There's a certain brand of magic in this series and it doesn't come from a wand: great storytelling. Read Full Review

I thoroughly enjoyed being introduced to the world of Gutter magic in this debut issue. Rich Douek has created a world that I'm going to love seeing explored in upcoming issues augmented by the great art of Brett Barkley. This landed a spot on my pull list and I look forward to meeting “The Morgue” in issue #2! Read Full Review

This is a wakeup call for comic readers who love fantasy. This one is the sleeper comics of the week I rate buy on sight. I can't wait to see what else springs from the fertile imaginations of Douek, Barkley et al in the next installment of IDW's four-part Gutter Magic series. Read Full Review

That said, Gutter Magic is definitely the best-case scenario for Comics Experience, as this book definitely shows what a team of new creators can do with the right mentorship. This book moves fast and liberally cherry-picks from multiple genres to make this series feel at once familiar and brand-new. Cinder's quest for magic is as strong of a premise as any, and here's the kicker - this creative team has already found it. Read Full Review

Gutter Magic is ferociously entertaining. The creative team on all accounts have done something marvelous in building this world and birthing its characters. The resulting pages of that effort are a joy to read. Get this book on your radar! Read Full Review

Once a self-published gem, it's nice to see this book get the mainstream attention from IDW it deserves. Read Full Review

Rich Douek paces this book really well. There were plenty of opportunities for predictable turns, but Douek surprised me with some of them. Of course you still have your common thief on the run story, but it is still a good read. The marketplace chase just might be my favorite scene because of how cool it is. Also, points go out to letterer Nic J. Shaw for putting up with those magic symbols and incantations. Now that the fantasy and steampunk side of the story has been set up, it will be interesting to see how the modern world will play into it. Read Full Review

Gutter Magic is an enjoyable read full of clearly defined characters in a world that is both intriguing and fun. You can't take anything for granted in a magical environment, and that kept me moving from page to page quickly. Read Full Review

Gutter Magic #1 is an exciting, dark fantasy adventure that will want you coming back for more. It has awe-inspiring magic battles, cool magical artifacts, interesting and well thought out characters, and some great artwork. There are some minor setbacks with one out-of-place line of dialogue and some issues with the art. This is one you will want to check out if you are looking for something different in your fantasy genre that has an exciting, dangerous, and interesting world. Read Full Review

Gutter Magic #1 is an action-packed urban fantasy tale which sets the bar for any of this kind to follow throughout the year. Great sense of world building and character appeal. Definitely a new title you don't want to miss getting into because it could easily be a mini series that could come back for more. Read Full Review

Gutter Magic is a skilfully crafted labour of love for Rich Douek. It looks to be a good old fashioned seat-of-your-pants adventure series set in a ridiculously well thought out locale. The world in which were introduced has moved on from technology to magic, but the answer to Cinders quest seems to point back to the technological past to complete his magical future (this will make a lot more sense once youve read issue one). The execution of the narrative and art are fitting to the themes of the story and, if Im going to be honest, are really good fun. This is entertaining stuff. Read Full Review

Gutter Magic has carved out a niche for itself inside of genres that feel familiar, while presenting them in new and interesting ways " magic isn't going to be the easy answer to all of Cinder's problems (though whether he understands that or not is something to be seen in the rest of the issues) and that makes the journey all the more interesting for readers. Read Full Review

With all that said, there are some places to improve. This is a four issue miniseries so there's understandably a need to streamline things but I didn't really feel like I left knowing Cinder. I know what he wants and I know how he plans to get it but I don't know what makes him tick. I don't know what he likes and what he doesn't like. I would like to see the second issue flesh out his character a bit more but not lose the momentum that this issue sets up. Read Full Review

An Incredibly Interesting take on the fantasy genre, well paced and full of Intriguing characters and plot turns, this issue is well worth a read and I look forward to the magic to come. Read Full Review

Gutter Magic #1 is an impressive debut that has a lot to accomplish. It had to build a brand new world while making me care about a new character I have no tie to and hook me with an adventure in just 1 issue. It did, and that's impressive. Douek, Barkley and Rivera have a solid fantasy adventure comic here with Gutter Magic #1 and if you enjoy The Autumnlands, Steampunk worlds or a The Dresden Files, I'd definitely recommend you check this out. Read Full Review

So, Gutter Magic is off to an OK start with a caution that there's a lot more story that could stand to be told here. Let's see if it can pull it all together in the remaining three issues. Read Full Review

Cinder finds himself in a library at the issue's start and a bookstall at its end. His past and his power are hidden in books, but there's something more to their presence in Gutter Magic than that. Rich Douek is an Alonso Quixano, surrounded by every kind of book, and their stories become his stories. Stories of derring-do, of magic and monsters, ghosts and pirates, stories of people surrounded by books. Read Full Review

Hopefully, this creative team will continue to maintain and improve on the quality of the writing and artwork.  This is a comic with a lot of promise. I hope they can deliver. Read Full Review

This is the best comic I've read in a while and I'm genuinely excited for the next issue. Read Full Review

The artwork is well done, with a degree of realism in both the human and non-human characters. Even the world is well done, with an extreme attention to the post WWII world, with minor elements of steampunk that can be seen in some of the panels. Of course that does explain the slight Victorian dress of the characters, over a more modern style of clothing but, that works with the story well. Read Full Review

This was a very promising first issue. It is a crowded market place at the moment, and you need to stand out from the crowd to succeed. I don't think Gutter Magic has done enough to stand out just yet, but I can see it getting there if things continue as strongly as this debut. It is certainly a world I would like to return to. Read Full Review

Gutter Magic offers intriguing gestures toward a world of wonder, without much in the way of follow-through. This is to low fantasy what cyberpunk is to hard science fiction. It's dirty, rough, paranoid, and dangerous. I hope subsequent issues can rally the comic's strengths and better support that core. I hope the book gets where it's going soon. Read Full Review