Okay, so last issue we got a traditional Mark Millar SHOCKING PLOT TWIST, which I decried as being too predictable to those who’ve read many of Mark Millar’s work, and said I wished he’d avoided it and just told a straight-forward story.

Well I was DEAD WRONG.

So the twist was that Gabriel is a traitor. He’d been in league with Madam Albany all along, because she promised to use the Orichalcum to bring his daughter back to life, which is something his father had refused to do. Yes, that by itself is not entirely original for a Mark Millar comic, but I will forgive it in this case because Gabriel’s motivation is somewhat understandable (I’ve never had or lost a child, but I can imagine how devastating it is and that it can drive people to make unthinkable decisions), especially as it is revealed that his daughter’s death is somewhat his fault.

But the real reason is works is because there is still one more twist to this story, which dramatically changes everything, before it ends. I won’t spoil that in case anyone reading this is waiting for the trade. But it’s very clever and brings this series to a satisfying conclusion. Along the way there are also a few more unique examples of magic that are utilized by various characters, which is one of the things that I enjoyed the most about this series. But even taking away all the magic and fantastical elements to this story, at its core it is about family. As Millar himself says in the letters page to the previous image, the template to this story is King Lear. It’s ultimately about family, and the relationships therein, between parent and child and between siblings. And that’s what makes a story like this so easy to follow.

Cool magic scenes, down to Earth characters, and beautiful artwork by Olivier Coipel, THE MAGIC ORDER is one of the best creator-owned books I’ve read in ages. I can’t wait for further volumes as well as the Netflix adaptation. Chacebook rating: 5 STARS

AVAILABLE ON COMIXOLOGY