The Magic Order
The Magic Order is an American comic book series written by Mark Millar and illustrated by Olivier Coipel, first published by Image Comics in 2018 as a six-issue limited series. The story centers on five ancient families of magicians who serve as the world's secret protectors against supernatural threats, blending elements of urban fantasy, organized crime, and family drama as they confront a ruthless enemy systematically eliminating their ranks.[1] Set within Millar's expansive Millarworld universe, the series explores themes of legacy, power, and hidden societies, with the Moonstone family—led by the enigmatic Cordelia—taking center stage in the initial volume. Subsequent volumes expanded the narrative, introducing new artists such as Stuart Immonen for The Magic Order 2 (2020), Gigi Cavenago for Volume 3 (2022), Dike Ruan for Volume 4 (2023), and Matteo Buffagni for Volume 5 (2024–2025), while delving deeper into the global magician underworld and escalating conflicts with dark forces. After Image Comics released the first five collected volumes, the series transitioned to Dark Horse Comics in 2023 under Millar's renewed publishing deal, culminating in Volume 5 (2024–2025), which concludes the main storyline with high-stakes magical battles and revelations about the order's origins. The comics have been praised for their cinematic pacing, lush artwork, and Millar's signature blend of gritty realism and spectacle, earning critical acclaim and commercial success as one of the flagship titles in the Millarworld imprint.[2] In addition to its print and digital success, The Magic Order marked Netflix's inaugural foray into original comic publishing upon acquiring Millarworld in 2017, with the series positioned as a multimedia property from inception.[3] A live-action television adaptation has been in development at Netflix since 2019, with screenwriter Lindsey Beer attached as showrunner and filmmaker James Wan executive producing; director André Øvredal is attached to direct the pilot episode. As of November 2025, the project remains in active pre-production following delays from industry strikes and the COVID-19 pandemic, with filming anticipated to commence soon.[4] This adaptation aims to capture the series' fusion of magic and mafia intrigue on screen, potentially expanding the Millarworld's presence alongside other Netflix projects like Jupiter's Legacy.[5]Publication history
Development
Mark Millar conceived The Magic Order in 2017 as the inaugural project under his Millarworld imprint following its acquisition by Netflix earlier that year, positioning the series from the outset for both comic publication and potential multimedia adaptations.[6][7] Originally envisioned as a live-action television series, Millar pivoted to developing it as a comic book to establish the world and characters before pursuing screen adaptations, reversing his typical process seen in properties like Kick-Ass and Kingsman.[2] The core concept drew from Millar's interest in merging magical fantasy with organized crime narratives, which he described as "The Sopranos meets Harry Potter, a magical fantasy-crime thing," emphasizing a gritty, adult-oriented take on wizards operating in secrecy.[8] This thematic foundation portrayed magicians not as benevolent enchanters but as a clandestine mafia-like syndicate of families bound by oaths to safeguard humanity from eldritch horrors and supernatural incursions, infusing mob-family loyalty and betrayal with occult elements.[1][9] For the first volume, Millar collaborated with artist Olivier Coipel, known for his work on Marvel titles like House of M and Thor, to bring the blend of noir aesthetics and fantastical spectacle to life through Coipel's dynamic, cinematic paneling and detailed character designs.[9] Subsequent volumes featured different artists, including Stuart Immonen for Volume 2, Gigi Cavenago for Volume 3, Dike Ruan for Volume 4, and Matteo Buffagni for Volume 5, allowing varied visual interpretations while maintaining Millar's narrative vision of escalating family conflicts amid apocalyptic magical threats.[2][10][11][12] Initially announced as a six-issue limited series set for release in spring 2018 through Image Comics in partnership with Netflix, the project's success and Millar's expansive storytelling led to its evolution into a multi-volume saga, with additional arcs announced starting in 2020 to explore broader lore within the Millarworld universe.[7][5] This structure enabled deeper dives into the syndicate's history and interpersonal dynamics, transforming the one-off tale into an ongoing chronicle of magical intrigue. In 2023, following Millar's renewed publishing deal, the series transitioned to Dark Horse Comics, with Volume 5 released in 2024–2025.[2]Collected editions
The collected editions of The Magic Order series, created by Mark Millar, have been released primarily through Image Comics as trade paperbacks (TPBs) following the initial single-issue runs, with subsequent reprints and deluxe formats issued by Dark Horse Comics under the Millarworld imprint starting in 2024.[1][13] These compilations gather the six-issue volumes, often including variant covers and bonus material such as sketches by artists like Olivier Coipel.[14][15] Image Comics published the original TPBs for the first four volumes between 2019 and 2023, each collecting a complete six-issue arc. The fifth volume's TPB was released on October 7, 2025 by Dark Horse Comics, concluding the series' main storyline.[16][10][11][12] Dark Horse Comics began reprinting the series in 2024 with oversized TPBs featuring enhanced formatting, followed by hardcover library editions and planned omnibus collections that incorporate additional content like behind-the-scenes sketches.[17][2]| Volume | Publisher | Format | Release Date | Collects | Pages | ISBN | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Image Comics | TPB | April 17, 2019 | Issues #1–6 | 176 | 978-1534308718 | $16.99 |
| 2 | Image Comics | TPB | May 25, 2022 | Issues #1–6 (Volume 2) | 176 | 978-1534322202 | $16.99 |
| 3 | Image Comics | TPB | February 22, 2023 | Issues #1–6 (Volume 3) | 168 | 978-1534324695 | $16.99 |
| 4 | Image Comics | TPB | September 13, 2023 | Issues #1–6 (Volume 4) | 176 | 978-1534399822 | $16.99 |
| 1 | Dark Horse Comics | TPB (Reprint) | July 10, 2024 | Issues #1–6 | 184 | 978-1506745220 | $19.99 |
| 2 | Dark Horse Comics | TPB (Reprint) | August 28, 2024 | Issues #1–6 (Volume 2) | 176 | 978-1506745237 | $19.99 |
| 3 | Dark Horse Comics | TPB (Reprint) | October 9, 2024 | Issues #1–6 (Volume 3) | 176 | 978-1506745244 | $19.99 |
| 4 | Dark Horse Comics | TPB (Reprint) | December 10, 2024 | Issues #1–6 (Volume 4) | 176 | 978-1506745251 | $19.99 |
| 5 | Dark Horse Comics | TPB | October 7, 2025 | Issues #1–6 (Volume 5) | 152 | 978-1506744902 | $19.99 |
| 1 | Dark Horse Comics | Library Edition HC | January 28, 2025 | Issues #1–6 | 368 | 978-1506744407 | $59.99 |
| 1 | Dark Horse Comics | Omnibus TPB | June 23, 2026 (planned) | Issues #1–12 (Volumes 1–2) | N/A | 978-1506755274 | $29.99 |