A kind-of creepy introduction to DC's magic/fantasy side. We meet a teenaged Tim Hunter who is surrounded by four men in trenchcoats. But they're there to teach him about magic. Tim could be the most powerful magician in the universe, but it comes at a price. In this issue, the Phantom Stranger takes Tim to see the past, where only Merlin would repeat his past -- all the other magical characters tell Tim that the power just isn't worth it. The washed-out-paints look makes it difficult to tell some characters apart, but it does provide a certain mood that is quite fitting for the book. ( )