I’m a week late (blame the post office), but I’ve finally gotten this penultimate issue of this adaptation of Blake Northcott’s best-selling novel, and I have to say it’s the most exciting issue yet.

Picking up right from last issue’s dramatic cliffhanger, where Maisie dropped all pretense and revealed herself as the person who killed Jackson, unleashing her parasite, Agent Malek arrives in the nick of time to stop her from killing Calista and Kaz and then takes them to safety.

Malek proceeds to reveal the answers to many of the burning questions Calista (and the readers) have had since this miniseries began. We learn about the man who is responsible for magick being unleashed in the world, and how the U.S. government got involved in containing and eventually exploiting it, leading to the invention of techno-alchemy. And most importantly for Calista, he explains how her mother is connected to all of this and the real reason why she was thrown in jail. Malek also explains how he got cursed with his own parasite and why he’s determined to shut down the Father Division once and for all, and help get Calista’s mother out of prison.

But Stefan Hecht, the ruthless black market Magick dealer and original possessor of the Grimoire, has made his way to North Valley and prepares for a showdown with Malek and Calista which he clearly doesn’t intend for either of them to walk away from. Thus ending this issue on another jaw-dropping cliffhanger.

Blake Northcott continues to prove herself a master of world-building as she fleshes out the history of this universe, giving us multiple high-concept supernatural ideas. I also continue to be impressed with the way she writes Calista, who feels like a real teenage girl trying her best not to be overwhelmed by all the craziness she’s experiencing.

On the art side, Blake’s once again ably backed by Guiseppe Cafaro who handles the majority of the art, with Nicola Izzo stepping in to draw a flashback sequence (& this cover). Thankfully Izzo’s style fits with Cafaro’s very well. Jason Lewis takes over the coloring chores and does an excellent job.  Altogether they make this one of the best written and illustrated titles on the market this year. I can’t wait for the conclusion!

Chacebook rating: FIVE STARS

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