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Kickoff your review of The Art of Magic: The Gathering - Innistrad

Brushworm Speaks!

The Art of Magic: The Gathering

Innistrad

****
Acquired: Amazon.com
Serial: Magic the Gathering (Book 2)
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Perfect Square; 1st edition (July 5, 2016)
Language: English
Subject: Fantasy

****

The Story: Terror falls from the skies on blood-spattered wings, and nameless horrors lurk in the shadows. These pages, lavishly illustrated with the award-winning art of Magic: The Gathering™, are your entry into a globe beset by terrible evils on all sides and betrayed

Brushworm Speaks!

The Fine art of Magic: The Gathering

Innistrad

****
Acquired: Amazon.com
Serial: Magic the Gathering (Book 2)
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Perfect Square; 1st edition (July v, 2016)
Language: English
Subject: Fantasy

****

The Story: Terror falls from the skies on claret-spattered wings, and nameless horrors lurk in the shadows. These pages, lavishly illustrated with the laurels-winning art of Magic: The Gathering™, are your entry into a globe beset by terrible evils on all sides and betrayed by the hope information technology held most dearest. Tread lightly equally you follow the heroic Planeswalkers of the Gatewatch as they investigate these night mysteries, for the nightmare they will uncover is a threat to the whole Multiverse. The mysteries of Innistrad—its peoples, provinces, and monsters—wait your inflow. But be careful equally you peer into the darkness, for you might notice something staring back..

The Review: Night and Gloomy. Gothic Horror. Stoker, Poe, Lovecraft. These are just some of the ingredients that were all mixed together to form this book and the end result could be whatsoever goth enthusiasts moisture dream.

Innistrad is a phone call harkening the reader dorsum to the classics of timeless horror. Looming castles, nighttime nights under the full moon, ghosts, werewolves, vampires. Truly, at that place is something here for any fan of horror.

The artwork captures this perfectly. 1 of the first things the reader will detect is that there is very picayune in the manner of color on this plane. It exists, make no mistake but in a very limited chapters.

When viewed in context amidst more fantastical worlds such as Zendikar or Kaladesh, Innistrad feels among the most grounded of them all, in spite of all the monsters and demons. The buildings are large and imposing. Every bit much stone fortresses as much every bit domiciles or places of worship. The people who live and work inside of them exist in an almost constant state of fright both from threats outside the walls as well as within them. Humanity is its ain worst enemy is a constant theme throughout which only adds to an already night and dreary setting. Edgar Allen Poe can be seen a few places here.

There is a lot more hither than but monsters though. Woven throughout the images and text is an overpowering sense of dread and existential horror. The sense that all these beings: vampires, inquisitors, angels, necromancers, are aught more than just pieces on a vast game lath and those standing around the board are only tangentially aware of their foibles or strengths or even their existence.

Such things are a authentication of Principal horror writer H.P. Lovecraft and his influence can be seen throughout the lore of Innistrad. Even though it originated in the previous expansion, Zendikar, the inflow of the Eldrazi Titan Emrakul further purports the Lovecraftian symbolism.

For many of the plane's citizenry, the only ray of light in their dark world (sometimes literally) is their organized religion in the Church of the Archangel Avacyn, who along with her celestial host and faithful clergy, boxing against the vampires and demons that plague humanity. The truth, however, is much more sinister. Some would call it a vast, cosmic joke on hapless man, furthering the existential horror that is a mutual theme in this airplane's Lovecraft themes. Religion plays a large part in this expansion. Brushworm is a newcomer to the Magic: The Gathering Universe and faith is not something that takes precedence within. At least compared to the other expansions that Bookworm is familiar with. This immediately sets Innistrad apart and makes information technology distinct. There are actually a few biblical references inside the worlds mythology, although, bated from the aesthetic of the Angels, there are non especially overt.

Possibly, information technology could exist argued that the whole matter gets a little too nighttime sometimes. It tin can get rather depressing in a few places. Also the story every bit described in the lore sections does not feel like it was resolved in a satisfactory mode. The truth is, like all the other Art of Magic The Gathering books, the story of the particular plane is told in a very succinct style, similar an encyclopedia entry. The official stories remain on the official story pages of the Magic The Gathering Websites.

Magic: The Gathering has such a rich storyline and it is quite the shame that information technology remains mostly confined online. Information technology would a exist a peachy benefaction past Wizards of the Declension to release the story of Innistrad and Amonkhet in print format alongside these art books. It would really help to put the excellent artwork in a bit more context.

Final Verdict: This volume would make a perfect addition to the collection of any lover of gothic fantasy and/or vampire lore. Property true to classic traditions while also maintaining its own unique take on the mythos.

