Review by Frank Plowright

Even accounting for his late age at the time, an introduction from Stan Lee noting co-writer Luke Liebermann as a friend, then saying he’s not sure he understood Street Magik after two readings hardly provides a ringing endorsement.

Liebermann and co-writer Kevin McCarthy focus on Jake Conner, discovering magic is all around him on the streets of New York. The practitioners are a mixed bunch from the subway beggar to the priest in a local church, each concerned with their own form of destiny, and the awakening of magic within Jake interests them all. Jake’s development occurs as a series of gruesome murders are making headlines.

Lee’s right to a degree. Liebermann and McCarthy don’t go out of their way to explain motivations, and a fair amount of what occurs during the set-up period lacks any logical underpinning. If you’ve remained out of sight for years, for instance, why now draw attention to yourself? It’s even less explicable once the writers deliver the historical background to what’s playing out.

Rodney Buchemi shades his black and white artwork to provide depth, and creates a suitably sordid atmosphere. The talent of an artist who would later work for Marvel can be seen, but visual clarity isn’t a strongpoint. He’s at his best with the design and use of an incredibly creepy and murderous clown in traditional harlequin costume, but not greatly convincing with other scenes.

Jake is linked to a war that’s played out over centuries, his father being one of the casualties, but too much lacks a professional touch. The overly flirtatious Faith comes across as fantasy material instead of a solid character, and having put in considerable effort to provide the background, the way things play out as a series of public encounters isn’t greatly satisfying. Street Magik becomes a decent idea that falls apart well before the slapdash and disappointingly rushed ending.