Written by: Kid Toussaint
Illustrations: Rosa La Barbera, Giuseppe Quattrocchi
Coloring: Francesca Mengozzi, Giovanni Marcora
Publisher: Dupuis
Magic 7 #1 Nooit Alleen – Comic Book Review
Comic books’ stories tend to take us to faraway places, to big adventures and magical sceneries, while others tend to present us with historical figures, stories based on facts or the good old fashioned superhero tales. Nonetheless, it’s been a while since we last saw all of the above combined into one series, and it seems that the long wait is over. Magic 7 brings us to our day and age, where seemingly normal children go about their daily lives but it is not all as it seems as a group of teenagers have powers we could only dream of. Harry Potter in picture form? Yes and no.
Leo, a young teenager is used to moving around after his mother loses her job, or simply has to look for a new one. Due to this, Leo doesn’t have many friends, and while his mom clearly does her best for him, she’s hardly ever home, making him fend for himself in more ways than one. Nonetheless, Leo possesses a certain ability, namely he can talk to ghosts, and even better, he can summon the ghosts of many different famous people, who are no longer amongst the living. Sadly, only those of well-known figures linger on the planet for quite some time, making it hard to come into contact with a regular Joe or Jane’s ghost, as they aren’t ‘remembered’ for long after they’re dead. Desperately trying to know if his father is alive or dead, Leo has tried to summon his dad in the past, but to no avail.
During his first day of school he immediately gets picked on and locked up in the basement, forcing him to arrive tardy to his first class and earning him a ticket to see the principal. Here he meets Hamelen, a ‘poor’ kid, who is often looked upon as scum, and Farah, a rebellious girl who acts tough in school, but as an angel at home. When word spreads that the school’s beloved trophy has been stolen, people immediately suspect Hamelen, because of the fact he lacks money. Nonetheless, Leo is convinced Hamelen is innocent thanks to the ghost of Houdini, who saw Hamelen play music. Before long a proper investigation is started and Leo finds out there are other people like him, albeit with different powers.
This story of Leo’s new life, as well as finally meeting someone like him with powers, moves at a steady pace, but offers enough information to get the entire picture by the end of this introductory volume. Even though the theft of a trophy might not sound like a thick plot to work with, it’s pretty much about the young magicians coming together for a reason. Kid Toussaint comes up with a fun story for young and old, and puts down a proper base for the story to build on. As stated in the introduction, while some may expect things from this series like they did with Harry Potter, it’s also an interesting tale of a boy who is left fairly alone most of the time, having to find solace with his powers, while a new world opens up. Nonetheless, things don’t immediately feel as dire as they did in the HP franchise.
Illustration wise it becomes even more clear that this series is directed towards pretty much all audiences thanks to the ‘Ben 10’ vibe the drawings tend to give the reader. Everything looks rather cheerful, with darker tones when needed, and the illustrators opted for a mix of realism and comical influences, making this first album a pretty sight to behold. While many characters may have a child-friendly air surrounding them, the detail level is rather high and the clutter on every picture is well placed and devised. Rosa La Barbera and Giuseppe Quattrocchi put down a commendable experience at the start of this new series.
Conclusion
Magic 7 #1 Nooit Alleen proves to be a very entertaining start of a series involving young everyday teenagers who are exploring the powers they discovered not that long ago. This first story is all about forming the fellowship of those with extraordinary abilities, all combined with an exciting succession of events and of course, likeable artwork. Is magic and the supernatural your thing, then bust out your wand to flick through the pages of this album.
Magic 7 #1 Nooit Alleen - Comic Book Review,
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