From writer Si Spurrier and artist Matias Bergara comes the troubling yet stunningly crafted 2nd chapter of their 3-issue mini-series with A Mischief of Magpies #2. Featuring additional colors from Kike J. Diaz and lettering by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, this penultimate chapter dives further into the connection between Mar’s struggles in his real life and his dream-like fantasy battle against the Moray King on behalf of the Wandering City he is transported to. With an uncomfortable and heartfelt and immensely intelligent script and wondrous visual work, Mischief of Magpies continues to be one of the most striking comics of 2026.
“The Wandering City beckons, and Mar has answered its call. Tasked with eliminating the baleful Moray King, who haunts the underside of the machine-metropolis, Mar takes every opportunity to dive deeper into the depths of this astonishing fantasy world… though it comes at a high cost to his life in the real world, and to those who try to love him.”
Writing & Plot
Si Spurrier takes us into the 2nd chapter of A Mischief of Magpies as Mar’s situation becomes more oppressive and complex both in reality and in the Wandering City. He and his family are still navigating the death of his younger sister, and both her death and Mar’s family’s inability to connect with him casts a growing shadow on the story. This shadow encompasses the fantastical elements of the story as well, demonstrating that both worlds are inextricably linked. A fair warning to anyone picking this book up; Magpies is an often dark read about depression, isolation, and looing for a way out from these feelings. While it’s not explicitly shown, suicide is heavily implied. Spurrier handles the heaviness of this subject matter with the respect it deserves, while also maintaining a narrative weight and integrity that let’s our protagonist feel so alive and grounded despite the strange circumstances he escapes to. Once again, all of the sequences in “reality” are written down in journal entries, where Mar bares his soul and recounts his experiences in his day-to-day. As a result, these sections are written in full narrative prose, making half the the issue feel more like an illustrated story than a proper “comic.” The Wandering City sequences however are all crafted in proper comics form, mixing the two styles in a way that feels natural to the story. It’s a choice that makes the fantastical elements feel the more “real” and lived-in than those in the journal entries, which adds that much more weight and thematic meaning to the story Spurrier is conveying. This penultimate chapter is a heartbreaking and desperate piece of storytelling, and it’s also one of the most emotionally heavy and human comic book issues of 2026 so far.
Art Direction
On a personal note, Matias Bergara is one of my favorite artists working in the medium today, and his work on A Mischief of Magpies #2 is a stellar example of why. Much like his work with Spurrier on Coda and John Constantine: Hellblazer, his unmistakable style carries and sense of fantasy and unreality to the story, which works with the emotional lows and highs Mar is going through. The Wandering City sequences are full-blown fantasy, with excellent character designs and wondrous animation work that pulls the readers into this dreamlike world just like Mar is. While his sequential art here is stellar, Bergara’s illustrations for the journal sequences are the real gem of this comic. We get snapshots of how Mar sees his own life and how his mind interprets the events he’s been experiencing. The dark, often monotone palette of the colors and lack of sequential direction in these parts is a brilliant contrast to the pointed and obvious direction and life that the Wandering City sequences do. Bergara’s visual work is every bit of thematically charged as Spurrier’s script is. Just as impressive in this comic is Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou’s lettering. His comic letters and SFX work are wildly dynamic and all over the place in the best way, constantly shifting based on who’s speaking and their tone. His work in the journaling section is also excellent, with Mar’s switch from digital typeface to a handwritten journal being reflected perfectly by Hassan’s choice in fonts. Overall, this is a beautifully and thoughtfully constructed 2nd issue from a visual storytelling perspective.
Verdict
A Mischief of Magpies #2 is a painful yet beautiful 2nd chapter to this excellent series. Si Spurrier’s script is a fantastic dissection of depression and personal loss, tying its sequences of fantasy escapism into very real and serious themes. The visuals from Matias Bergara are a stunning variety of brilliantly colored fantasy and snapshots of a life of inner pain, making for an artistic experience that is just as thematically rich as the scripts it’s brining to life. Be sure to grab this issue when it hits shelves on 9/23!
