Magic: The Gathering, Vol. 1

by Matt Forbeck

In search of greater magical knowledge and on the hunt for the people who destroyed his town, Dack Fayden is the greatest thief in the Multiverse. When he gets his hands on his latest prize, though, he has no idea where it will lead him-or to who!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Fantasy, Magic, Graphic Novels Comics

121 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 17, 2012

About the author

I'm an award-winning, New York Times-bestselling author and game designer and happily married father of five, including a set of quadruplets. For more on my work, see Forbeck.com.

Reviews

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 3 out of 5]

A more than decent first volume of the comic book series based on the high addictive fantasy collectable card game, but vampiric themed atmosphere and setting seemed more a "Castlevania" one.
And the half ending force you to read next volume.

[Tom · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a tie-in comic, the art is quite good, but the story never surpasses a surface-level chase through Magic settings. Despite the variety of settings available, many of the locations here aren't adequately differentiated from each other. Ravnica should feel different from Fiora, but they don't. If you don't focus on the things that make them distinct, you might as well just be traveling normally instead of hopping between planes of existence.

[Abhinav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shadowhawk reviews the brand-new 4-issues comics mini-series by Matt Forbeck, Magic: The Gathering, published by IDW Publishing.

“A fast-paced and thrilling ride that is a fantastic introduction to the world of Magic: The Gathering. Dack Fayden has arrived and he’s taking names!” ~The Founding Fields

Comics are fun things because they really take you on a very visually-intense journey through fantastical worlds that are often quite surreal and simply fascinating. Superhero comics in particular are the main culprits here but comics set in fantasy worlds filled with magic, vampires, gods and dimension-hoppers are just as intriguing. The new mini-series of Magic: The Gathering comics by Matt Forbeck illustrates that quite perfectly because it is a series that quickly draws you in and keeps you hooked on till the end.

I originally picked up Magic: The Gathering #1 through NetGalley on a whim, spotting Matt Forbeck as the author of the comic and knowing that I could expect this to be a great experience as I’m a fan of his work. Additionally, I wanted to give the Magic setting a try as well, having had no previous experience with it. I knew some friends back in college who were ardent fans and had deck upon deck of the playing cards but that’s about it. I never really got into the whole craze. The comics seemed like an apt starting point.

The mini-series follows Dack Fayden, a Planesrunner and a thief who is on the run from a cult after stealing one of their prized possessions. He jumps several planes, only to find himself quickly on the run again as he keeps getting caught up in events he’d rather not be a part of.

Matt’s comics are really a ton of fun. They have a very relaxing atmosphere to them that is, surprisingly, never at odds with the narrative itself, even when there are some really tense standoffs between Dack and the villains. This made it really easy for me to get into the story and enjoy the setting itself alongside the various characters. You really can’t ask for more in that regard because that really is what comics are all about. They should be quick, easy reads that can immediately grab your attention and keep you on a high for all of those 30-36 pages. So that’s one tick on the checklist for the comics.

Dack himself is a really cool character that you just got to love. He is street-smart, defiant, irrepressibly heroic although he’d rather do without all the attention, a thief and an accomplished mage all at the same time. But as he’ll tell you, he is no battle-mage! What really works for the series here with respect to Dack is that it is all told from his perspective, making this is akin to a novel written in the first-person. You don’t get as much depth as in a novel, as this is a much shorter, much more immediate format, but it still makes for a very immersive experience. Dack’s commentary and his monologues are well-written and you really get the feel for this reluctant hero. Combine that with him setting out on a quest for vengeance against the mage who destroyed his home-town and you have the makings of a superb series which delivers on the promise of that epic showdown.

You can find the full review at The Founding Fields:

http://thefoundingfields.com/2012/06/...

[Quinton Baran · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are four quick stories to read. They are enjoyable stories that establish the current universe of Magic the Gathering, focusing on a emotional and caring Planeswalker named Dack Fayden, who is impetuous, but also genuine.

The art work is very good, the plot is somewhat ordinary, the subject matter is fun for fans of the universe - there are two basic gradients of enjoying magic - enjoying the story, which has been labeled "Vorthos" and enjoying the mechanics, which has been labeled "Melvin". These labels were created by Mark Rosewater, the chief designer of Magic the Gathering cards. His first (or one of his first) articles using these terms I am linking to here: https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles...

I bring those up, because there are Magic players that really enjoy learning the story behind the cards. I count myself one of those. I appreciate stories like this, even if they aren't top notch. They bring another dimension to my love of the game.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I played Magic: The Gathering in the '90s, but I was never able to make heads or tails of the setting from the card game, so it's refreshing to have a comic book series that makes it obvious from Day One, as the protagonist travels from Ravnica (the next D&D setting) to Innistrad, walking the planes.

The actual plot is about a hunt for a vampire ruler and all the troubles that brings, and it's fine enough. I think it's actually at its best when it focuses on the vampire ruler and her entourage, a dark, conflicted little group. The most disappointing thing about the book is its lack of ending: on the final page, you're ushered on to Book Two.

[Mykka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a little lost in the story st first but I kind of got it at the end and the pictures were dark, wasn't pleasing to the eye. I have volumes 2 and 3 hopefully it gets better for me. Fingers crossed 🤞

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dack Fayden is a planeswalker and a thief of magical relics. Vampires and a witch have destroyed his home town.
This graphic novel has great art, but could use more words.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun comic book. The graphics are great. The story is very eventful and doesn't slow down. I only had access to the first issue, but my attention was caught and I wanted to know what happened next. You fall for Dack Fayden very quickly and want to see what happens to him next as he keeps having to escape from one group that is after him and ends up in another place where people want him. If you like fantasy stories, fantasy or adventure comic books or even just the Magic the Gathering universe than these comic books are for you.

Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley. The rating, review, and all opinions are my own