Magik and Colossus #4 – Love Doesn’t Mend All Bridges

Russian folklore has come to life. In Magik and Colossus, readers encounter Piotr and Illyana as they return to their homeland to try to understand why demons from Russian folklore have come to life and are starting to attack innocent civilians. As their search continues, they’re led to Koschei, the Immortal who survives by draining the magic from his victims. Trapped in Koschei’s personal coliseum, Magik struggles to save herself without depleting her energy. When Colossus comes to her rescue, the pair is forced to fight Baba Yaga.

This review is brought to you by Nerd Initiative’s Megan and Shawn!

Creative Team

Writer: Ashley Allen
Artist: Germán Peralta
Colorist: Arthur Hesli
Letterer: Ariana Maher
Cover Artist: David Nakayama

Writing

Megan: Another issue, another example of how incredibly talented Ashley Allen is as a writer. Magik and Colossus #4 continues the run with being an emotional gut punch while simultaneously showing the truly magical side of the Rasputin family. After being trapped in a magical arena, Illyana and Piotr tellported with Kaoz out of the clutches of Koschei.

However, they may not be safe quite yet as Kaoz had them teleport to one person that isn’t afraid of Koschei and that’s Baba Yaga. Illyana and Piotr’s conflict seems to dull in comparison when Babe Yaga is shown to be the sister of Koschei. From one conflict to another, Illyana and Piotr have to find a way to stop all this madness while working through their emotional madness that they internally.

Shawn: It feels ridiculous that Ashley Allen crafts stories this good, yet is somehow criminally underrated in comics. Just when I thought I had a grip on where this series was going, I got a curveball thrown to me. The fact that happened in the fourth issue of a five-issue series is a testament to Allen’s ability to weave a story. This story is beautiful and impactful when it comes to the dynamic between Magik and Colossus.

I really appreciate that Allen doesn’t shy away from the complex history of these two characters. It’s clear from the writing that losing Illyana to Limbo is one of Piotr’s greatest failures in his mind, and he will always struggle to deal with. I love that Allen crafts the almost combativeness between the siblings as they struggle to move past that failure. The dynamic plays out in some pretty satisfying ways in this issue.

Art

Megan: Germán Peralta, Arthur Hesli, and Ariana Maher make this an absolutely gorgeous comic, which continues their streak of excellence in the comic run. Peralta draws the characters bold and beautifully, allowing each character to shine in their own light. What I really appreciated was how he was able to capture the horror of Baba Yaga but then switch to the calmness of her in her human form on a dime.

Hesli works off Peralta’s drawings so well, capturing the horror aspect and really driving that theme through the story with his work on the colors. Maher captures the emotions of the characters perfectly through the dialogue, allowing the reader to experience the tones of the story expertly.

Shawn: Germán Peralta did an absolutely amazing job with this issue. Not only are Magik and Colossus captured perfectly, but Baba Yaga is both terrifying and beautiful. The battles are so well drawn that they feel lifelike.

Arthur Hesli just picks the perfect color for each panel of this issue. Every color feels meaningful. As the narrative develops, Hesli provides some very unique ethereal looks for the panels. The colors are bright when they need to be and muted when it helps better set the scene. Ariana Maher’s lettering feels really well-sized for this issue. Despite a complex narrative in this issue, Maher’s work makes the story easy to follow.

Final Thoughts

Megan: 9.5/10. I’m so disappointed that this story will be concluded in the next issue because Ashley Allen has made this mini series an emotional roller coaster that’s packed with action and magical goodness. If you haven’t checked out Magik and Colossus yet, it’s never too late! Head to your local comic shop and pick up the comics!

Shawn: 9.5/10 We are finally seeing some of these threads start to come together. This whole series has been immaculate. This issue feels like a meaningful exploration of the siblings’ relationship and the loss that will always be a connection between the two. Magik and Colossus could not be more opposite, but this creative team tells their story in a way that develops the characters and provides a satisfying narrative.

Overall Grade: 9.5/10

What did you think of Magik and Colossus #4? Let us know in the comments