A prohibition of magic.
Creative Staff:
Story: Christian Ward
Art: Sami Kivela
Colors: Christian Ward, Dee Cunniffee
Letterer: Hasan Otsmane-Elhaou
What They Say:
Mobsters, magic, and mayhem in the Prohibition era! Eliot Ness and his team of Untouchables work overtime taking on dangerous criminals that hide in the seedy underbelly of 1930s Chicago. Except in this world, Al Capone isn’t dealing in alcohol, but in magic. With Lick, a drug that grants magical powers to anyone who ingests it, mobsters become wizards, ordinary men become monsters, and darker secrets than Ness can imagine lie at the heart of it all. A new genre-bending comic series from Christian Ward, artist of the acclaimed sci-fi epic Invisible Kingdom. Drawn by Sami Kivela (Abbott). Variant cover by Declan Shalvey!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
There’s always some fun to be had in blending different things and magic and mobsters is no different. My main exposure to it is through the Robert Aspirin MYTH books which goes for a more comedic angle and silliness. Tommy Gun Wizards as a title feels like it would fit in that but Christian Ward is going with the serious approach here and it largely pays off. This is a series for those familiar with the genre and period and Sami Kivela delivers it with the visuals as we get 1931 Chicago with all the right costuming and designs to feel like we’re stepping into that period. There’s a lot to like with it even if it is a bit male-heavy and that means lots of suits and hats to go around here. But the magic side, which is kept pretty tame overall, has some really striking bits to see.
The general idea behind the book at the start here is that we’ve got Elliot Ness and his group going after the mob that deals in lick and other magics. The prohibition is on and Al Capone is running a number of bars and more where he’s moving product but having to deal with Ness and his men coming after his business. There’s a bust early on in a bar that plays out well as it shows how some of those that engage in magical arts will react but that they’re not immune to the reality of cops and guns. Ness and his group are pretty much what you’d expect from the period and what’s been presented before as they’re a range of tough guys, some who talk a lot and some who don’t have much to say but get the job done. And there is, naturally, concern among some presenting the idea that lick isn’t dangerous and none of this should be happening.
There’s a lot of little details to the book that are probably escaping me as it delves into the characters since Ness was not someone I followed a lot, though I knew through other entertainment avenues. I like seeing the way everything is presented here as it has some of the fun of prohibition when it comes to the bars but at the same time it’s not just a ton of excitement either, but rather just people trying to get something they enjoy that they can’t easily. The book does dabble with the opposing side a bit with some really creative moments that we learn toward the end, but I like what it looks like the kind of role that Al Capone will play here. Most of this book is focused on the Untouchables when you get down to it as their raids and discovery of a bigger play is front and center but I suspect we’ll see more of the other side as it goes forward.
In Summary:
While not my favorite period in time I was definitely curious to see what Christian Ward would bring to the project. It’s definitely detailed and fun as it takes us to 1931 Chicago and all that comes with an Elliot Ness usage and there’s definitely appeal there. Sami Kivela really does a great job with the look of the book in bringing it to life with fantastic costume design and some solid settings. I’ll definitely stick with the series to see where it takes us with Capone and the magic he’s playing with a sit could go pretty much anywhere. It’s a good mashup concept that as a lot of potential to still explore.
Grade: B
Age Rating: 15+
Released By: Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: August 28th, 2019
MSRP: $3.99
