“In the end, Smoke and Mirrors might not be the most magical title on shelves this week, but it certainly is a good bit of fun. The rather captivating and amusing new world brought forth by its creators is reason enough to return for the next issue. Throw in the fun of a magic trick, and how could it not be worth a read?”
“Through Ward, Costa (and magical advisor, Jon Armstrong) give the reader a chance to participate in a magic trick. That’s right, a real magic trick, printed on the page the reader is a part of. Luckily it has nothing to do with a saw, but it is impressive to see, especially given the pacing of the story that plays the trick into the wonders of comic book pacing and page turning. For that alone, this book will be memorable.”
- CBR
“Smoke and Mirrors” #1 was very close to making the mark, positing a world where magic exists in such common use that it’s like the way we view science. Personal electronics, trade unions, medical practice — all powered by everyday people using magic. It was, in its presentation, fascinating.”
“The comic is beautifully written and the art compliments the story, it has magic which you can actually take part in which I found great and I can happily say it took me by surprise, by how much I liked it.”
“Certainly one of the best new series I’ve read this year.”
“Mike Costa’s Smoke and Mirrors is awesome. It’s an intriguing new world with limitless possibilities filled with intriguing characters.”
“Mike Costa and Ryan Browne’s Smoke and Mirrors was a surprise hit, especially when picking up the book without any previous knowledge of the team or title. Costa’s world and direction is incredibly bold, making the book so much more enjoyable to take in, while Browne’s art captures Ethan’s tale perfectly. The world of Smoke and Mirrors is just beginning, but the mystery behind it just begs to be explored.”
“There are comics you read, instantly love, and then want to share with all your friends. This is one of those.”
“For a first issue of a mini-series, the book is incredibly succinct and well plotted, with a sharp eye towards pushing the plot forward just enough as to not reveal too much of what cards he’s holding (pun fully intended).”
“Mike Costa you know from his great work on G.I. Joe Cobra, but Jon Armstrong is a legit magician and they’ve worked with artist Ryan Browne (God Hates Astronauts) to bring magic to the comic page with this mini-series that’s worth a look!”
- IFanboy
“Ryan Browne’s art is clean, uncomplicated, sleek, and sophisticated.”
“Smoke and Mirrors does what comics do best; combine relevant social commentary with a compelling story. With IDW’s recent run of creator-owned titles (Memorial, Road Rage, The Cape) combined with classics like Locke & Key and 30 Days of Night, Smoke and Mirrors makes a distinctive and officially freakin’ awesome addition to IDW’s catalogue. Additionally it makes magic seem cool again, which is quite the feat with weirdoes like Criss Angel out there.”
“There ended up being a ton of books out this week so hopefully you didn’t miss this one. I wish that I could have gotten this review up sooner to encourage others to take a look at it, but you may have noticed we’ve been busy around here. If you haven’t picked up books yet or just buy all yours digitally then check Smoke and Mirrors out and no I’m not going to end on some pun about magic.”
“The best new book of the week, though, is “Smoke and Mirrors”. The basic conceit is that it takes place in a world where instead of science and physics, everything is powered by magic: iPods, cars, the whole nine yards. Then a rebellious teenager stumbles across a sleight-of-hand artist who isn’t from this universe…and is baffling everybody with basic card tricks. The book sets up what’ll be its overarching plot simply, with an off-hand comment or two, and ends on a simultaneously funny and menacing note.”
“Costa’s first foray into creator-owned comics is a home run.”
“En definitiva Smoke and Mirrors tiene una partida absolutamente correcta y bastante interesante. Como en cualquier otro caso el desarrollo revelará si se trata de una serie con alas o no, pero tratándose de una miniserie de cinco números, parece un proyecto atractivo y muy distinto del panorama general. Recomendada
Translated to English
“Ultimately Smoke and Mirrors is a game quite correct and quite interesting. As in any other cases, the development will reveal whether it is a series with wings or not, but, being a miniseries of five, it seems an attractive project and very different from the standard comics picture. Recommended”
