Magik and Colossus #1: Who Says You Can’t Go Home?

Magik and Colossus have returned to the motherland! Illyana finds herself in a strange place of contentment while Piotr finds himself struggling with tragedies and what he was forced to do during Krakoa. As Piotr returns to his roots, trouble seems to find him around every corner with all manner of Russian folktale coming to life. When Piotr’s little snowflake, Illyana arrives, the siblings embark on an adventure to find out who is bringing the folktales to life and in the process coping with who Magik and Colossus have become.

Creative Team

Writer: Ashley Allen
Artist: German Peralta
Color Artist: Arthur Hesli
Letterer: VC’s Ariana Maher

Writing

Megan: Words cannot explain how excited I am that Ashley Allen is back writing for Illyana Rasputin. I feel Allen is someone that really understands Illyana’s complexity, and now she’s able to show how well she understands the rasputin family dynamics. In Magik and Colossus #1, we see a Colossus that’s at his worst. He blames himself for the destruction to these towns at the hands of these monsters but he doesn’t understand why they’re doing it. Coming upon a mother and child in the forest who’s the prey of one of these monsters, Colossus saves them by trying to sacrifice himself instead. Just in the nick of time, Illyana appears with a fury and takes out the monster with ease. Now reunited, Illyana expresses her worry for her brother, which Colossus dismisses. It’s clear he’s been through the wringer, but now isn’t the time to harp on it. There’s a village in trouble, and the only ones that can help are the Rasputin siblings.

Shawn: What a strong opening issue of Magik and Colossus. Ashley Allen does a great job of showing not only the family relationship between Illyana and Piotr, but also the demons each is battling within themselves. Allen deserves all the credit for taking on this project, which sees the normally brooding Magik in a place of contentment while the normally stoic Colossus is unsure and unsteady in himself. The scenes Allen crafts between the two siblings feel so real and honest. You can sense both the love and frustration present in the relationship between Piotr and Illyana, and Allen effectively conveys that. Allen does perhaps the most impressive job writing Piotr. The character makes you feel their brokenness and waywardness through Allen’s words.

Art

Megan: The artists brought a fantastic comic pull of artwork that brings all the heat of the story. In Magik and Colossus #1, there’s a ton of action that showcases the powers of the characters in a beautiful way. German Peralta is able to perfectly show the magnitude of Majik’s incredible magical powers, while putting Colossus strength on full display. Arthur Hesli works magic with the use of darker colors and vibrant focal points throughout the panels, giving the comic an excellent horror energy. Ariana Maher brings the artwork to a perfect close with her work on the letters, putting so much emotion and depth behind each word. The artists expertly matched the tone of the comimc through their artwork, making an exciting comic that keeps your eyes glued to the pages.

Shawn: As great as the writing was, the artwork was the real show of this issue. Ariana Maher kills it with lettering in this issue. Despite characters, normal civilians, the Darkchild, and even the monsters having narration, Maher creatively distinguishes each one so that Allen’s words flow well. Subtle decisions like adding a little spikiness to monster bubbles combined with having Illyana’s bubbles change color/shape when shifting towards Darkchild really showed off Maher’s abilities.

German Peralta crafts lines and scenes that feel picked straight out of your favorite horror movie. The forboding shapes and outlines, combined with beautiful coloring decisions from Arthur Hesli make this feel like part of a horror novel. Despite the horror feel of the issue, the art team and writer combine to make it feel dark and disturbing, but never campy. Despite dealing with characters the Rasputin children likely heard about growing up, the monsters feel fresh and genuinely terrifying. The panel where Peralta and Hesli combine to give us Piotr reflected in Illyana’s eye is one of the best panels I’ve seen in a comic featuring these two characters.

Final Thoughts

Megan: 10/10. There was so much to love about Magik and Colossus #1! Ashley Allen created a story that keeps your heart racing, while truly appreciating these characters and their dynamic. This was a powerful start to what can only be expected to be a fantastic run!

Shawn:10/10 I really loved the horror feel of this comic. I love that we are seeing Magik and Colossus in mindsets and just existences that feel out of the norm for their characters. Allen’s writing is top-notch, but the art team of Peralta, Hesli, and Maher do just a stunning job bringing the words to life. The story feels like a family history set against the backdrop of a modern horror story and I’m so here for it.

Overall Grade – 10/10

Did you enjoy our review of Magik and Colossus #1? Be sure to check out other reviews from Megan and Shawn!

What are you hoping to see in Magik and Colossus #2? Tell us in the comments below