Issue #0 of Charismagic from Aspen Comics gives the reader everything required of an opening issue.  Main characters are introduced, backgrounds are given, and a threat is revealed.  In less than 20 pages this team:  Vince Hernandez, Khary Radolph, Emilio Lopez and Josh Reed, establishes a story that other publishers needlessly stretch into six issue “wait for the trade” story arcs.  This is tight concise and most of all good storytelling.

Sudana is the female lead; confident, beautiful, and burdened with knowledge of that which is coming.  She is trying to use that knowledge to save the day however she cant do it on her own and allies are in short supply.

Hank the Magnificent will be our male lead and so far he doesn’t look to be much of a lead.  It is clearly on purpose.  There is no doubt that the Hank in this introduction will bear little resemblance to the Hank at the end of this story.  He is our character to grow along with.  In a few panels this story makes Hank into a richly layered character.  He appears scatter brained and confident, popular yet alone, successful yet a failure.  The lights the fireworks and the dancing girls aren’t enough for Hank to go out on stage and not feel nervous.  I felt empathy for a character in two pages.  For that reason alone, Charismagic is a book to stay with.