As I’ve stated with just about every review I’ve done for Magic The Gathering, I’m not actually a MTG fan. I never got into the card game, but I dig these comics because they’re just good fantasy stories with a connected world between the difference series. With the news of the movie the franchise has picked up a lot of extra attention and I’m sure people will be looking at this week’s issue in particular. More than likely it’ll be MTG fans though as the issue is $4.99 (a dollar more than the average IDW issue) and comes with a Dack Fayden card… or at least the one that you can buy through Midtown Comics does. I have a review copy which does not come with a card and as much as I have dug this series in particular, I can’t see myself buying this issue at the five dollar price tag. Especially considering how little happens in the issue which can be summed up as a Kraken attack; I mean that’s basically it aside from Fayden using his newly acquired gauntlet to defeat… you guessed it, the Kraken. That’s not even a spoiler because it has to happen in order for the mini-series to continue. There is a scene between Fayden and Vog that was decent, but it’s not exactly important to the overall plot of the series or if it is not obvious at least.

The writing is consistent and matches the rest of the series up until this point, but again this issue goes by in a breeze. It probably took me five minutes if that to read through all of it. The thing is I have no idea where the series will pick up in the next issue because it doesn’t leave you with an inkling of an idea. It’s still an entertaining issue just not the strongest issue thus far.

The artwork is still some of the best of an IDW title. Martin Coccolo and Chris Evenhuis make this relatively simple issue visually dynamic. It’s a catch 22 because the art is great, but there isn’t a lot to say about it because of it.

If you’ve been following the series and really want to see the Kracken battle then I guess you should pick up this issue, but if it’s cheaper digitally I would go with that option. Hopefully the series returns with a bit more substance and a normal price tag because it is one of IDW’s best titles, but come on it’s not five dollars an issue great.

Score: 3/5

Writer: Jason Ciaramella Artists: Martin Coccolo and Chris Evenhuis Publisher: IDW Publishing Price: $4.99 Release Date: 1/22/14