When I first saw the solicitation ad in Previews for Spellgame, I was immediately intrigued. Obviously, the Darwyn Cooke cover art grabbed my eye, but the general concept pitched in the solicit copy made me think this was a new and unusual idea that would make for a good read. It's possible that might have been the case, but the execution -- both in terms of the script and the art -- makes for a confusing reading experience. Not only am I completely uncertain about what the story is, I honestly don't know what this book is about -- not remotely. There's potential in both the high concept and the art, but it's just not realized in this debut.
Stage magician John Dodge has seen better days. He was once the toast of Las Vegas, wowing crowds at the MGM Grand casino with his sleight of hand, but these days, he's been reduced to conning tourists on the street with a crooked three-card monte game. As he and his partner work to bilk another sucker of some cash, something bizarre happens, as one of Dodge's playing cards comes to life... as if by magic. It's just the beginning of the weirdness for Dodge, as he becomes immersed in a world of real magic as forces of light and darkness plot against one another.
Ramon Perez's art is this comic's greatest asset. His style here reminds me of a cross between Darwyn Cooke's art and that of Steven (Hawaiian Dick) Griffin. The story seems to call for a surreal, dream-like look in the art at times, and that's fine, but that surreal feel never really fades. Perez's pastel colors dance around the pages, even when the action is of the everyday variety. I think it would have been more striking if the magical moments were more visually distinct. The action doesn't always unfold as clearly as it could as well. Still, there's a lot of potential in the art.
Writer Dan Mishkin is an industry veteran, and while the 1980s were his heyday, he's still impressed with more recent efforts (notably, Creeps with Tom Mandrake). Mishkin wrote Blue Devil, and I can see the same sort of sensibility at play in Spellgame. Unfortunately, the writer really doesn't allow us to get to know the characters all that well. It's clear that Dodge's life is about to be derailed by magical forces, but we have no sense of what that life is like.
I think what threw me off the most in this story was how accepting the characters are about a playing card manifesting a body and walking around nonchalantly. Dodge is taken aback, yes, but there's no shock, no awe. His con partner doesn't even bat an eye, and the bystanders aren't freaked out nearly enough. As a result, the scene makes no sense, and that feeling persists throughout the book. There's a distinct lack of exposition of any kind, and it's really needed in order for the reader to grasp the plot and get involved in it. 3/10
