Comics: Black Magick, Issue #1

Written by Young Jeohn

The clue is in the title, but it's not what you think. The practice of magick has always raised eyebrows and has historically instilled fear into people's hearts for centuries. In this story, a modern day detective (named detective Black - a play on the title) discovers that a witchhunt is still ongoing; that the burning of witches is still being practiced, and that they know who she really is, whover "they" are.

Great pains have been invested in the comic's first five pages, showing a pagan ritual with robed figures in a circle - chanting, burning candles, a magic dagger, the whole lot. We're told by not so subtle means that a ringing cell phone has ruined the whole incantation and the whole thing has to be started again from the beginning. This is a powerful move, a telling sign to anyone who's dabbled with or read up on magick that these five pages were written by someone with actual magical knowledge - not made up hocus pocus by someone without a clue. This is exciting, and it's just the beginning of the story!

The comic is illustrated mostly in black and white, setting the tone for dark and secret things. Colors are used sparingly but effectively, to highlight certain events that demand attention with the overall feel as being one of suspense. The layout is easy to follow and tells the story well, spending more time when necessary to highlight certain magical happenings.

The story is extremely interesting (at least to me) and had me hooked early on. That detective Black happens to be a detective is only secondary to the deeper secret she's harboring, and I found myself asking questions about where she came from, what abilities she had, how long she'd been practicing, why the magicians in the circle let her go without any punishment for ruining their rite - and a million other things. I can't wait to see where the writer will take this - it could go in so many different directions!

On a more personal level, I'm curious to see how much practical knowledge of magic the writer will impart. Though it could very well be that I'm imagining things and making this out to be more than what it is, Black Magick makes for a very good read - it's well written, full of suspense, and has the reader asking many questions about the secret life of detective Black.

Verdict: 8/10
Pick up a copy and read this!