Review – The Magic Order Volume 3, #6

“…Cordelia’s side has a terrible curse so I’d recommend joining the winners…”

It’s the end of arc three! Keep reading for a review of The Magic Order 3, issue #6.

Massive, great big spoilers below. I tried to write this review spoiler-free, but it was too annoying.

So the Uncle Edgar plot line is on hiatus this week, but every other plot line is at least touched on.

Following the reveal of Regan’s actions (he’s been using his powers to benefit himself in a biiiiig way, which is a giant no-no in the Order) we see his excommunication: he’s being stripped of his powers and no one in his family can ever speak to him again.

However. We’re told that burning his shorn-off pubic hair will be the final step towards destroying his powers. At least three times we’re told that. And unless I’m misinterpreting the panel where he leaves, I don’t think we’ve actually seen that happen. I’m betting something will interrupt that final step.

Next up: Leonard and Salome are on their way to destroy the Puzzle monster that killed her Dad, and they have a nice, pleasant chat and go on their way. Hahahaha just kidding, she murders him! I definitely didn’t see that coming, she had me fooled just as much as Leonard when she went on about how she’d seen the future and everything was just lovely and wonderful.

“Honestly?”
“Don’t be so fucking stupid.”

Salome is a type of Unreliable Narrator: her visions of the future are always true, but many of us readers assumed that she always told everything she knew, and that she always told the truth. We never had a guarantee on any of that.

And why did Salome murder her husband? Well I’d like to take credit and yell “I TOLD YOU SO” but it’s been telegraphed for two volumes now: something bad happened to Rosie when Cordelia brought her back from the dead, and she’s been up to something this whole time.

I’m not going to say exactly what’s happened to her, because it was the big reveal of the arc and I should keep some things a surprise, but I will say that I could’ve done without the intro pages on this issue. It sets the stage for the big reveal at the end, but I think it would’ve been more dramatic if we hadn’t had it. But then people who didn’t read the first arc would’ve been confused, so I guess it had to be there.

Anyway, it really tees us up for the next arc of the series. I’m looking forward to finding out how Rosie’s story wraps up, as well as hearing from Uncle Edgar, Sammy Liu, and Salome. (Side note: we’re really just assuming Salome’s powers are accurate; just because she’s magically seen both her and her husband’s death, that doesn’t necessarily make it so. I hope. Because if she’s right then Cordelia’s possibly next on the chopping block. Eek.)

Speaking of Salome and Leonard, the full page panel of the two of them on horseback was my favorite Gigi Cavenago image this issue, it was really stunning. I’ve enjoyed Cavenago’s work this arc, but I’m looking forward to Dike Ruan’s art in next arc this January, the cover looks excellent. (Warning: don’t click on the link to the preview cover if you haven’t read the latest issue, it definitely spoils that reveal I was talking about.)

TheMagicOrder3 no6 cover