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Assassins target mystical Planeswalkers in Boom's new Magic: the Gathering comic series
The worldwide sensation known as Magic: The Gathering has been a multi-generational force in pop culture since the first few decks of spellbinding collector trading cards were launched back in 1993. Since those promising beginnings the franchise has sold over 20 billion Magic cards to an international community of players who yearn to become powerful wizards known as Planeswalkers.
To add to this imaginative realm, Boom! Studios has recently announced a new partnership under license by Hasbro, Inc., with Wizards of the Coast LLC that brings Magic: The Gathering to their roster of comics and graphic novels. Summoned from the legends and lore of the mega-popular game, a new Magic: The Gathering comic series simply titled Magic will appear on April 7 to kick off the promising collaboration.
Written by Jed MacKay (Black Cat, Avengers: Mech Strike) with artwork delivered by Ig Guara (Marvel’s Ghost-Spider), colorist Arianna Consonni, and letterer Ed Dukeshire, Magic #1 starts out on its journey by presenting Planeswalkers in a way fans might not be accustomed to seeing.
The plotline unfolds across the vast Multiverse by introducing the legendary Planeswalkers, those entities bestowed with a “spark” who can tap into the raw power of Magic and travel across distant realms. When carefully coordinated assassination attempts on Guildmasters Ral Zarek, Vraska, and Kaya shock the city of Ravnica and leave Jace Beleren’s life dangling on a thread, it ignites a dangerous conflict that threatens not only this trio of honored Guilds, but the whole plane of Ravnica.
Now these three must secretly infiltrate the untamed wilds of Zendikar and form an uneasy alliance to reveal why the assassins' targets have all been Planeswalkers... which will lure them directly to one of the most mysterious characters in all of Magic history.
“Twenty-five years ago when I was digging through the commons and uncommons bin to build my first deck, I would never have thought that one day I would be handed the reins to the Magic: The Gathering comic, but here we are!,” MacKay shared in a statement. “I’m extremely psyched to be digging into the world of Magic and all that entails, and can’t wait for all of you to see what we’ve been cooking up for you!”
To complement Boom!'s engaging first entry in this new Magic: The Gathering publishing endeavor, Brazillian artist Ig Guara lends his pencils to the pages, where he creates a beautiful tapestry of towering cities, soaring dragons, and battling Guildmasters.
Guara is thrilled to be able to tell a story within the universe of a game he's been playing for over 20 years.
"It has been great to work with Jed, who is a Magic player and fan, just like myself," Guara tells SYFY WIRE. "We talk about our favorite planes and characters. As a long time player of the game, I was always fascinated with the lore on Magic: The Gathering, from Urza to Jace, and it has been a blast to work with some of my favorite characters, like Kaya and Vraska. Just those regulators man, they are a pain, lol."
Magic #1 showcases main cover art by Matteo Scalera (Batman: White Knight Presents Harley Quinn), with additional variants courtesy of Guara, InHyuk Lee (Miles Morales: Spider-Man), and Junggeun Yoon (Seven Secrets).
The debut release also launches with a set of Hidden Planeswalker covers by artists Miguel Mercado (Mighty Morphin), Taj Tenfold (Abbott), and Magdalena Pagowska (The Library of Esoterica) spotlighting popular characters Liliana Vess, Kaya the Ghost Assassin, and Sorin Markov.
“Magic: The Gathering is more than a game — it’s a rich, expansive multiverse and mythology you can really live in and spend an infinite amount of time traversing. This all-new and unique story we’re launching into is full of beloved characters and shocking reveals from the world of Magic that are going to entertain readers new to the brand and surprise lifelong fans in the best possible ways,” said Boom! Studios Vice President, Bryce Carlson.
“Jed, Ig, Arianna, Ed, all of our incredible cover artists, and the entire team at Boom! Studios are firing on all cylinders so I can confidently say that this is far and away the best Magic: The Gathering has ever been executed in the comics medium. Period.”
Now enjoy our four-page peek at Boom! Studios' Magic: The Gathering: Magic #1 in the full gallery below.
