POTIONS INC. #2, from Mad Cave Studios on July 13th, 2022, catches up with Rn and his friends as they hunt for Poncelina and the necklace she stole. The portal deposits them on a world brimming with magic but with residents oblivious to its presence – Earth.
The Details
- Written by: Erik Burnham
- Art by: Stelladia
- Colors by: Stelladia, Ian Tags
- Letters by: Micah Myers
- Cover art by: Natasha Alterici
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: July 13, 2022
Was It Good?
POTIONS INC. #2 plops readers into the “fun & games” section of the story where Ran and his friends make their way through a world (Earth, Seattle, WA, 1992) that’s full of thick magic, unaware that the inhabitants of this world don’t know anything about magic and are oblivious to its presence. This issue is good for several chuckles as Ran experiences a multitude of fish-out-of-water scenarios as they contend with alien concepts such as Earth money, telephones, and pizza. Is this issue strong enough to keep readers hanging in for the duration? Tentatively, yes.
The high point of the issue is the lightly amusing situations Ran, Astreus, and Asteria get themselves into as they acclimate to Earth culture while they try to find Poncelina. It never occurs to the trio that the world they’re visiting doesn’t have magic-wielders, so they’re continually confused when the spells they cast get a bewildered reaction from passersby. The conflict of worldviews makes for a few laughs to keep the story airy and amusing.
The high point is, in spots, also the issue’s down point. The trio doesn’t seem to be taking the potential dangers of an alien world or their chase to catch Poncelina with any sense of caution or urgency. Astreus, in particular, is cavalier about the whole situation, so you don’t get a sense that their mission is serious because they don’t act as if it IS serious. The mood of the group might as well be that of a group of teenagers on a field trip. That’s fine if the mood is meant to be relaxed, but the dramatic effect is practically nil.
The art is fine to better-than fine. The character designs and settings have a sketchy, YA look that suits the YA-ish tone of the material. The art is a little more mature than a children’s book, but the quality is low-fidelity in terms of linework detail. The colors, likewise, are mostly comprised of a safe, soft, almost pastel palette. Visually, this is a comfortable comic with nary a hint of strong drama or pop in sight.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
If you’re not aware of how Ran and his friends wound up on Earth, check out our POTIONS INC. #1 review.
We begin with Ran, Astreus, and Asteria emerging from their portal on a rainy night in Portland, 1992. They can feel the air is overly thick with magic, so they assume everyone on Earth is an adept magic wielder. Asteria uses her wand to create umbrella constructs. A local resident is amazed at the sight, assuming Asteria is a street magic performer. He gives her some money as a tip for the show and suggests she can make more money by taking her “act” to a local pub called the Alligator 8 Cafe.
Ran feels an intuitive pull to follow the advice, and the trio arrives at the cafe. They go through a series of comedic misunderstandings trying to order food and drink while they rest enough to generate a location spell to find Poncelina. Meanwhile, Poncelina has commandeered a family’s apartment by turning them into stone. She uses the household ingredients in the kitchen to create her own location potion that will lead her to the second half of the fordstone.
We conclude the issue with news of an important eclipse, a mugging, and a government agent whose worldview gets turned upside down.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
(Click this link 👇 to order this comic)
POTIONS INC. #2 is a breezy, amusing next chapter in the series as Ran and the gang must learn to navigate the strange new world of 1992 Earth. The fish-out-of-moments are good for a few chuckles, and we learn more about the inherent magic of Earth. However, the light tone is too-light at times, and the safe, impact-free art ensures there’s little drama to be found.
Click Here To Buy This Comic
As an Amazon Associate, we earn revenue from qualifying purchases to help fund this site. Links to Blu-Rays, DVDs, Books, Movies, and more contained in this article are affiliate links. Please consider purchasing if you find something interesting, and thank you for your support.
We hope you found this article interesting. Come back for more reviews, previews, and opinions on comics, and don’t forget to follow us on social media:
If you’re interested in this creator’s works, remember to let your Local Comic Shop know to find more of their work for you. They would appreciate the call, and so would we.
Click here to find your Local Comic Shop: www.ComicShopLocator.com