look. For such a dark and dreary time in the history of Magic, it’s beautifully drawn and colored here by French Carlomagno. It’s an interesting choice to have different artists and colorists for the separate time periods, but it works out amazingly here. It gives a distinct feeling to the past compared to the present.

I like how the comic isn’t showing us exactly what Marit Lage looks like either. They’re saving that big reveal for a point down the line. For now, we just have teases and see what they’re doing to regular people. It’s an interesting idea to have a trapped god trying to manipulate humanity into letting it loose.

For now, this story does well to build up the lore and story of Magic, but also gives us plenty to look forward to. Will Jaya have her ultimate confrontation with Marit Lage? How are the planeswalkers at the center of our story going to fight back against an unseen enemy? Is the Guildpact compromised?

A good comic should give you answers, but leave you with more questions about the future going forward. Magic #6 does that and then some. You can pick it up at your local comic book store or from BOOM Studios!

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