In 1984, writer and artist Matt Wagner released Mage: The Hero Discovered; which introduced comic book fans to Kevin Matchstick, the modern day reincarnation of King Arthur. 13 years after the original series, Wagner released the sequel, Mage: The Hero Defined; which challenged Kevin’s place in the world and his perception of himself. After nearly 20 years away from the saga, Wagner is finally ready to release the final miniseries in his Mage trilogy.
At Emerald City Comic Con, Image Comics announced that Wagner will once again write and draw a 15-issue series to wrap up the Mage storyline. The final series will be called Mage: The Hero Denied, and it will pick up several years after The Hero Defined. Wagner’s son, Brennan Wagner, will be the colorist on the series.
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In the conclusion of the previous series, Kevin Matchstick destroyed his version of Excalibur in a bid to save his friend’s life, which only angered his friend when he was resurrected. While speaking to Bleeding Cool, Wagner indicated that the new series will follow up on Kevin’s realization that he is more than just the reincarnation of King Arthur, and what that means for his destiny.
“He realizes that he not only held a limited view of his weapon and his power but also the possibilities of his own identity. Kevin also failed by trying to fulfill a destiny that he thought was prescribed to him…by trying to be ‘King’ among the ranks of his heroic colleagues. That didn’t work out so well and so he was left with a feeling of abandonment. Add to that the return of his arch-nemesis, the Umbra Sprite, and our Hero feels like he’s maybe not so hot as he once believed he was. In the years since we last saw him, Kevin has been living a different sort of life. But he’s always vigilant for that mystical voice to provide him the guidance he feels he needs to understand if being the hero really is his destiny. And, yes…he’s haunted by the question that has so far remained unanswered; Who is the third Mage?”
Mage: The Hero Denied # 0 will be released at San Diego Comic-Con International in July.
Are you excited to see Wagner return to his signature series? Let us know in the comment section below!
