The Magik & Colossus series has balanced supernatural action with interfamily drama superbly, but I was concerned going into this final issue. Ashley Allen and German Peralta’s work on the series has been absolutely dynamite, crafting a miniseries that is a perfect follow up to the solo Magik series and a new introduction for the Marvel Rivals fans who use Illyana Rasputin as their main. But there’s quite a few narrative threads to tie up in this final issue, and there was a sneaking voice in my head concerned that Magik & Colossus #5 was going to be overstuffed, or worse, leave too many leftover threads dangling. Thankfully, those fears were unfounded – Magik & Colossus #5 sticks the landing in a way that is satisfying for the main story and the Rasputin relationship as well.
This is it: the big battle with Koschei, The Immortal. Thanks to his spell cutting off all of Russia from the magic forces of the globe, Koschei is nearly unstoppable against Magik and Colossus. The only way for them to succeed is for one of them to take off around the country to take out the Soul Containers that Koschei used in his ritual. Naturally, the Rasputin siblings aren’t sure who should do what, as their love for each other gets in the way of the plan and causes them to second guess themselves. But time is running out, and Koeschi is only getting stronger. Who’s going to go do what?
Simply put, Ashley Allen’s script is a knockout. Allen’s voices for Illyana and Piotr feel true and earned, and the way she’s able to enter into both of their psyches to give them quality inner monologues and conflict in this issue should be studied by anyone looking to get into the comics field. Piotr’s struggles with violence and when to use it in particular were surprisingly very moving to me, as he comes to grips with the fact that in order to attain or protect peace, sometimes you have to be violent in the moment when that peace is threatened. Allen’s dialogue between the siblings ranges from caring to annoyed to playful bickering, sometimes all within the same page, and it feels extremely true to the characters and real-life sibling relationships. My favorite was easily Illyana’s reaction to Colossus’s arrival back at the big battle after she lightly forced him to leave to go after the Soul Containers. The “heeeyyyyy” felt so real and very close to times when my brother and I would meet back up after one of us made the other mad.
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Speaking of the big battle, good lord German Peralta and colorist Arthur Helsi draw the hell out of it. Every page of this fight is stunning to behold, holding your attention so much that you’ll find yourself pouring over the layouts to take it all in. Peralta’s style is pretty much perfectly suited for watching a mage battle, and Helsi’s coloring is absolutely gorgeous. The way the light is crafted off of the spells, the soulsword, and even Colossus’ metal body are incredible, and Peralta also gets to sneak in some truly dark and unnerving aspects of Koeschi’s newfound power. But aside from the action, it’s the quiet moments where Peralta and Helsi surprise you, with the siblings’ confirmation of the love they will always have for each other while honoring the people they are now really shining through in these panels. There’s a moment between Piotr and Illyana where they finally have their big emotional breakthrough that’s really touching, and it all comes down to the way the team of Peralta and Helsi sell it through their work.
This isn’t going to be a surprise for anyone who’s followed these reviews, but Magik & Colossus has been one of my favorite series Marvel’s been putting out, and I’m extremely bummed that we never got an extension on the five issue miniseries like I was hoping. But even though we aren’t getting more adventures with Illyana and Piotr, the work that Ashley Allen and German Peralta have been doing on this character since her solo book a few years ago is nothing less than stellar. Magik has always been an X-character I’ve liked, but the past few years she’s become one of my absolute favorites, and much of that comes from the way this creative team has worked on the character. And Colossus, a favorite of mine in the X-Men arcade game (even with that absurd mutant scream), has always been a character that I’ve felt was a little lost for the past two decades. But with Magik and Colossus, the Rasputin siblings didn’t just get title billing, they got a character defining series that can satisfy long term fans and new ones equally.
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