Rise of the Magi #5 Review

Has the four month wait between issues been worth it? Or is this a series that you should drop from your pull? Read on to find out.

The official description from Top Cow:

The first arc comes to a conclusion and Asa Stone’s future is in question! While fighting for his life, Asa learns the terrible lesson that when pitted against the overpowering strength of chaos, order has little or no chance of victory.

A fair few months have passed since we last saw the adventures of Asa, but finally the first arc of Rise of the Magi comes to a close. Despite there being a part of me that queries whether this series will fall into the same shipping problems as Marc Silvestri‘s other series, Cyber Force, I am excited to finally see more of this exciting world.

Driving events forward in dramatic fashion, Marc Silvestri brings the story to an exciting set of crossroads, generating excitement and suspense at every corner. He also manages to make this issue relatively new reader friendly, as though it’s still best enjoyed as a whole, the choice to kick things off with some development from Mr. Skinn certainly allows for an easier entry point. In addition to this, Silvestri also builds upon established elements, with Ronnie’s actions, and Robert’s intentions leaving room for speculation.

The artwork is once again divided between Sumeyye Kesgin and Tina Valentino, with both artists doing a stellar job. Having a similar look and style, the duo manage to knit a consistent tone to this story, with the energetic layouts, and quirky facial expressions being as enjoyable as ever. They also capture the drama and suspense that Silvestri’s script builds wonderfully, with the atmosphere being tantalisingly breathtaking. Rounding things off, we get yet more sensational colours from Betsy Gonia, with her palette choice giving a bold, deep finish.

Rise of the Magi returns triumphant, as though I’m not eager to have such a long wait again, the result has been well worth it. Highly recommended.