THE MAGIC ORDER (VOL. 5) #5, by Dark Horse Comics on 2/26/25, sends Cordelia on the run as Sister Moon’s assassin fulfills the prophecy and keeps Cordelia out of the way while the Dark Gods invade Earth.
Credits:
- Writer: Mark Millar
- Artist: Matteo Buffagni
- Colorist: Giovanna Niro, Laura Ciondolini
- Letterer: Clem Robins
- Cover Artist: Matteo Buffagni
- Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
- Release Date: February 26, 2025
- Comic Rating: Mature (language, gore, nudity)
- Cover Price: $4.99
- Page Count: 32
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of THE MAGIC ORDER (VOL. 5) #5:
Recap:
When we last left Cordelia and her wizarding colleagues in The Magic Order (Vol. 5) #4, we learned how Clyde became the vessel of demonic hosts that forced him to commit unspeakable crimes. After Clyde was caught and sentenced to prison, he learned to take control of the demonic possession and atone for his sins. The issue ended with Clyde committing himself to Cordelia’s safety and the Fellowship of the Bell living up to their name.
Plot Analysis:
In The Magic Order (Vol. 5) #5, the race to the Apocalypse heats up. Clyde and Cordelia arrive at the Order’s Chicago headquarters to find everyone preparing to hide Cordelia inside a painting. If they can keep her hidden from the assassin, Cordelia can beat the prediction from every psychic on the planet that she’ll be dead by Midnight. Cordelia is touched by the effort but refuses to hide.
Suddenly, an alert arrives too late. The daughter of Sister Moon launches an arrow from her position in the sky, striking Cordelia where she stands. Instead of killing Cordelia, the arrow robs her of magical power for about an hour. The headquarters are instantly attacked with a water flood, forcing Cordelia out a separate entrance and into the open.
Cordelia ducks into a cab to hide long enough to make it to a tunnel and open a magical door that plops her onto the sidewalk in front of the Abington Hotel, where magical beings from across eras have immunity from the outside world. Unfortunately, the hotel rules prohibit anyone from lending Cordelia aid, but one person stands up from a nearby chair and offers to assist – Cordelia from the future.
The issue concludes with a titanic battle between Sister Moon’s daughter and future Cordelia, one heck of a bang, and Samuel Mott cleaning house to pave the way for his new masters.
First Impressions:
Mark Millar does it again with a magical banger that makes Harry Potter’s fight with Voldemort look like a schoolyard slapfight. It’s almost tiring to keep repeating that Mark Millar is the master of big swings, but there’s no denying The Magic Order (Vol. 5) does not miss.
Artwork and Presentation:
Matteo Buffagni gets to flex creative muscle with an issue that’s almost all magic battles and destructive spectacle. Buffagni’s framing is darn near perfect, and the eclectic mix of semi-realistic figures and explosive wizardry is a winner.
Art Samples:
Story Positives & Negatives:
The Positives:
Just when you think things can’t get more dire for Cordelia, Mark Millar slathers on the tension and urgency by threatening her life at every turn. The magic (*heh*) of this issue is the way Millar grabs the reader with tension on the first page and cranks up the momentum.
The Negatives:
As the teeniest of tiny nitpicks, Cordelia’s explanation for why she won’t hide in the painting dimension doesn’t make a lot of sense. If she goes into the painting, her friends will fight to protect her. If she doesn’t go into the painting, her friends will still fight to protect her. Either way, her friends are fighting, so her choice doesn’t make sense.
Final Thoughts:
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THE MAGIC ORDER (VOL. 5) #5 is a banger of a penultimate issue in the volume when Cordelia runs for her life on every page. Mark Millar proves once again that he’s the master of big swings that rarely miss, and the visuals from the art team look fantastic.
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