Gore pays a visit to the Troll King and offers something far more powerful than any magic in Shard: Earth weapons. Asa brings Mr. Portman to the gateway in Times Square, and the magical gatekeeper manages to close the doorway between the worlds. But a small part of the door remains open. Asa, April, and Portman then adopt a dog to aide in the reclamation of the orb. When the trail gets hot, Asa and Portman leave the dog, the frog, and April behind. They uncover a refugee from Shard that may offer help—or death.

As I had hoped with the last issue, this part of the story of the hapless young magician finally finds its voice. Imagination drives this chapter better than it had previously. The enemies are convincing and unique in their powers, the plot gets elaborate, and the action flows smooth.

If this book can continue on such a path, it will be the sleeper fantasy comic hit of the year. Despite a few bad jokes, the whole element of the book delivers the magical alternative to the atypical fantasy stories that have become commonplace. Personally, I cannot wait to see the infusion of Earth weapons and magical devices power a troll army for Asa to battle.

Issue four of Magi brought forth a lot of promise and an outstanding execution that sets a standard for books of this kind.

Score: 4/5

Writer: Marc Silvestri Artists: Sumeyye Kesgin & Tina Valentino Publisher: Image/Top Cow Price: $3.50 Release Date: 9/17/14 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital