Marvel Comics’ ongoing series about Magik, a fan-favorite X-Men character, has been a hit with both readers and critics. It is a mystical fantasy story with equal parts dark and profound minds, exactly what fans have been craving for years from the character’s solo series.
On the beat, we sat down with series author Ashley Allen to discuss writing Maggick, the joys and wonders of the occult, and how Marvel makes it a factor in everything.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Jared Bird: Thank you very much. Magik was released by Marvel Comics on January 8, 2025 and has been ongoing for the past few months. How did you get attached to the project?
Ashley Allen: I was asked to pitch a Magik one-shot from the Blood Hunt event last summer. Magik has become a hunter and pitched the most dangerous game-type scenario, facing straight against a horde of vampires. We wanted to lean on Magick’s tactician roots, magical weapons, and of course her combat abilities. It was an explosion to write and I’m very pleased with how it turned out! Fans responded well to the story and I was asked to pitch some ideas from the ongoing series Magik. I was lucky enough to be able to choose my own ideas and continued the ongoing energy from a Blood Hunt one shot!
Bird: What was it like being part of a reboot from Ashes?
Allen: It was an incredible experience! I’m still very new to the industry and it’s amazing to work with some of my heroes in the business I grew up reading. Everyone supports each other’s books, willing to provide feedback on ideas, and punch each other’s stories. I love how people thread storylines in each other’s books (this is one of the things that makes the Marvel universe feel so realistic). I would have never really asked to work with a better group of people.
Bird: After the success of Marvel rivals, Magick’s popularity exploded. Did you feel there was a lot of pressure to write a book?
Allen: Yes, no! The Marvel editorial team was extremely supportive of the team’s work on books and was an incredible mentor throughout the process. You need a village to bring books to the market. The people in that village are so wonderful!
This is my first ongoing series, so I was originally a comic fan and now I felt more pressure from it than Magik fans from Marvel rivals. Honestly, the fans are why I don’t feel much pressure! I love Ilyana and am pleased with the story that we can resonate with her fans. It was great to chat with convention fans about Magic. And those conversations have been energising and reducing nerves. If anything, the most important pressure is to make sure I don’t have a random “Behold, Dark Child!” In the script, I swear that that audio line is in a loop in my head, as I am myself as a player of a Marvel rival. Even when someone is writing Magic, it seems I can’t dodge her attacks in the game!
Art by Peralta, Germany
Tori: What was it like working with Germán Peralta?
Allen: German Peralta is an absolute legend! He has a way of conveying movement to his art, both through the art itself and his perspective on his panel. Magik’s action sequences are truly realized by Germán and I am very fortunate to work with him. He is such a dynamic storyteller and has such a gift to balance these action moments with our soft character moments. While magic may seem harsh on the outside, German lets us introduce us to what she really feels inside, despite what she may present to the outside world. I think everyone is lucky to work with Germán and can’t wait for fans to see what he’s doing in No. 5! I think this is my favorite of the series so far.
Bird: This series explores the wide range of occult mysticism and fantasy elements of dark cities. What helped inspire that aspect of the series?
Allen: My childhood dream job was to become a code magistrate, so I’ve always been obsessed with urban legends. Growing up in the Midwest, I have always been fascinated by the number of towns based on such folklore, which always made summer more enjoyable. It made some of the more mundane parts of rural and suburban life more magical, and I think my writing can be linked back to that initial love for the supernatural elements of the modern world.
I have always been drawn to supernatural stories with a heart. They are my favorite stories. So when I was asked to start pitching Magik, I knew these types of stories were what I wanted to tell. I took inspiration from anime and manga series that I love growing up, including Soul Eater, Demon Slayer, and Full Metal Alchemist. I wanted to lean on the manga-style action sequences and use of magical systems that I grew up reading. Speaking of magical systems, my year playing D&D has been a huge help in inspiring the occult mysticism that exists in our books. Overall, I now realize that this series is a love letter to the media and encouraged me to write as a child!
Art by Peralta, Germany
Bird: One of the main attractions of Magick as a character is that she is much more wrong than your average superhero, but it hides a deep sense of scars within her. Did you find it difficult to write about her personality in the series?
Allen: I am an eternal optimist and at first glance I appear to be at odds with Ilyana’s character. Surprisingly, Ilyana’s voice is not that difficult for me to find. Despite Ilyana being a humanitarian figure, I think she is an optimist in her own way. Despite her past, despite everything that happened to her, she chooses to fight on the side of the good, despite her past justifying her to become a villain.
Plus, I think it will help Ilyana and I live in a similar place in our 20s. There are many what-ifs at this stage of life and uncertainty, and despite X-men being X-men, it is a human question that ultimately resonates with us as X-Men fans. So, it definitely plays a good enough role to find Jana’s voice.
Bird: Magick, as a character, has a very vast backstory and complicated lore that surrounds her. How did you respect it while opening up something new?
Allen: Read! read! read! The biggest part of this job is reading for work. I am a greedy reader and will read anything I can get. Therefore, reading magic-centric stories in the past was a real treat. I’ve got her Canon and where she was a character in full, with a priority being to read all her past runs.
Ultimately, reading is the first I recommend when making a series. To respect the character, you need to understand where she was, where she is now, and where she can go in the future. When I read past runs, I wanted to find an interesting thread. With our series, we knew we could wash away those ideas and chart somewhere new. For example, I thought the plot created about Magic giving up Limbo was fascinating and wanted to expand on it. Does giving up physical location cancel out internal trauma? Is this just running away? Should we completely abandon the past and move into the future? These are threads woven by past runs that we can play now.
Having that strong foundation allows us to chart somewhere new, by injecting our personal influences, such as my love for elements of occult mysticism. I think what’s really unique about the solo series is that we can really dive into the headspace of Magick through another new element we can build: narration. It all comes down to understanding where the character is and where she can go in the future!
Art by Dyke Luan
Bird: What do you want readers to take away from the series?
Allen: Again, our series comes down to the idea of a “dark, supernatural story with a heart.” There are many challenging moments in life and we face many challenges. But in those dark moments, there is joy in our friends, our family, our chosen family, and even the world itself. I want readers to take away the message of doing good, choosing to choose between joy and empathy, despite the more challenging moments in life. That’s what makes Ilyana such an exciting hero.
Bird: What other books would you recommend to readers who enjoyed Magik?
Allen: X-Men: Blood Hunt – Magik is the book that started it all for the Magik series! If you want to see Magick vs Vamp Horde, I’ll definitely check it out! For those who enjoy the horror elements of the Magik series, we recommend checking out Marvel Zombies: Black, White, Blood and DC short stories. I was able to write a story featuring some of my favorite characters, the raptors and the Moon Knight!
Of course, I always need to plug in my first published story with DC’s Legion of Bloom. Nothing goes well… right? I’m always so grateful to anyone who read our stories, so thank you for choosing to check out one of these and have fun!
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