Four Innistrad Icons out of Five

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...more than

May 30, 2017 James Duyck rated it really liked it

This book has a massive amount of content. Aside from the fine art, it has a lot of details about the setting, characters, and story of the 2 Innistrad blocks.
It can be repetitive since it's encyclopedic in mode and multiple articles embrace some of the same content, but it'south not structurally repetitive. The art of course is gorgeous, and though there were a couple of printing errors (streaks on text pages) it wasn't major. This book has a massive amount of content. Aside from the fine art, it has a lot of details most the setting, characters, and story of the two Innistrad blocks.
Information technology can be repetitive since information technology's encyclopedic in mode and multiple articles cover some of the same content, but it's not structurally repetitive. The fine art of course is gorgeous, and though in that location were a couple of printing errors (streaks on text pages) it wasn't major. ...more

I'm in love with the art style. Just the detail and everything is really good. I'thou in love with the art manner. Just the item and everything is really skillful. ...more

Jul 24, 2016 Tzu-Mainn Chen rated it actually liked it

Magic: the Gathering's first foray into Innistrad concluded with the shattering of the Helvault and the emergence of Avacyn and the other angels trapped in there, conservancy for the humans in a airplane overrun past vampires, werewolves, and zombies. A happy ending... except years later, Wizards of the Coast has returned to their plane to reveal that the angels have gone mad, turning on those that they formally protected. Innistrad's denizens are also starting to... alter, with strange growths appearing Magic: the Gathering's start foray into Innistrad ended with the shattering of the Helvault and the emergence of Avacyn and the other angels trapped in at that place, salvation for the humans in a plane overrun past vampires, werewolves, and zombies. A happy ending... except years later, Wizards of the Coast has returned to their plane to reveal that the angels have gone mad, turning on those that they formally protected. Innistrad's denizens are as well starting to... change, with foreign growths appearing on their bodies. Something is coming...

The sequel to Innistrad is built like a Lovecraftian story, with the protagonist planeswalker Jace badly trying to solve the mystery of Innistrad'due south descent into madness. The art in the book delivers some hitting images - vampires frozen in white rock, angels lighting the countryside in flame, a ring of warped rock chained with lightning - that are individually evocative, even if one is unaware of the story behind it all. And the 2nd half of the story explodes into consummate insanity: a horse and rider entangled and fused; a town whose paranoid inhabitants have merged into a unmarried mass; an affections called Brisella, Phonation of Nightmares.

The story detailed alongside the art can exist heavy-handed and defective in subtlety. But the enthusiasm and passion is clearly there, and helps one understand just how Magic has survived every bit a carte du jour game for over twenty years.

...more

Oct 31, 2016 Steven Cole rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Magic players who like the art

Much similar the earlier volume in this series, The Art of Magic: The Gathering -- Zendikar, this is a beautiful volume filled with the images and lore of recent Magic: the Gathering card sets.

It'due south lovely to get a chance to see the art in sizes larger than the 2x3 inch frames nosotros get on cards, and it'south articulate the story team who works on Magic places lots of love into their creations.

The text of the book is one-half D&D-esque campaign setting (a gazetteer of the places of the globe and the types of peop

Much like the earlier volume in this series, The Art of Magic: The Gathering -- Zendikar, this is a cute book filled with the images and lore of recent Magic: the Gathering card sets.

It'southward lovely to get a take chances to see the art in sizes larger than the 2x3 inch frames we get on cards, and information technology's clear the story team who works on Magic places lots of love into their creations.

The text of the book is one-half D&D-esque entrada setting (a gazetteer of the places of the world and the types of people and creatures that inhabit those places), and half story outline for the narrative being told in the cards.

It's a pretty thing I'm proud to own.

It's not for people who aren't really all that into Magic, though, unless you lot're a collector of art books in full general.

4 of 5 stars.

...more

Jul 06, 2016 Patrick rated it really liked information technology

Another gorgeous addition to Magic: The Gathering's ongoing fine art book series. Full of fantastic images from some of today's leading imaginative realism artists (who happen to be contributors to MTG), Innistrad provides an in-depth look at the gothic horror setting that has now spanned five expansion sets. Like the previous entry, Zendikar, there's some textual content that runs long and would have been improve left on the cutting room floor. But overall this volume deserves a place on your shelf or Some other gorgeous addition to Magic: The Gathering'south ongoing fine art book serial. Full of fantastic images from some of today'southward leading imaginative realism artists (who happen to exist contributors to MTG), Innistrad provides an in-depth look at the gothic horror setting that has now spanned five expansion sets. Like the previous entry, Zendikar, there's some textual content that runs long and would have been better left on the cutting room flooring. But overall this book deserves a identify on your shelf or coffee tabular array. ...more than

Nov 12, 2016 D rated it it was astonishing

Fantastic.

James and the squad have really dialed in the world-building and fine art. Top notch... highly recommended if MtG is of involvement or y'all're looking for fantasy/D&D campaign/village inspiration.

Fantastic.

James and the team accept really dialed in the world-edifice and art. Top notch... highly recommended if MtG is of involvement or y'all're looking for fantasy/D&D campaign/village inspiration.

...more

Jul 25, 2016 Eric rated it really liked it

Gorgeous art, and enough particular to tie it all together.

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