POTIONS INC. #1, from Mad Cave Studios on June 8th, 2022, follows a trio of siblings on a quest to recover a stolen, magical artifact. Their adventure takes them to a magical world they never expected.
The Details
- Written By: Erik Burnham
- Art By: Stelladia
- Flats By: Ian Tags
- Letters By: Micah Myers
- Cover Art By: Natasha Alterici
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: June 8, 2022
Was It Good?
At first glance, POTIONS INC. #1 is the type of comic you would expect to find in the YA section of your local comic shop. The themes of family and finding your true calling are prominent, the action sequences involving evil spellcasters and demonic monsters are safe enough for youngsters, and the art style is slightly more mature than what you would expect to see in a children’s book. In short, this is a YA comic in every way that matters, so it works very well as a story well for a comic aimed at children.
The story centers around Ran, a teenager who struggles with not knowing his direction in life. When Ran takes some sage advice from his parents, he unwittingly opens the door to an adventure to save his family… possibly his world. Burnham plays up Ran’s awkward uncertainty at not fitting with the family business or going with the flow. He feels the tug of wanting to do something more, greater, or at least something else, and that makes him instantly relatable. Ran is a perfect archetype for that transition period between a boy on the verge of becoming a man in terms of self-discovery and forging a life for himself, and it’s easy to get behind Ran’s adventure.
There are two down points in the story that create speed bumps in the reading experience. First, Ran arrives at the marketplace wearing a magical pendant that’s pivotal to the adventure. We don’t see how he got the pendant or why he put it on, only hearing about it in a throwaway comment a little later. Second, Ran falls from a great height that should have killed him, but he’s magically saved by a freak occurrence that we don’t see and are only told about in a throwaway comment a little later.
Comics are a “show not tell” medium so to have two key events not shown and only briefly addressed in throwaway comments implies there was too much story for the page count and ill-advised shortcuts were needed to fit everything in. This issue has nine separate scenes in total, which is more than average, so there does appear to be a pacing problem trying to fit too much in.
The art is a good fit for the material. The character designs are soft and childlike to match the YA tone. The color palette is equally soft with a relaxing combination of earth tones and pastels. And the overall look of the comic, especially in the action scenes, is safely pleasant.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with a father telling his daughter a bedtime story about a magical land where everyone has some skill or ability. A greater wizard tried to increase the magic of the world using a dangerous spell, but he was stopped by his students.
Elsewhere, Ran struggles to get excited about his family business of making potions in the magical town of Blossing. His siblings fit right into the family business as they have a much better handle on magic than Ran. Ran’s parents encourage him to find his own path, and since his previous attempts ended poorly, they suggest he find a good luck charm to light the way. Ran finds just such a charm in his parents’ workshop, not realizing the charm is incredibly powerful and dangerous.
Ran meets his siblings in the town market to help run the shop. Poncelina Arkay, a rival potion maker, notices Ran’s good luck charm and instantly recognizes its true power. We conclude the issue with flying beasts, thievery, and a portal to another world that looks suspiciously familiar.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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POTIONS INC. #1 is an above-average start to a magical adventure about a trio of siblings searching for a stolen artifact. The main character is relatable, and the art is a good match for the story. However, a few shortcuts were taken when the comic already has a high scene count, so the issue feels rushed in spots.
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