Sometimes I shoot my mouth off, and other times I use a silencer. In reviewing this one, Tommy Gun Wizards #1, from Dark Horse, I am in full retreat.
Tommy Gun Wizards is a brilliant concept, honestly. As the man says, it’s “Mobsters, magic, and mayhem in the Prohibition era!” What’s not to love?
Without spoiling the reading for those intent on picking up this first issue, my beef is with the amount of confusion. There is a mixture of historical truth here, rawly blended with the richness of fiction. It’s Chicago in the 1930s. You see, Eliot Ness and his team of Untouchables is trying to clean up Chicago. In the 1930s booze was prohibited. But gangster Al Capone was the kingpin in the city and ran the booze network. All true.
In Tommy Gun Wizards, there is the addition of magic: a substance called Lick. It gives magic powers to those who ingest it.
And that’s all well and good, but reading the comic doesn’t make for the smoothest experience. Lick isn’t really explained. Certain individuals are running distribution networks. People are becoming wizards. It’s a bit of a jumble. One scene takes place now, and then it’s earlier in the day. And, back to now again. Is it real, is it fiction, how much do I take with a ‘lick’ of salt, does it make a lick of sense?
The backup story is written and beautifully illustrated by Christian Ward. But just as opaque, as its cryptic 4-page beginnings occur “many moons ago, and many moons away”.
Well-intentioned and brilliantly conceived by Christian Ward, and accompanied by strong graphics by Sami Kivela, (colours by Christian Ward and Dee Cunniffe), it’s tough going. If you are intent on reading this title, perhaps go online and read the promotional blurb, like I did, to make more sense of it all. Do your research. Then, delve in and devour!
Dark Horse, Tommy Gun Wizards #1, $3.99 for 30 pages of content. Assume Teen +
Anthony Andujar Jr. 
Newsdesk