Posted in: Comics, Recent Updates | Tagged: Carlos Gomez, Comics, Eddy Swan, entertainment, Gary Turner, kickstarter, Technically Magi

Survival And Hope On An Alien World In Technically Magi

Published Sun, 06 Jul 2014 12:00:00 -0500

by Hannah Means Shannon

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By Carl Shinyama

Technically Magi is a sci-fi meets magic fantasy adventure that is championed by a fundraising campaign on Kickstarter. When a young computer whiz is stranded on a dangerous world of magic without his parents, he is rescued by a sorceress apprentice and her odd mentor. Together, they are the boy's only chance to reunite with his parents. Most stories of magic or science fiction keep to their own separate realm. Outside of a couple of notable examples like Saga and Black Science, a comic book that combines the two is relatively unusual and fresh.

As of this writing, they are off to a solid start. With 10 days remaining, they've raised $5,174 in their goal of $5,000, but with stretch goals still to meet. But what you really want to know is if the is actually worth your support. Having read both Issue #0 and Issue #1, I can say with certainty that yes, Technically Magi is worthy.

To put it this way: My only disappointment with reading Issue #0 and Issue #1 is I didn't have issue #2 yet. It is not a book that will define a generation the way a book like Watchmen did – few books ever do – but it was one that I found thoroughly enjoyable, where it was obvious that the creators had fun working on it.

When I read a new on-going series, there are four categories that I use to judge it; Originality, Fun Factor, Story Conflict, and Art. If a book meets my standards on at least three of those, I will be reading it again. Below are my assessments of each category for Technically Magi.

Originality:

A computer whiz boy fighting for survival in a world completely outside of his element is one that you do not usually see. Truly, a vast ocean of possibilities is within Gary Turner's grasp and he can give them to you.

Fun Factor:

Technically Magi is a fun book, one that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, as comics should be. Between debates of theology between sorcerers, and the naive assumption of a boy genius who wonders if zombies (zomm bees) are a bee of some sort. There is a level of interaction between Technically Magi's characters that leaves the reader pleasantly entertained throughout with little, if anything to bore.

While I was not wowed like I had finished reading a new classic, my reading experience had me thoroughly unable to put Issue #0 and Issue #1 down until I had finished. I was left wanting more, eager to see what happens next for our young protagonist, Kai.

Story Conflict:

Like any good comic book, the story will be one that begins within the scope of human experience. Our fears, our desires, and our hopes are where our interests lie. Indeed, the fear of being bullied is one that many can identify with, and it is that very fear that draws us in as we witness the chain of events that Technically Magi is built upon.

Afraid of being beaten up by his physically intimidating classmates, Kai enlists the aid of a robot to be his bodyguard. But when the spaceship Kai lives on is compromised and threatens to kill everyone on board, his father, unable to reach Kai in time, has Kai's robot bodyguard stash the boy away in a cargo pod for live subjects so that he could survive the ship's imminent planet side crash.

When Kai awakens, he finds himself stranded on a dangerous alien world of magic called Urth. He is rescued by two magic-wielding travelers Skirnir, and his apprentice Zawa. They offer to let him and his "golem" accompany them and serve as his protectors. This unlikely but interesting trio of people is his only hope. Kai resolves to partake in a journey that may never end. What conflict is more engaging to the human scope of experience than of survival and the hope to reunite with their loved ones?

Art:

Carlos Gomez is a very popular artist from Spain who has a clean and dynamic, yet exaggerated pencil style that looks like an amalgamation of Marcus To's style and Joe Madureira's, though Gomez is considerably less detailed than either. His style is exaggerated enough to appeal to a younger audience, but detailed and clean enough to appeal to adults, a fact that I believe appealed to writer Gary Turner when it came time to choose an artist for his story.

No character is drawn boring. In fact, despite some simple outfits and garments, they each are given their own personalities, and dynamism from different camera angles that are never drawn in a pose, but as if they are actually acting in the panels. That is the mark of a high-quality comic book artist.

Eddy Swan is an uber-talented Australian colorist who brings his expert sense of lighting, and an eye for highlighting the reader's focus on the most important story elements of each panel, making him a perfect complement to Gomez's own skill in that same area. Swan and Gomez work so well as a tandem that the panel-to-panel flow is seamless.

All in all, the Gomez and Swan are the best part of Technically Magi. They are the life-givers of Kai's story.

Conclusion:

With all four categories well met, I will continue to read, and support Technically Magi. You should too, so hurry and pledge your support for a fun and imaginative book. After all, it is technically amazing and magically fun!

You can find Technically Magi at this Kickstarter Link

And also find out more about the comic at www.TechnicallyMagi.com

Carl Shinyama is a Staff Writer for The Man of Steel Fan Page, Site Owner of shazammoviefanpage.com, and future comic book writer and artist.

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