Mage the Hero Denied #3
Writer: Matt Wagner
Artist: Matt Wagner
Cover Artist: Matt Wagner
Colorist: Brennan Wagner
Publisher: Image Comics
Kevin Matchstick is the Pendragon Reborn. That imbues him with the power and responsibility of the Mighty Earth Mage, the protector of the realm from the Faerie Forces of the Umber Sprite.
What You Need to Know:
Kevin Matchstick is the former protector of the Faerie Realm and the Umber Sprite. He has been retired after the defeat of his foe and been in a secluded Suburban neighborhood hiding these past seven years. He has a Beautiful wife Magda (a skilled Witch) and two young Children. He wields the powers of the Earth Mage to protect his family from recent attacks. He has managed to keep his powers hidden for a number of years because they attract monsters and the dreaded Grackelthorns!This is a continuation of the Mage saga, which had started in the 1980’s as a back up to the Grendel books. This is the third series of this title and has not been published in 12 years.
What You’ll Find Out:
We pick up issue three as Kevin has just dispatched two Fomorians, ( Goat-Headed Trolls, as he described them). He was forced to do so in front of his seven-year-old son Hugo. Now, Dad’s got some explaining to do. I will say this for Hugo, while he definitely shows some genuine fear in this circumstance, he keeps calm and listened to his Father and came out of the ordeal alright. He even took asking his Dad “I’m your son! Does That mean that I get cool powers too?!”. Oh, Hugo, one can only hope that you will.
Kevin has to explain to Magda that they are no longer safe in their home. The Plot thickens here since the adept witch Magda has a potion brewing in the attic that will make their house immune to magical attack ( convenient I know). She has been brewing this potion for the past seven years, and it will be completely matured.
What Just Happened?
We come to see two glamorous ladies who turn up at a local mission. They say that they are there to assist the local Nuns with the patients, but we all know that they are too fancy for that sort of work. The sister does not judge them, and is overworked and grateful for the help and allows them to stay. These are the daughters of the Umbra Sprite, and they have been Glamoured to take the appearances of some ladies of the night. They are searching for a homeless man who may be the Fisher King. They seek him because if they eliminate the Fisher King the Umbra Sprite can cross from the faerie realm and conquer the earthen plane. The Fisher King reborn is always a Homeless man but has ever eluded the Sprite and its Army of monsters and Grackelthornes.
Currently (she) the Umbra Sprite is hatching her grand scheme to Open a Homeless shelter and attract the Fisher King to them. The only problem is that she has felt the full power awakening of the Pendragon, and she knows where he is!
Kevin will not go down without a fight. He is scared that he will drag his family into a deadly battle in their home, so he decides to take himself out on the road to move the family out of danger. With a heavy heart, Kevin sets off on a road trip to draw off the faerie Monsters and take them down on his own terms.
Rating: 7/10
Final Thought: I am enjoying this series a real lot. I recently read the First series that has just been collected for the first time (Mage the Hero Discovered), and from what I have seen from Matt Wagner we are building to something big. I’m excited to pick up this comic every month. This is a good slow, but not arduously slow build with enough action, humor, and fun to keep a reader interested.I think that there are some slower parts so that accounts for my rating, but overall this is a great series, and I look forward to the story developing as we read on.