Comic Review: Charmed #1

Issue: Charmed #1
Release Date: July 2010
Author: Paul Ruditis
Artists: Dave Hoover and David Seidman
Publisher: Zenescope Entertainment

The first issue of the comic book series picks up 18 months after the end of the live action series. The Halliwell sisters are trying to live in their world of happily ever after but, alas, that is never going to be their lives. The Charmed Ones attract trouble and, starting off the story, it looks like trouble’s about to come to them.

Paige is teaching at Magic School, where she has pupils who are a mixture of apt and bored. Hey, just like every other school! I must say that a one-off spell backfire such as the one presented in the comic book here would have never made it to the screen, since it would have been too costly, so this is yet another example of where a comic can go farther than live-action.

Phoebe is getting along just fine with Coop and her daughter, Prue. I love seeing them being all domestic and loving, especially considering how long and hard the road was to get them there. And it’s always a treat to see the kids using their powers, whether for the first time or the tenth time. There’s just something adorable, albeit dangerous, when a baby can orb you whenever they feel like it.

Piper is an old hand with kids, but even she’s having troubles balancing witchcraft, her new attempts at opening a restaurant, and mommy duties. It’s going to take me a bit of time to get used to seeing Wyatt and Chris as small boys, even though I’ve seen them as both babies and adults. Ah, the Halliwell sons, they grow so quickly.

I kept having to suspend my mental image of the live-action characters because the artwork for the comic book isn’t going to be an exact replica. The artists capture the essence, rather than the reality, but I’m willing to overlook it for the story. And the story is centered around the life the sisters have made for themselves and the belief that it will be easy from here on out. But as we all know, the peace and tranquility will soon end. The dangers introduced at the beginning of the issue are going to pose a big problem in the future. We’ll just have to wait and see what they’re up to and how the Charmed Ones will deal with them, while balancing their other responsibilities.

Rating: 3 / 5 Stars