Recently, I realized that the majority of my favorite superheroes and superhero comics are about magic superheroes. With the exception of certain characters, I decided that I want to focus my superhero comics reading on magic superheroes from now on.

Most of them might not be as well known as Batman or Spider-Man, but they have an entertaining and often down to earth appeal. They also tend to be in the fantasy or horror vein, with some sci-fi if they work with other types of superheroes.

Now, I’ll share some of my favorite magic superheroes and recommend comics (and some comics media) to check out for exploring each character.

1. Raven

Raven was the first American magic superhero I liked. A half demon, half human superhero, she is best known as a member of DC Comics’ superhero team Teen Titans. As the daughter of the evil demon entity Trigon, she tries hard to use her empath and magic abilities for good and resist her father’s influence.

I was originally exposed to Raven via the Teen Titans animated series that aired from 2003-2006. Many of my favorite episodes focused on Raven, such as “Spellbound” and “The End parts 1-3”.

Recommended comic book reading: New Teen Titans Vol. 1, New Teen Titans: Terror of Trigon (recently collected in New Teen Titans Vol. 6).

2. Magik (aka Illyana Rasputin)

Another half human, half demon magic user, Magik is a Marvel Comics character typically associated with various X-Men teams (esp. the New Mutants). Besides magic spells, she has a mystical sword called the Soulsword that disrupts anything magical, and elderich armor that covers her entire body when she taps into her demon side.

Illyana Rasputin has a complicated comic book history that goes back to the original 1980’s New Mutants run. At first, she was a sweet little girl until she is kidnapped by the demon Belasco.

For 7 years, she learns magic & discovers her mutant teleportation power, but Belasco’s influence results in her developing a semi-demonic alter-ego called Darkchylde. As a result, her character is often an anti-hero that does bad things for good reasons.

Recommended Reading: New Mutants by Zeb Wells (the run that introduced me to Magik), Magik: 1983-1984 (for her origin story)

3. Loki

Most people may know Loki from the Marvel comics films, but their comic book counterpart has always been more interesting to me. Half god, half Frost Giant, this magical trickster had amazing character development, going from vengeful, envious God of Evil to a content God/Goddess of Stories.

Taking place over three series (listed below), Loki’s transformation into a relatable, fun anti-hero allowed them to become worthy of their own power and status instead of chasing after what their brother Thor had. While Marvel has rolled Loki back into an evil persona in recent comics, Loki will always be the God/Goddess of Stories to me.

Recommended Reading: Kieron Gillen’s Journey Into Mystery run, Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie’s Young Avengers, Al Ewing’s Agent of Asgard

4. Zatanna

Specializing in magic spells spoken backwards, DC Comics’ Zatanna is both a stage magician and a real magician. She learned everything she knows from her father, John Zatara, prior to his mysterious disappearance (or death, depending on your comics continuity).

In addition to being one of DC Comics most powerful magic users, she has also worked with superhero teams and characters such as the Justice League, Justice League Dark, and Black Canary.

Recommended Reading: Zatanna: Everyday Magic, Mystik U, Zatanna/Black Canary: Blood Spell

5. Shan Fong (aka Doctor Mirage)

Valiant Comics’ Shan Fong is Doctor Mirage, a semi-retired paranormal investigator who can communicate with the spirits of the dead. While she doesn’t have magic per se, her field of work sometimes requires her to use certain magical artifacts or spells.

Shan Fong is an interesting character because we first see using her supernatural abilities to help grieving people communicate with their lost loved ones. However, each homicide case she takes gives her clues to help her find the spirit of her late husband Hwen.

Her story, particularly in her first mini series (listed below), is an engrossing tale of grief, loss, and love with dashes of horror.

Recommending Reading: The Death Defying Doctor Mirage Vol 1. Death Defying Doctor Mirage: Second Lives

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