Written by Erica Schultz
Art by Diego Giribaldi, Juan Pablo Massa
Published by Red 5 Comics • Stonebot
On my Four-Color Shadows blog, I used to do a series of posts I called the “Sons of Mandrake.” The Sons of Mandrake posts would spotlight the scores of comic book magicians and sorcerers who flitted around in the Golden Age of Comics. On exhibit today, however, is a xxxxxxDAUGHTER of Mandrake!
The new Legacy of Mandrake the Magician comic is a clever idea.
Mandragora Constanza Terrado Paz aka “Mandy” is the new Mandrake the Magician. In costume, she looks more like Sabrina the Teenage Witch albeit dressed in stylish red and black evening garb adorned with a bow tie and a lovely and magical looking Celtic knot pendant.
Most of the time, though, she’s a typical teenage girl, with a partially shaved head, a hovering parent, and a messy room…only she has powers. In fact, she’s surprisingly and recognizably similar to the recent TV Stargirl in a lot of ways. But then, a lot of teenage girls lead similar lives I suppose. Makes sense.
cAnd after all, Courtney doesn’t have a magic mirror that we just KNOW is up to something.
With script by Erica Schultz and Diego Giribaldi on art (with backgrounds credited to J.P. Massa and color to Ramon Bunge), this is just a good, new-fangled but old-fashioned comic book superhero tale. Nothing screams major innovation but at the same time, everything works the way it’s supposed to.
Mandy’s dialogue, expressions, and actions are realistic and, as Mandrake, she cuts a striking figure, but we don’t see the latter enough. The story opens on…something…that turns out to be a dream. A nightmare. In the “real” world, we only get Mandrake for a few panels much later in the book.
Still, a fun book, that takes us right to where I expected it to go. Predictable as it was, though, that doesn’t lessen my desire to see what happens next. If that’s not what a good comic book is supposed to offer—familiarity, humor, drama, danger, and anticipation—I don’t know what’s missing.
Booksteve recommends.
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