Written by: Skottie Young

Art by: Humberto Ramos

Colors by: Edgar Delgado

Letters by: VC’s Clayton Cowles

Release Date: 11/11/20

Price: $3.99

This title is mildly frustrating for the soul fact that we have a group of quirky amazing individuals who are suppose to be attending a magical academy to learn about all things magic, and all of that is in between the panels. The selling point of this title is no where to be seen in the actual story. Emily and company are shown in this issue using some really cool looking magic and I just want to know where they learned how to do that. Because it wasn’t at the Academy that is for sure.

This title has so much potential, to be the one book that is purely just fun to read. And yet Skottie Young believes that The Hollow, which I have no care for, holds the bigger story. After two issues it seems Young has thrown out the idea of the Academy being the focal point and it’s just so disheartening. From the potential relationships (platonic and romantic) to the struggles of learning magic in the first place Young handed himself a gold mine of stories and I have to read about a cult of trees that know about some sort of “Chosen One”? I have checked out and I want my money back.

One of the biggest story plots of this issue is Calvin’s jacket, a magical jacket of sorts, but the only way you would have known that is if you were paying close attention to one single panel in issue one. It wasn’t explained, it was just there for readers to pick up on. The book that is suppose to be about new individuals learning magic in this giant universe that is Marvel didn’t feel the need to explain a piece of what this book was meant for in the first place. I can’t assume that most picked this up to learn more about magic in the Marvel Universe, but I can assume that there may have been a good handful of individuals that did.

The art team on this book is great, Humberto Ramos has every character stand out and for the current tone Edgar Delgado is able to use a pallet that washes out color and creates a grim setting. This creative team has great star power, but without the proper story to tell it puts the art in jeopardy.

Final Thoughts:

We are nearing the end of the first volume of this story and I’m already willing to check out with no regrets, Skottie Young has sprinkled some bread crumbs for our characters to follow in regards to the administration of the Academy which I would love to explore, but Skottie Young just doesn’t seem to like the Strange Academy that he created.

6/10