I feel like this is one of those books where the solicitations doesn’t quite show what happens in the issue. While I didn’t find the issue overly bad, it certainly wasn’t what I was expecting. The good news is that Costa and crew are able to do just enough to keep me interested to check out the next issue.

From a story perspective, I was expecting to follow the main character and how he is adapting to his new environment, as the solicit lead me to believe. Instead, the issue focuses on a resident of the world that stumbles upon our intrepid magician. The beginning of the issue is a bit wordy, but the world that’s been created here is interesting. It’s a world where magic and technology are one in the same and where even the lowest member of society is able to cast some sort of magic. It’s an interesting premise that uses a bit of our reality in order to ground the story and not make it overly fantastical. We only meet our cover character in the last 3 or 4 pages, but they are memorable scenes. The final page certainly leaves an interesting cliffhanger, and as I mentioned before, I’m certainly intrigued enough to keep with it.

The art is sharp and the cartooning is pretty great. I never once felt lost in the story, and the acting was done well enough to portray the characters and their emotions. I also really enjoyed the coloring. The colors really pop off the page, yet they tend to skew in the darker direction of the spectrum. It’s an interesting effect. I especially like the coloring of the title character as he sort of sticks out from the rest of the crowd with his darker colors and textures in his wardrobe.

Overall, it was solid issue to a series that is obviously close to the hearts of the creators. It’s definitely a different title in a market that hates different titles. I’m on board for the next issue, as this issue did enough to keep me interested. Here’s hoping that Costa and company can deliver on the promise of this new world.