The Rasputin siblings have been going through it in more ways than one in Magik & Colossus. The two have fought their fair share of Russian monsters, mobsters, ghosts, and each other throughout the span of Ashley Allen and German Peralta’s miniseries, but the finish line is in sight in the penultimate issue of their story. The pair have formed an uneasy alliance that is rife with the kind of family tension that would make most drama lovers drool, and with Magik & Colossus #4, the stage is set for a bombastic finale, after a lot of exposition first.
Hiding out in the Russian woods at the home of the Koaz’ ex the Baba Yaga, Piotr and Illyana tend to their many physical and emotional wounds as they take a breather and rethink their plan to stop the Immortal’s ritual. As their ally Kaoz attempts to soothe things over with his former flame, the pair learn that this Baba Yaga is not the Baba Yaga, but instead a witch named Lada who has made her home in the woods, away from prying eyes. She’s gone into hiding for a simple reason: she’s the brother of their shared enemy Koeschi The Immortal, and knows about his entire plan to steal all of the magic in Russia for himself. As they prepare to stop the ritual before it reaches the final stage, Kaoz is revealed to be Koeschi himself, and he enacts the plan right before their eyes!
As expected, this issue covers a LOT of exposition before our big finale. It was something I was expecting after the previous few issues delved more into the relationship between Piotr and Illyana, but even then, I was a little disappointed to find my fears founded in this issue. While Allen’s script is able to balance every aspect that has made this series so enjoyable for the past four issues, the fact that this is the most exposition heavy issue of the series does drag it down a bit, making the upcoming concluding fifth issue feel like it’s coming at us in fast forward when the previous issues have made the threat feel more looming. Also, having Lada be not only Kaoz’ ex but ALSO Koeschi’s sister is a bit of narrative coincidence that is both ridiculous but also expected when you consider how little time we have left to finish this story.
Marvel
That being said, when it comes to the central Illyana/Piotr relationship, Allen once again shows that she’s got the goods. Both Illyana and Piotr feel like real siblings, and Allen goes to great lengths to not only have our two leads talk out their problems, but makes it just as compelling as when they are battling monsters. Allen’s flashback opening is arguably the most heartbreaking and key to the narrative in this issue, with the Rasputin’s shock at their young daughter being a teenager after being trapped in Limbo making for a moment that perfectly explains why both of these characters act the way they are. Magik is standoffish, and Colossus is overprotective. They are both their own people and yet they love and care for each other fully, which drives their biggest conflicts with one another. Some may balk at the two getting into so many squabbles in a single issue, but those of us with siblings can see that sometimes, it’s just like that.
You may think that such an exposition-heavy issue may not leave a lot of space for cool art, but when it’s German Peralta, you’d be wrong. While he’s not able to do as much of the cool action and monster designs as he’s done in previous issues, Magik & Colossus #4 instead lets Peralta showcase his skills at the quiet moments between our characters. There’s a half page panel in this issue that is one of the best in the entire series, and it’s just Illyana and her brother in a simple embrace as the two acknowledge the pain and unspoken worries they have carried for decades. These heartwarming moments are a welcome surprise in a series that has had an artist who’s been delivering kick ass moments for our leads, and showcases a skill they hopefully won’t keep hidden from us in future projects.
While Magik & Colossus #4 is definitely the “calm before the storm” issue before next month’s big finale, I can’t judge it too harshly for slowing things down. Sure, I would have liked the story of Koeschi’s plan to be spaced out a little better throughout the series, but this issue also has some of the strongest material between our leads in a series that has been chock full of fantastic character beats. Allen and Peralta have set the stage for a grand finale next issue, and by now they’ve proven that the adventure they’ve been taking us on will be worth the trip.
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