Advanced Comics Review: "THE MAGIC ORDER 5 #6" - Death Becomes Her

THE MAGIC ORDER V #6 (OF 6)

DARK HORSE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Matteo Buffagni

COLORS: Giovanna Niro with Laura Ciondolini

LETTERS: Clem Robins

EDITOR: Daniel Chabon

EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin

COVER: Matteo Buffagni with Giovanna Niro

VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Matteo Buffagni

32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (July 2025)

Rating: 18+

The Magic Order created by Mark Millar at Netflix

“The Death of Cordelia Moonstone”

The Magic Order 5 is a six-issue miniseries from writer Mark Millar and artist Matteo Buffagni.  This is the fifth installment of The Magic Order series, which began with the 2018-19 miniseries written by Millar and drawn by Olivier Coipel.  The Magic Order is a band of sorcerers, magicians, and wizards – with a focus on the Moonstone family and its leader, Cordelia Moonstone – that live ordinary lives by day, but protect humanity from darkness and monsters of impossible sizes by night.  Colorist Giovanna Niro and letterer Clem Robins complete the series creative team.

The Magic Order 5 finds Cordelia preparing for her death – the punishment for using black magic (back in Volume 1).  However, a new case has dropped itself in front of her, but it all may be a front for some really bad people trying to collect the price on Cordelia's head.  Cordelia Moonstone is going to die soon... and there's nothing she can do about it.  The end is coming in a matter of days.

The Magic Order 5 #6 opens in New Jersey where Cordelia battles Grandmaster Samuel Mott, leader of “the Fellowship of the Bell.”  Mott is just a-wringing that “Bell,” which has summoned the Fellowship's ancient gods, a group of Lovecraftian monsters.  And they are almost here.

The saga of The Magic Order concludes, and everything has been building towards “the death of Cordelia Moonstone.”  When she goes, however, there won't be anyone left to protect the world from the forces of darkness that want to consume us.  Can she bring The Magic Order together in time to save the world if not save herself?

THE LOWDOWN:  This is the second time that I have been on any kind of list that provides PDF copies of titles published by Dark Horse Comics.  The latest received is The Magic Order V #6.

It is possible for each issue of The Magic Order 5 to be crazier than the previous issue, but the sixth and final issue of this series is not about the possibilities of craziness, but it is about the destination.  Perhaps, all previous issues of this franchise were about the journey, so now Issue #6 is about the grand finale and the big goodbye.  The Magic Order is Mark Millar's best and most imaginative work, as far as I'm concerned, and along the way, his scripts became glorious comic book storytelling thanks to some really talented artists who brought The Magic Order to life.

Concerning The Magic Order V's brilliant artist-storyteller, Matteo Buffagni, I said the following in my review of Issue #5 of the series:  “Line by line, artist Matteo Buffagni has created in The Magic Order V a world of such fearsome darkness, treacherous magic, and magical treachery that mesmerizes the reader.”  That is true to the end.  Buffagni unleashes the power and the glory, and the gorgeous hues of Giovanna Niro helps with the glory.  As always, Clem Robins uses his lettering to create a soundtrack of destruction, but this time, he adds the sounds of resolution for this outro.

So this is the end of The Magic Order.  Thanks to Mark Millar for this comic book that should serve as a model for DC Comics' Dr. Fate and Marvel Comics' Doctor Strange.  Thanks to Matteo, Giovanna, and Clem for the super-graphics.  Dear readers, if you have not read The Magic Order yet, I suggest do so now.  Or you can invest in Dark Horse Comics' library editions of this series – one of the best comic books about magic ever.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of The Magic Order will want to read The Magic Order V.

A+

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

You can preorder THE MAGIC ORDER V trade paperback collection at Amazon.

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